WHEN YOU ARE BADLY INJURED IN A MATCH, WHAT WILL YOU DO? (A TRUE STORY ABOUT PERSEVERANCE AND RESILIENCE)

You know sometimes where an event unfolds in front of your eyes, and you feel like you’re in a movie? In this blog post, I want to share something that happened during this SEA Games that made me learn a very valuable lesson, and I will never ever forget what it made me feel.

DECEMBER 4 2019- MALAYSIA VS INDONESIA

Before I begin my story, let me briefly explain the competition format. So in this SEA Games, beach volleyball was competed as a team event, which means that each country sends in two pairs and if both of the teams win 2-0, only is it then considered as a win for your country. However, if the first team wins, and the second team loses and there is a draw of 1-1, a Golden Match will be played whereby any 2 out of the 4 players shall be chosen as the third team.

Hsi Yan and I were the first pair, so naturally we had to face the Indonesian first pair as well. We weren’t placing any high hopes in beating them as they are a very strong and experienced team. We had lost 21-14,21-15 in the end. After we had completed our match, it was time for the second pairs of each team to compete. There was no pressure in winning because the odds were against us. Anyway, we had lost the first set. However, during the second set, Ah Joo and Sin Xi picked up their pace and began leading! We were all so excited because we were actually in the lead and it looked like we could take this set.

What happened in the next few moments, no one saw it coming, and it would be the one of the most electrifying moments in sporting history. The score was 13-12, with a point in our pocket. And everything seemed to happen in slow motion. A ball was placed too tight to the net, the Indonesian defender jumped up to challenge the shot. Little did she know that when she landed, it would be the last time she had jumped for the match. She suffered from a bad landing and injured her right knee. An immediate 3-minute technical timeout was called for. We in the Malaysian stands were all bright-eyed. If the Indonesians forfeited this match, we could go on to play the Golden Match, and score at least one more point for our country! Just when things were looking bad for the Indonesian duo, her partner helped her up from the seat, and together they staggered back into the court. They were going to fight it out till the last point.

At this point, the Indonesian player could barely even walk normally, much less run and jump. In a sport like beach volleyball where you’d always have to run, jump, and dive, this was a HUGE disadvantage. We beat them easily in the second set. With the scores tied at 1-1, it was time for the deciding set.

As the saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” The Indonesian duo was not defeated AT ALL. A show of true sporting excellence was put on for the crowd. So here’s what happened. In beach volleyball, there are only two players on an 8x8m court. So, when you are receiving the service from the opponent, a normal standing position would be to cover your own half of the court. However, the Indonesian pair changed their style of play, and it was the first time I had ever seen anyone do that. The blocker (who was not injured) covered the whole of the backcourt, and the defender was left to guard a little spot in front, just to pass the second ball.

The situation is illustrated as above.

The Indonesian blocker stepped up her game right there and then. No matter where we served the ball, she was there to take it. It was impossible to kill her. Even the defender who was injured was nothing short of impressive. Keep in mind, she couldn’t even walk properly. So, how did she play? Well, any ball that came to her, she simply placed it perfectly for her partner to go in for the kill. It was so painful to watch her grit her teeth and bear through the pain, but she never once gave up. They were supporting each other through it all. The blocker hadn’t given up hope on her friend yet. She decided to take things to her hands and master her own fate.

I can’t even imagine what they were going through at that time. It was a true test of mental toughness, and they thrived through the adversity. They had succeeded. Tears of relieve and joy were streaming down their faces. What a night it had been.

Although we hadn’t won, but I felt like I had won the tickets to watch this glorious movie being played right in front of my eyes. I am not sure if by writing this blog post you can feel the whole situation, but I definitely hope that this story inspires you as much as it inspires me. Let this be a lesson to all- IT IS NOT OVER YET UNTIL YOU DECIDE THAT IT IS OVER. TAKE CHARGE OF THE SITUATION AND DECIDE WHICH IS THE OUTCOME YOU WANT, TO BE REMEMBERED AS A HERO, OR LOOK BACK AND THINK “I COULD’VE DONE BETTER.”

