Why Butterflies Can Actually Help You

Butterflies.  We all get ’em.  Those nasty little fluttery things in your gut that make you want to throw up sometimes.  This is normal for the lacrosse goalie.

Today’s lacrosse goalie tip is how to manage the butterflies.

Years ago I got butterflies really bad.  Then I had the chance to work with a sports psychologist who told me that most lacrosse goalies will experience butterflies at some point in their career.  Usually they come from increased anticipation of a big game or event.  And that is a relative term.  You could be getting your first start on the JV and still get the same sensation as an experienced lacrosse goalie playing for the national championship.  Here’s the lacrosse goalie tip you need to know in order to manage those feelings.

1)  It’s normal.

That sensation of butterflies is really your body getting ready to compete at a higher level.  It is the same physical response you would have if you crossed a street and a car was coming at you.  It’s called the “fight or flight” syndrome.  Your body, in an effort to  move faster than normal, releases adrenaline throughout your system.  This makes your senses more sensitive and your muscles can actually contract more forcefully than normal.  So as a lacrosse goalie, when you feel butterflies, realize that it is your bodies natural reaction to getting prepared to compete at a higher level.

2)  Feel the sensations and get used to playing with those feelings.

As a lacrosse goalie you will get hung up on the sensation.  You will say things like, “I’m so nervous.”  “I feel jitttery, or weak.”  Whatever it feels like to you doesn’t matter.  What matters is your ability to understand what is really happening and getting used to competing with that feeling.   Here’s a great tip:  If you can learn to play while you feel “nervous” you will far outplay any other lacrosse goalie who can’t play through those nerves.

As a lacrosse goalie you need to understand what your body is really doing in order to deal with those sensations that may feel uncomfortable.  But by knowing what is happening you will realize that feeling “nervous” is really a benefit to your game, and not something that should be hurting your game.

Leave a comment and tell me your story about bad butterflies and feeling nervous or check out my other blog post on this topic.

Jonathan Edwards – The Goalie Guru

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