Feeling up to the challenge

Why do some athletes become excited before an upcoming competition against close competitors, whilst others don’t look forward to it at all? How can you optimise your mindset and performance before a competition? Before an important competition, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling nervous, maybe even a bit sick, and to be dreading the time when you have to perform. This blog explains the difference between a challenge and a threat state, and how we can use challenge appraisal to turn those nerves into excitement and motivation to perform.

When competing, athletes can either enter a challenge state or a threat state, depending on the way they view the situation (their appraisal). If you appraise the situation as a challenge (a difficult but rewarding test of abilities) you are likely to perform better. This is because in a challenge state, the body undergoes physiological changes to prepare you for action. Your heart rate increases, and adrenaline is released. Because there is more blood pumping to muscles and the brain, movements have more power and decision making improves. You may have experienced the impact of this yourself – you become more engaged with the task, and any emotions you experience, even ‘negative’ emotions like anger and anxiety, fuel your motivation to succeed. This differs to a threat state, where you think less clearly, feel the emotions you’re experiencing are harmful to your performance, and may even procrastinate (e.g., waiting until the last minute to warmup) to avoid performing.

How can you enter the challenge state?

Research suggests there are three steps to appraise a situation as a challenge and enter the challenge state:

• Focus on approach goals
• Develop confidence
• Increase perception of control.

We’ll go through these step-by-step and give a time frame for when to focus on developing each factor.

In the months before a competition…

Set an approach goal. Approach goals are performance goals related to demonstrating competence and can be focused on the task (“to score five times in the season”), the self (“to beat my 400m PB”), or others (“to be seen as a more talented squash player than my opponent”). Focusing on approach goals constantly reminds you of the possibility of success and encourages you to view a demanding event as a challenge.

To set an approach goal, set a measurable goal that is specific and challenging for your abilities. Try to focus on the task or self, rather than other athletes, as these goals are more under your control. It helps if this is a long-term goal, as you can then use smaller process goals to help achieve it (these are goals focused on the PROCESS of performing an action, rather than the outcome of the action – we’ll talk about these later). For example, a swimmer might set a self-approach goal to hit a sub-60s 100m freestyle PB by the end of the season. Remember to evaluate this goal (and amend it if necessary!), as reflecting on progress helps maintain confidence!

In the weeks before a competition…

This is a good time to focus on developing confidence. The aim is to be confident in your own ability to perform and achieve your desired outcome.

You can develop your confidence in the run-up to the competition by recording your successes and reminding yourself of them regularly, as evidence of your past accomplishments. To help with this, consider using a training log to detail achievements in training i.e., positive comments by coaches, positive reflections, times achieved, improvements in technique. Look back over your entries on a regular basis.

Days before a competition…

Develop your perception of control. A high perception of control means you believe you can influence your environment (e.g., believing you can win if you put in the effort).

You can increase your perception of control by simply focusing on factors that can be controlled. To do this, consider creating a list of things you are worried about, before removing the ones that aren’t controllable. With the items on your list that are left, pick one to focus on overcoming when you are performing. This will be your process goal, which can tie into your long-term approach goal. If we use the example of the swimmer from above, one of their worries for an upcoming race might be slowing down during the race as they tire. To mitigate this and to tie into their long-term approach goal, they might set a process goal to maintain a consistent stroke rate throughout their race.

In summary…

Appraising an upcoming competition as a challenge allows you to enter the challenge state. This allows you to channel your emotions into motivation, think clearer, and perform better. A challenge appraisal can be achieved if you focus on approach goals, have high confidence, and a high perception of control.

N.B. All recommendations provided are taken from existing empirical research.

If you are interested in learning more about challenge appraisal, we recommend the following papers:

• Meijen, C., Turner, M., Jones, M. V., Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. (2020). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes: A revised conceptualization. Frontiers in psychology, 126.
• Jones, M., Meijen, C., McCarthy, P. J., & Sheffield, D. (2009). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes. International review of sport and exercise psychology, 2(2), 161-180.

Or this 10-minute podcast episode on the importance of challenge appraisal:

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