练习时的态度

我在这4年，差不多每一天都在练球。当然，有时会觉得充满动力，然而，大部分的练习时间我们都觉得又累又不想动。所以，我们要怎么样克服心中的这些恶魔以让我们有最充实的练习呢？

1.      骗自己 （的想法）

有时练习时做一些体能或很累的东西，意志力不足时我们很容易放弃，乱做。但是想一想，如果我们不撑过最辛苦的部分，我们怎么知道自己真正的能力到哪里呢？很想放弃时，我会告诉自己：“今天的辛苦是为了更好的明天。如果我撑过了，我会变成更好，更强大。” 你撑过一次了，就一定会有下一次。久而久之，这会变成你的好习惯！所谓 “ 今天我做别人不愿意做的事情，以便我明天能够做别人做不到的事情。”

2.      自问自答

做完一个练习过后，问自己 “我有尽力吗？” “我刚刚可以做到更好吗？“ ”我刚刚可以再做多一下吗？“ 只有你自己心知肚明这些问题的答案， 而我觉得这些问题都可以帮助检查自己的进展。

3.      站在你偶像的立场

当你觉得有点懒时，问自己：“我的偶像会这样做吗？他们会做些什么东西来克服自己的心情？” 要知道爬上顶峰的路实在不简单。他们也是经历过各种各样的障碍，牺牲了多少年，才会有今天的他们。这样的方法可以提醒到自己，成功的路是坎坷的。若简单的话，每个人都能够做到呀。

4.      不是每天都是星期天

残酷的事实：不是每一天都是你的天。信我，我知道。以前，当我在练习时表现不好，我会觉得非常压力和忧闷。但，我渐渐的明白，每个人一定会有上下，只看你自己如何去克服它（你是否让它影响你）。有一个人曾经对我说过一个非常有道理的东西。这个东西甚至明显到我不知道为什么自己没想过。当我知道这个小秘诀后，我再也没有那么给自己压力了。这个秘诀好到我把它做成了一个equation。

你在练习时的表现≠你在比赛时的表现

是不是很明显？？但这绝对不是一个借口让自己在练习时偷懒。这只是想让大家知道，不要因为一个不好的练习而下定自己的能力。最重要的究竟还是比赛时的表现 （这是以后的话题 😉）

记得，我们都有两个选择——想进步或找借口，请好好选择！

THE RIGHT MENTALITY FOR TRAINING

I have been training volleyball almost every day of my life for the past 4 years. Of course, there are some days where you feel so pumped up ad ready to take on the day, and yet most days you feel fatigued and not wanting to move a muscle. The question is, how do you fight those demons and push through, to get the most out of your training session? Here are some tips.

1.      TRICK YOUR MIND

During a tiring part of training (say fitness session or a tough drill), it’s easy to give in and not go all out. But think about it, if you never ever push through the toughest and most challenging moments, how are you ever going to know your limits? One thing I like to tell myself is, yes, I’m dying now, but it is for a better tomorrow. I’m going to be so much stronger than I was before this drill.” One quote that I love is “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t.”

2.      QUESTION YOURSELF    

After a drill, ask yourself “Did I really try my best?” “Could I have done better?” “Could I have lasted for one more rep or one more second?” Only you will know the answers to these questions, and I think that these are great guidelines to help you stay on track.

3.      PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR IDOL’S SHOES

Another trick that I like to use is by putting myself in my idol’s shoes. Sometimes when I’m feeling a little lazy, I would ask myself “Would so-and-so do this during their training?” “What kind of effort did it take them to get to where they are now?”  This works because it makes you feel somewhat guilty for slacking off, and in reminding yourself that your idols too have to go through a lot of hard work to reach the top, you’ll be more motivated and find hidden bursts of energy to continue grinding.

