After a Competition is Before a Competition

If you want to be successful in competitions, it's good to have a plan for what to do after the competition is over.

Just because the event is over doesn't mean an athlete can stop preparing, even when it went very well. When a competition turns out to be a great success, it is even easier to prepare for the next one. Using this flow keeps athletes staying on the great wave they are on. That leads to continuing success and consistent results.

Here are a few things to keep in mind after a competition:

First, change into dry clothes or at least put another layer on. These simple steps help the body to save some of the energy left. This energy can be used for recovery, to be ready for the next competition as fast as possible. Since there is one often already the next day, every minute counts.

Analyze your performance. I did this way too less, and I encourage athletes to take some time to reflect on their performance. What went well and what they could improve on. This will help to prepare better for future competitions. It doesn´t need to take forever, overanalysing may be even worse than not doing it at all. It´s just a reflection on what happened to either doing something again the same way, a little bit different, or not at all.

Having a quick talk with the coach. A coach can give valuable feedback about performance that helps athletes plan for future competitions. Sometimes little tweaks can make a big difference if necessary. Sometimes it is also just necessary to hear from the coach that all is good and there is no reason to worry.

Take some time to recover. It's important to rest after a competition so athletes can recharge their energy. This doesn´t mean an athlete should hang on the couch the rest of the day. Moving around a little is, most of the time, more recovering than not moving at all.

Staying motivated. It may happen to lose motivation after a competition, but it's important to know there is a next one coming. A new day a new change, a new fresh start. No matter if the competition just ended, was exciting or a bit drawing. There are new or repeating goals for the next one. Those goals are exciting to focus on and to keep preparing for those future competitions.

Admire mistakes. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. It doesn´t mean I want anyone to make mistakes on purpose but realizing little things that turn out as something that could have been done better. Findings show potential, and I think potential is a great thing because it shows the room to grow and improve. It even would be bad if there was no potential left. This would mean there is nothing to improve performance in future competitions.

Do you have a Dream? Keep going towards it :)