Analyze your Mental Attitude with
Fighting your head can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome to become a winning barrel racer, but many barrel racers overlook the problem., feeling that it will work itself out. it seldom does. Like every other aspect of competition, mental and emotional winning attitudes can be improved and strengthened.
The first step is to determine exactly what your competition strengths and weaknesses are with this questionnaire. Be completely honest with yourself, as this is a personal tool for you to increase your mental competitive skills.
When you have completed the questions, read the commentary to find what your answers might mean about you.
1. Do you enjoy competing in barrel races? ________
2. Do you like other kinds of competition? ________
3. Do you dread the announcer calling your name to compete?
_______never
_______sometimes
_______often
_______always
4. How keyed up do you get before competition?
_______psyched, and ready to beat'em.
_______edgy and aggressive
_______a little nervous
_______quite nervous
_______sick at my stomach
_______"I wish I was somewhere else"
5. After you make your run
_______I would like to make another better one, because I know where
I could improve.
_______I don't know exactly what happened out there, because I never
can remember.
6. These things make me nervous (CHECK ANY THAT APPLY)
______side entries ____long patterns
______center alleys ____short patterns
______coliseums ____indoor arenas
______being required to ride in the grand entry
TRUE OR FALSE
7. ____Crowds of spectators intimidate me.
8. ____Other barrel racers who are champions or "tough" intimidate me.
9. ____If other people come to watch me practice, I usually mess up.
10. ____Runs where a lot of money is up really get to me.
11. ____In a two go-round barrel race, if I am winning after the first go,
I really have problems maintaining my composure on the next run.
12. ____If I have to wait a long time to compete, it make me nervous.
13. ____There are certain things that can happen before a barrel race that
can me feel that I cannot win.
14. ____If I don't get to go through my preparation routine exactly, I will not
be able to win. If things aren't just right, I can't concentrate
enough to win.
15. ____Other people talking to me before I run can cause me to mess up.
16. ____If I argue with my husband (father)(mother)(boyfriend) before I run,
I usually will not do well.
17. ____I usually don't win if I don't draw up in a good position.
18. ____I am a lucky person.
19. ____I am not very lucky.
20. ____I am a consistent competitor.
21. ____I am a good competitor.
22. ____If I were a betting person, I would put my money on me.
23. ____I feel in control when the announcer calls me name and
I enter the arena.
24. ____I pretty much feel that it's up to fate when I enter the arena.
There's not much I can do at that point other than just see what
my horse will do.
25. ____I don't nave any physical problems that are interfering with
my barrel racing.
26. ____I'm too nervous to eat before I run barrels, so I get a little weak
and shaky.
Now, take a look at what your answers mean:
The first five questions concern how you feel about your barrel racing and competition.
1. DO YOU ENJOY COMPETING IN BARREL RACES?
You should, after all, this is supposed to be a sport you love and an activity you enjoy. If you honestly have to say it is not fun, then you need to make some changes to insure that it is a pleasurable experience for you.
2. DO YOU ENJOY OTHER TYPES OF COMPETITION?
This is important for a couple of reasons. If you enjoy other competition but are having problems with your barrel racing, then likely, you have a problem with some aspect of your approach to running barrels, or you might be having a problem with your horse. There may be some sort of mental block that is keeping you from enjoying barrel racing even though you thrive on other types of competition. Play games that are competitive, and play to win, just like you will be barrel racing to win.
Several top cowboys have been quoted as saying, "I just rodeo for fun, and the more I win the more fun it is!"
Winning IS fun; whether it's a card game, a basketball scrimmage, or a tennis match. Imagine what would happen if former San Francisco 49er quarterback, Joe Montana, was uncomfortable in a pressure-packed, competitive situation. In Super Bowl competition, he would not have been able to perform at a world class level if he were overcome by the pressures. Learning not to feel intimidated by the game is an essential part of learning to win.
So, if competing is a problem, maybe you should become a more devoted competitor. Make your entire day one contest after another, even if it's only with yourself. Time yourself as to how long it will take you to clean out a stall, then try to beat your time next time. If you are in school , or work in an office, compete with yourself on completing an assignment.
How many little competitions can you involve yourself in? Your goal in doing this is to convince your subconscious mind that competition is a challenge to meet and enjoy, not an uncomfortable test to trip you up.
QUESTIONS NUMBER 3, 4, AND 5 CONCERN HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT COMPETITION.
A big step toward learning how to win is learning how to make those "butterflies" or nerves work for you... to make you more intense, to help you really give your all...to concentrate completely. That "edge" should help you. If, instead, competition fills you with dread, makes you sick or in some other way, defeats you, then you are going to have to find the hidden barriers to success that are keeping you from competing successfully.
So, admit to yourself how you feel about competing. If there is a problem here, recognize it and find the cause. Use a 21 day improvement program to help you in whatever area needs work.
If you are so up-tight while competing that you are mentally or physically sick about it or don't even remember your run, you need to concentrate on relaxing, your body and your mind. You are going to have to figure out what causes and contributes to your nervousness and fix the problem. Maybe you have a self confidence problem. You need to feed your mind some confidence. Plan to spend three weeks on this, to change the way you look at yourself and your abilities.
When you get up in the morning, jump up out of bed and clap your hands and tell yourself, "I am a winning barrel racer". Yes, you will feel silly doing this, but not as silly as you do when your nerves cause you to do something embarrassing.