4.      NOT EVERYDAY IS SUNDAY 

Look, not every day is going to be your day. Trust me, I’ve learned this the hard way. I used to get so stressed up and upset if I did not do well during a practice session. However, I slowly began to understand that it is completely normal as humans to have ups and downs, it is just a matter of how you overcome it (whether you choose to let it affect you or not). Someone once told me something so amazingly simple that it just blew my mind. In fact, it was so liberating that I decided to make it into an equation.

How you perform in training ≠ How you perform in competition 

And when you actually take a moment to let that sink in, you realize how ridiculously true it is! But take note, that does not mean that you put in less effort during training. It simply means that you shouldn’t use a bad practice session to JUDGE your skillset because ultimately, it’s game time that matters. There’s no point in being a beast only during training. You’ve got to be the same on game day (that’s gonna be a topic in future 😉)

Anddd remember, there are only two options- make progress or make excuses. So choose wisely!

如何有充实心理上的准备

相信大家都有听过‘想象’，但你是否相信它真正的功率？也许一下的实验会改变你的主意。

有一群篮球员参加了一个长达3个月的实验。他们被分成了3组。A组每天花1个小时射球，B组每天花1个小时想象自己在射球，而C组每天花半个小时射球，另外半个小时在想象。3个月后，最成功的一组是C组。他们有了最明显的进步。

所以，如果你没有想象的习惯，从今天就开始吧。

你所在脑子里创造的境界，你也可以在现实生活中实现。这是因为我们的脑和神经系统无法分辨梦幻和现实（之所以我们有时候发的噩梦感觉好真实）。现在，想象一粒柠檬含在你的嘴里。大力地咬下去。你能够感觉到酸酸的柠檬汁吗？你相信想象力的功率了吗？

我们的脑对颜色，照片，想法，情绪，味道很敏感。如果你能够把你想象的东西想象得越丰富，越现实化，那就会越有效。运动员就如台上的表演者。表演者都是经历了无数的练习和彩排，就为了台上几分钟的辉煌。我们也一样。到了比赛，就是我们发挥的时刻。

如何想象

以下的方式只不过是一个指导方针。要记得，每一个人做东西的方法有所不同。可能你需要加入动作和声音。寻找最适合你的方法。

首先，坐在一个舒服的地方，背后挺直（不要驼背）。轻轻的闭上眼睛，深深的呼吸，直到你放松为止。开始想象自己爆满信心的走进比赛的地方 。（抬头挺胸，身体语言很重要）。感觉自己的威武。开始吸收你的环境。比赛的地点是什么样子？你穿着的制服是什么颜色？你的对手会是谁？谁会在哪儿支持你？记得越真实越好。

接下来，进行你的热身。感觉自己越来越准备要上场比赛了，越来越专注，可以把不重要的东西丢在一旁。你的眼神充满火。你在很放松的状态，却充满力量。你不急，不紧张。你知道你必须在比赛时做的任务。

“哔！”的一声，比赛开始了。你看着自己非常专注。你和球仿佛有引力-你要球去哪里，球就去哪儿。你信任自己的打法。无人能够阻止你。

忽然间，你做了一个失误。但以你韧性的性格，你明白失误难免会发生的。你不会因为那一两粒的失误而情绪不稳定。你观察自己如何克服你的情绪，如何重新来过。下一粒球来了，你已经准备好了。

你看着你的环境，看到了你的队友。他们都很积极，都在互相支持。大家都一条心。你听见从观众席传来的支持声，而这支持声让你更加有动力！

在这时刻，你能够完全控制你的心理，身体和表现。

在你的想象当中加入不一样的情景，观察自己如何克服这些挑战。

说一个 “让这或更好的东西发生“ 来结束这次的想象。

这是我所用的想象练习，而我有开始感觉到自己的进步了！记得你可以用自己的方式，但一定要丰富，真实！

THE BEST WAY TO GET MENTALLY PREPARED

You’ve probably heard about “visualization”, but do you actually believe in its power? Maybe this experiment might change your mind.

