Better when mad?

Question
Hi, my name is Eissa and i am a 17 year old recent high school graduate, and i attend a community college currently. i am a big kid and when i was playing d-line in high school, i found that i was an average skilled player during games, but when i would get angry i would become a very good player, and sort of dominate the line. would you happen to have any tips on how to control my strength and in order to use it to my advantage for community college football?

Answer
Hello Eissa and thank you for asking this question.

When we get angry, our bodies give us a jolt of adrenaline.  When you have the right amount of adrenaline, your reflexes are faster, you are stronger and more focused.  But with too much anger (or adrenaline), you overload and burn out.  Now you've learned to harness the right amount of adrenaline, and if you can do it once, you can learn to do it again on purpose, since your mind and body remembers how it felt.

To bring it back, do some mental practice.  Get relaxed, close your eyes, and take five slow deep breaths.  Then, picture or imagine one of those games when you did average, then you got angry and it was like hitting a "power up" button.  Notice how good you played and how powerful you felt. Notice how that power felt as it just flowed through you, and notice if it had a sound, a color or a feeling.  Whatever it had, grab that, because that is your trigger to bring it back.  Now imagine being in a game, and instead of getting mad, use your trigger and bring that feeling of power back.  This is something you need to practice.  The payoff is when you get good at doing this in your imagination, then you can do it on the actual field.  This is a powerful tool, and I've helped many athletes get a lot by using it.  Practice it, it WORKS!

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

David

David Kenward, The Mental Coach
Sacramento, California
http://www.thementalcoach.com