Get Gutsier!

When the body is willing but the mind is not so sure, you can use some quick tricks to boost your courage.

By Sarah Bowen

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Issue date: Spring 1999

Learn to take the plunge. Ronald C. Modra

My father raised me to be the world's biggest chicken. Yet last summer I found myself standing five feet off the ground on a log, the lower bar of a mammoth set of uneven bars. I was supposed to hurl myself onto the higher bar (about six feet away and three feet higher than the log on which I was perched), roll over it and drop to the ground before helping my two teammates tackle the obstacle -- all in the name of competition. As my adventure-race teammates egged me on and competitors on either side of me lunged into the air from identical pieces of apparatus, all I could hear was the voice of my father: Don't take any chances. I don't want you getting hurt.

After 30 seconds that seemed like 30 minutes, I listened to Dad. I told my teammates I couldn't do it, proving that despite being a strong athlete (I'm a competitive rower), I am a total wimp in situations that require courage. Rock climbing, skiing, surfing, whitewater kayaking -- forget it! My anxiety also keeps me from joining a coed water polo team, despite my having wanted to take that plunge for several years, and it sends me to the back of the pack, clutching the brakes, on mountain-bike rides.

What exactly is sports courage? It depends on which sports psychologist is doing the defining. It can mean having confidence that you will be able to meet any athletic challenge you encounter. It can also mean the absence of fear of failure, or of success. "What people call courage, we call mental toughness," says John Heil, a sports psychologist at the Lewis-Gale Clinic in Roanoke, Va. "It's more than physical courage. It includes coming back after failure, learning to take sensible risks and having the disciplined attention to detail necessary to achieve a goal."

Whatever your definition, one thing is clear: We view ourselves as either having courage or not. I, obviously, see myself as lacking. And while J. Morrow, a sports psychologist with SportSense Consulting in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., agrees with the theory that anxious parents beget anxious children (and he can offer reasons ranging from genetic predisposition to hormonal reaction patterns in support of it), he says there's no reason you can't break the chain. Or at least bend it.

Begin by reexamining your thinking about any activity that makes you feel anxious. Is descending a tricky single-track trail on your mountain bike really as dangerous as your body is telling you? Or is that knot in your stomach a sign of unwarranted panic? Ask yourself whether you've taken the time to develop the skills needed for this ride; look around to see if perhaps a friend with similar abilities is able to navigate the terrain. Such complicated analysis may seem out of place on the trail, court or field, but it is actually a variation on the old "take five deep breaths" routine that is a proven anxiety buster.

It also helps to prepare yourself before your big moment arrives. In a familiar and safe setting (far from the trail, for example), practice the process of calming yourself down and relaxing. Do this over and over, and find a phrase or action -- like tapping the side of your bike helmet twice -- that triggers a relaxed state of readiness. "This Pavlovian conditioning will help get you into that state where you've got your game face on, you're full of confidence and you're in the flow of the moment," says Morrow.

There wasn't enough time at the race last year to work through my fear and my years of self-doubt. But I'm not giving up. I'm planning to participate in another, similar adventure race in May. Before I make the leap, literally and figuratively, I plan to brace myself (and prepare myself) by taking the experts' step-by-step advice on reducing fear (below) and remembering that anything learned can be unlearned.

Let me at it!

A Brave New World EVEN IN THIS AGE of Prozac and Viagra, there's no pill to pop for courage. But try these five steps to boost your nerve and dare to go further with your sport. 1. Set small daily goals, not necessarily sports related, says sports psychologist John Heil. If you're tough in, say, relationship choices, it spills over into sports. Keep the goals within your reach, because meeting them will build confidence. 2. Recall times when you were in the flow and performing well, then try to re-create the feelings, suggests sports psychologist J. Morrow. For example, if you're an aggressive driver, bring that feeling to the slopes or the rock wall. 3. Use relaxation techniques. Say you want to overcome your fear of trying a double black-diamond run. Weeks before strapping on skis, lie on your bed and imagine what it will be like at the top of the slope. If your imagination is strong, you'll feel anxious. Now calm yourself down in this controlled environment. By practicing this before hitting the slopes, you'll gain confidence in your ability to control anxiety in pressure situations, says Karen Hill, associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State. 4. Work out with friends (like our mountain bikers above) or join a team. Group dynamics help build courage, Heil says, and one person's mental toughness can inspire everyone. 5. Stay close to someone who has confidence in you, such as a coach or a workout partner. This is especially important after a failure. Make sure that the person who encourages you can also make an accurate assessment of your skills.

For more Sports Illustrated Women, check out our latest issue -- on newsstands now. For your FREE preview issue of SI Women click here or call 800-950-5150.