There was a study involving basketball players. For three months, one group shot free throws for one hour each day. Another group spent an hour each day thinking about shooting free throws. The third group shot baskets 30 minutes a day and spent 30 minutes visualizing the ball going through the hoop from the foul line. Which group do you think had the most improvement? The third group did. The imagery had as much impact accuracy as shooting baskets. 

Which goes to say, if you don’t have a habit of visualizing, you really should start NOW.

Whatever you create in your mind, you also create in reality. The mind and nervous system do not know the difference between a vividly imagined event and a real one (That is why we wake up in cold sweat from our nightmares). Food for thought- imagine a huge lemon inside your mouth. Bite as hard as you can. Feel the lemon bursting in your mouth and the juices splashing onto every part of your tongue. Feel the juice trickling down your throat. Are you convinced yet?

Our mind is not good with words. It likes images, feelings, thoughts, sounds. The more real you can make your mental rehearsal, the better. The reason I call it a rehearsal is because all performers before they step onto the stage, have gone through countless times of rehearsal and practice. That gives them the confidence to execute a perfect routine. The same goes for us. When we are competing, it is our time to perform.

GUIDED VISUALIZATION

This is just a guide for your visualization practice. It might not necessarily work for you because everyone is different. You may feel the need to use your body (movements) or sounds and that is completely fine. Find the way that suits you the best.

Begin in a relaxed seated position with your back straight (don’t slouch). Gently close your eyes and breathe until you feel relaxed. Start by walking into your playing field with your chest up and head held high (body language is extremely important). Feel yourself feeling confident and powerful. 

Begin to absorb your environment. How does your competition venue look like? What jersey are you wearing? Who will be your opponents? Who else will be there supporting you? Remember to make it as real as possible.

Next, go through your warm up routine. Feel yourself getting pumped up and ready to compete. There’s a burning fire inside you that is waiting to ignite. You are relaxed but strong. Not hurried, not anxious, you know what you have to do in the match.

The whistle blows and it’s game time. You see yourself having laser-sharp focus. You are a magnet for the ball. Anywhere you want it to be, it goes there. You trust in your shots. You are on a roll, you’re hitting left right and centre and absolutely no one can stop you.

Suddenly, you make a mistake. But as the mentally-strong athlete you are, you understand that mistakes happen and you don’t beat yourself up. You see yourself staying calm and letting go of that mistake. The next ball comes and you are ready again.

You turn around and see your teammates supporting you. Everyone is bursting with positive energy and excited to win. Everyone feels connected. You hear the cheers coming from the audience stands and that fuels you up even more.

At this moment, you are in complete control of your body, mind and overall performance.

Imagine different scenarios in the game and how you overcome them. The better the competition and the more you are challenged, the more enjoyable the experience.

End your visualization with an affirmation, “Let this or something better happen.”

That is the mental rehearsal practice I use, and I even began to feel improvements in my play! Remember that you can find your own way to do it, but the key is to MAKE IT AS REAL AS POSSIBLE!

如何在比赛时保持冷静

其实，我打算开始这个blog是因为我的朋友发抖。

发抖？是的，他在练习时开始发抖。他开始发抖的原因是因为他接发球时喷球 （排球术语）。喷了一两粒，并不是什么大事啊，他应该要调整好心情以便应付接下来的接发球。但事情不是那么地简单。他的信心开始大跌，从一两粒球，在眨眼间变成了无法挽回的11粒球。他的脸也苍白无比。

过了那场球，我们问他那段时间到底发生了什么事，他在当时的想法。他说他无法控制地开始发抖。他也有一直对自己说要冷静要冷静，却没有效果。

我回去后一直纠结着他的问题。我心想，有时候这种情况也会发生在我的身上。也许最近一直在研究体育心理学，我比较会克服这个问题。我便意识到，我应该把这些学了的知识分享出去，我自己也能得到其他人的意见和建议。可能有很多运动员也经历一样的问题，却不知道如何克服它。我希望通过这个屏道能够帮助你们。😊

