Using Pre Match Rituals To Help You Perform

PRE-MATCH RITUALS

A Commonality

Since the days I started to study and read about boxing’s great champions of the past  ten years ago, one common theme I had noticed was that many adopted certain behaviours or activities before their fights. Take Rocky Marciano for example, before he would fight, his last meal was usually a big bowl of pasta and steak. And like his great counterpart Joe Louis, he would have a nap a few hours before it was time to put it all out there and step into the cold world that is the squared circle. So many fighters and athletes adopt certain pre- match rituals that they in the time leading up to the big event, but the question is, do they work?

Rocky Marciano liked to have the same meal before his fights

Rituals Influence Psychology

In short..YES. Any sports psychologist would tell you that anything at all that enhances the mental strength of an athlete substantially improves their disposition to success.

Obviously, it’s not the actual physical action that you do that makes the difference, rather it’s the belief for yourself that what you’re doing is partially responsible for your success. To eliminate any potential of doubt, an athlete will religiously continue to do that particular thing. Reason being, is because the risk that of losing is too great, and as we know, having the correct positive mental state is essential for optimal performance. The pressure of an event, especially boxing, can hit extreme levels and those who allow negative thoughts to creep risk being ruined and treading dangerously close to defeat.

Pre Match Rituals of Pele

One of football/soccer’s greats was the Brazilian legend Pele, and he adopted a pre- match ritual that anyone can also adopt. Before every match, Pele engaged in a form of positive visualisation. He would go to a private locker room an hour before every match and close his eyes. Pele would then start to watch a film of himself as a kid playing football/ soccer on the beach in his native Brazil. This movie would provoke the feelings of passion that he had for the game, it would remind him of that time where he fell in love with football in its most purist of forms, and would focus on the joy it brought him.

Pele’s mental stability pushed him to long term success

Doing this allowed him to reconnect with the pure love he had with his sport, in the time where such positivity is most crucial. Next, he would review and watch himself relive some of the greatest moments in world competition. He spoke of allowing himself to feel and enjoy the beautiful and triumphant feeling of winning in its most purist form. Pele said it was absolutely essential that he allowed himself to connect with those feelings and images of his past before he started to imagine himself performing at his best in the next upcoming event.

So after doing that, he went onto visualise himself in the next match as a footballing- spectacle, a player with greatness reflecting the love and joy he has for his sport and a player who was going to be unstoppable. He imagined absolutely everything he wanted to be and do on the pitch, how he would dribble past defenders, him scoring goals, and playing spectacularly.

He also imagined the external environment, the crowd, the flags, his own team and his opponents. But it wasn’t just the visuals he would focus on, it was always the emotions that come from triumphing and the passionate feeling. And needless to say, his thoughts matched his results, Pele is a legend in his sport and won three world cups.. amazing.

Fundamentals of the Pre Match Ritual

If you want to be successful, it is a MUST that you take the advice from people who  have already achieved what you plan to achieve. Thus, one would be wise to adopt Pele’s mental techniques, which will allow you to create an internal place where your mind can go and rehearse,  prepare, imagine and feel in order to get your mind ready for battle. What is worth noticing is the different areas that this technique covers, as it has 3 goals, which ultimately serve to increase enthusiasm and create a mental edge; the 3 goals are: strengthening/ reconnecting with the love you have for your sport, intensify the feeling of winning and then imagining yourself actually being the great talent that you are. So how could you do this?

Create Your Own Routine

Let’s assume you’re preparing for a boxing match. Before a fight, you could find a private area where you’ll have little or no distractions, and then begin your mental movie. Think about the first time you discovered you were in love with the sport of boxing, remind yourself of the feeling you had when you first thought to yourself, ‘this sport is for me’, and when it was just pure joy to just be involved. The visualisation has to be as sensual and vivid as possible, and to evoke that inner feeling. So this could be when you first sparred, or when you first stepped into the boxing gym and you heard the pounding of the bag and the sound of the grunts from the hard- working fighters there, for everyone it will be different. Focus solely on the feeling you had, when it was at its most innocent and stress- free. Next, imagine the successful experiences you have had in the past, and fill your mind with images and feelings of winning and celebrations.

This is one reason, motivational videos on youtube are so popular. I know plenty of fighters that like to watch fights or highlights before they have their own,  and usually they watch a fight which evokes their feeling of passion and great heart.  This serves to put positive feelings linked to performing great rather than focusing on what you cannot do or what bad things might happen. Last but not least, visualise intently on what great things you will  do when you step into the boxing ring. How will you throw that amazing left hook to the body? How brilliantly is your footwork going to have you glide across the ring in the form of Muhammad Ali. Visualise the crowd being in awe of your spectacular skills and imagine your opponent doing his best but breaking down under your sustained pressure. Essentially, imagine yourself as the champion you’re going to be.

Final Note – Are They Doing It?

            Remember, the art of winning is doing what others will not, don’t risk limiting your chances of winning by not doing whatever it takes. Always ask yourself are they doing it? The idea of knowing that you’re doing something that your opponent isn’t can be extremely uplifting. You must consistently engage in pre- match techniques that will have you unlock your inner greatness.

Credit –

DC Gonzalez & A. McVeigh (The Art of Mental Training, 2013)