Note on Performance Slump

When an athlete is feeling they are in a performance slump, it can cause distress and sometimes feel like an immediate threat to their physical competence and success. This ultimately impacts the athlete’s self-confidence. Throughout their playing career, the athlete will work on developing and improving their skills.

However, loss or slumps may present themselves throughout the career. For example, an elite athlete may have a period of type where they “can’t buy a goal,” as they say, or all of their defensive attempts are going wrong. Maybe they are a skater, and they just can’t get a landing on a jump they had done their whole life. Preparing and developing the skills and knowing that things won’t always go perfectly allows the athlete to become resilient and build character in preparation for those slumps when they may arrive. However, if and when the challenges come to the athlete, depending on timing and frequency, this can be exhausting to the athlete in trying to cope frequently and constantly.

To help manage and prepare for the potential of a performance slump, resilience and confidence is key. It helps to mentally and physically prepare to the best of your ability, and to remain confident and resilient when challenges present themselves. This allows the athlete to confront and respond positively and constructively to the challenges rather than perhaps succumbing or feeling the threat of the challenge.