如何保持冷静的3大秘诀

1.     不要把注意力放在你无法控制地东西上

当你在比赛时，你有没有想过以下的事物？

-        好饿啊，这场球赛到底几时能完呢？

-        某某人有来看我比赛吗？*然后就很拼命地寻找观众席

-        很累了，好想直接放弃

-        刚刚的失误太离谱了，一定显得很丑！！

-        死咯，出去一定给教练骂死

-        我令人太失望了

-        输定了啦

我可以继续下去，但我相信你明白我的用意了。而且，那么多负面的想法实在不好。

我想问问你，你是否能控制别人对你的想法？你能够预测这场球赛的结果？你能够控制你的环境或天气？既然你不能够，为什么你把你的能量浪费在这些事物上？一半的注意力都不在了，你也别休想要付出100%。Yogi Berra （棒球球员）曾经说过：“运动的90%是心理，另外一半是体格”。完全不逻辑的一句，却非常的合理。

于是，当你比赛时，把注意力放在你能够控制的东西上。比如，你如何把这粒球处理得好，如何控制你的呼吸，如何控制你的想法等等。一粒一粒地打，比赛的结果便会是如你所愿的！

2.      学习忘掉错误

说得容易，比想象中的难。人类总是活在过去和未来，却很少活在当下。当我们比赛时，过于地思想和分析会害你多过帮助。如以上所说的，你的注意力若减少了，你不能够以100%的潜力比赛。

想一想，你的所作所为能够改变你曾经犯过的错误吗？既然不能够，何必把你的力气浪费在那儿呢？学习放下错误，继续往前走。也许你担心别人对你不好的印象，但事实上，大部分的人都不会记得你所做过的东西。大家都忙着自己的任务。但是，如果你继续做一样的错误，不把情况反转回来，别人肯定会记得你这场球赛多烂了。

最好的方法是什么呢？那是明确地告诉自己你必须停止。你可以明确地告诉自己：“我做了一个错误，我开始担心了。没关系，要呼吸。我现在把刚刚的错误从我脑子里删除掉。接下来我都会充满能量和信心的打！” 或简短的一个“ 现在！” 也能够帮助你把注意力放在当下。

3.      深深地呼吸

偶尔我们紧张的时候，我们甚至会忘了呼吸。我们的呼吸变得又快又浅。我们的心脏he1脑袋最需要氧气来正常操作。往往都是自己的想法窒息了自己。

“深深的吐一口气，不管吸了多大的一口气，能够调整心情。”

如何深深地呼吸？

-把手放在肚子上

-用鼻子吸气。你应该感觉肚子涨起来

-用5秒慢慢地吐气。肚子会变平

-重复至少3次，或到你感觉冷静为此

这就是如何在比赛时保持冷静地3大秘诀！试试看了可以和我说你们的感受，有没有帮助到。

（对不起，很久没有写华语了，如果太烂的话抱歉）

HOW TO STAY CALM IN A GAME

TBH, the reason I started this blog is because my friend started shaking.

Wait what?? Yes, that's right. She started shaking uncontrollably during a practice session. It started with a shank when she was receiving a serve. (In case you didn't read my bio, I play beach volleyball). Well, it's just one mishit, no big deal right? She could have just let go of that mistake and moved on to the next play. But that was not what happened. The first shank turned into two, then three, then four....and before we knew it, she had lost 11 points in a row. And her face was as pale as death.

After that set, we asked her what happened during that period. She told us that she began shaking profusely, and nothing could stop it. She even said she kept telling herself to 'stay calm', but obviously it didn't work.

I was pondering about her situation. The truth is, sometimes this situation happens to me too, but maybe due to the fact that I had been studying extensively on sports psychology, I knew how to overcome it better. That's when it dawned on me. I should write about it! I could share my opinions and get feedback from athletes and coaches all around the world. I realized that there are probably many many sportspeople who face these difficulties but not knowing how to overcome them. Therefore, I did extensive reading on sports psychology and hope to share the things I've learned here :)

TOP 3 TIPS IN STAYING CALM

1. DO NOT FOCUS ON THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL

Have you ever played a match and thoughts like these began intruding your mind:

• God, I'm hungry. How long more will this match last??
• I wonder if so-and-so came to watch me today? *Then proceeds to search frantically at the audience stands
• Ugh I'm soo tired. I just feel like giving up.
• Shit, that was such a horrible mistake, I must've looked hideous!
• What will coach think of me??
• Oh gosh, I am SUCH a disappointment.
• I'm going to lose.

I could keep going on, but you get the picture. And all these negative thoughts are seriously affecting me.

Let me ask you this, are what other people think of you in your control? Is the outcome of the match in your control? Is the weather in your control? If they are not, why do you spend your energy on those thoughts? You can never ever hope to perform at 100% if half of your mind is not even there. To quote Yogi Berra " Sports is 90% mental, the other half is physical". It doesn't even make sense, but it's so true.

So, only focus on WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. Which is, how good can you make this play? Take it one play at a time, do your best, and the results will take care of itself!

       2. LEARN TO LET GO OF MISTAKES

Easier said than done. As humans, we tend to live in the past and future, but hardly the present. During a match, being analytical can really harm your performance. As said earlier, you can never play to your maximum potential if you are not fully present. Think about it, can anything you think or do change what you have done? Since it can't, your energy shouldn't be spent there, ruminating about your mistakes. Let go and move on. You might be afraid of what people might think of you for making that silly mistake, but honestly, people are too busy caring for their own business to even remember what you did. However, if you start worrying about that mistake and fall into a slump, people will most likely remember that. 

The easiest solution? Consciously tell yourself to put a stop to it. You can say things like "I just made a mistake, and I'm getting anxious. It's okay, BREATHE. I'm pressing the reset button now and deleting that from my mind. I'm am going to take a fresh, confident look at the next play." or something short like "NOW!!!" in fast-paced games.

         3. TRY DEEP BREATHING

Sometimes you get so tensed that you don't even realize that you have forgotten to breathe! Your breaths become short and shallow without you even realizing it. Oxygen is the most important element for our heart and brain to function PROPERLY. Hence, it's called 'choking' when you start slipping and making many mistakes in a row. In actual fact, it is your own thoughts choking yourself. 

"The act of prolonging exhalation, regardless of inhalation length, promotes the relaxation response."

How to do deep breathing?

1. Put your hand on your belly.

2. Breathe in through your nose. As you inhale, feel your stomach RISING.

3. Slowly exhale on a count of 5. As you breathe out, feel your stomach LOWER.

4. Repeat this for at least 3 more times or until you feel more relaxed.

So there you have it! The top three tips in staying calm during a match. Try it out the next time you have a game and let me know in the comments below if they helped!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE YOUR SPORTS TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Hell yes! I decided to create this blog to help aspiring young ( everyone is young at heart ) athletes delve deeper into the boggling world of sports psychology. Why would I do something like this?

1) Most of the sports psychology websites I’ve seen give you a whiff of their delicious program, but if you want to learn more, you’d have to fork out your own money. And trust me, not many people are going to pay a sum to improve their “mental skills”. That is because many people are still skeptical about the importance of sports psychology. They would rather spend that money on a program that would train up their physical. Which of course, is essential to take your game to new heights. However, what is the point of possessing such capabilities, but being unable to use it at the RIGHT time?

2) I am an athlete myself, still trying to figure out my own way into this world of sports psychology. It is a field that I am really passionate about, and I would like to share my thoughts and ideas through this blog. So, hopefully, you all will join me and let’s embark on this journey together! Feel free to share your amazing ideas or any inquiries if you have them! I will share based on my knowledge and personal experiences :)


Let’s get ready to revolutionize sports psychology!!!