Time Literally Flies When You’re Having Fun
Speed is a product of Joy. Think about anything in life... When can you recall yourself having the most fun? It's probably a family vacation you took to some amazing place, that summer day you spent with your buddies, or opening gifts on Christmas morning. Events like these can almost feel like time travel. One moment you're looking forward to it, the next it's over, and all you can think about is wishing you could do it again. What if this same principle was applied to racing? Swimming legend, Caeleb Dressel, following one of his world record swims said, “I just wanted to have fun with it. And that's what I did.” The problem with fun is that it can't be forced or faked. So, what are the secret ingredients to having fun and how does it actually affect your performance?
To understand feelings and emotions that enhance performance, you first have to be able to identify the ones that can deteriorate it. Oftentimes when athletes perform poorly it's due to excessive loads of pressure, anxiety, and nerves. Each one of these feelings can be beneficial when in manageable loads as explained by the Inverted “U” Theory. This theory explains that the optimal level of positive pressure exists at a level between too much or too little. Being able to control pressure, anxiety and nerves is brutally difficult, which is why it's been a subject of study since sports were created. In an article titled Having Fun In Sports and Peak Performance, Dr. Michelle Cleere writes, “Fun increases your physical and psychological health. It boosts endorphins which decreases stress and improves our tolerance for pain. It increases our relationships, not only with the people you are having fun with. Laughter releases serotonin which reduces stress and is good for memory, sleep, breathing, heart rate, and mood. Fun increases your lifespan because it’s positive. It also lifts energy levels...”
I believe that controlling these emotions and having fun are the same exact thing and as you can see, science even shows it. If you can have fun, controlling the feelings that suffocate performance happens on its own. But, how do you have fun?
One thing athletes can do to make sure they are having fun is being with and enjoying your teammates' company. Hang out together prior to games or races. Play cards or tell stories from the weekend. The more time you spend alone prior to competition, the more time your mind has to think, and the more time you have to think, the more likely that pressure or anxiety will turn from good to bad. An article on Psychology Today, titled Fun Is a Mental Tool in Sports, says “fun prevents overthinking, because when you're having fun you have no need to think.” Next, take things light. The race, game, or match that lies ahead won't define you or your life. Taking things lightly allows you to surrender yourself to the results. When you take things lightly you can enjoy the things that athletes love most; competition, comradery, fun. Ultimately this fun leads to the prevention of real distractions like thinking about potential results and comparing yourself to others. Finally, you can build fun into your competitive routine. One way to do this is through music. Listen to songs that make you happy and feel good. Play a game with a teammate. Before swim meets an old teammate of mine and I would find a quiet place and do Tai Chi. We didn't know how to do it right, but we would laugh at the awkward silence and goofy moves we were doing. Looking back, this is one of my favorite memories and a routine that I know helped me to relax and have fun.
Research shows that fun in youth sports has taken the backseat. Athletes aren't the only ones contributing to this new truth. With parents, coaches and kids focused on all-star teams, scholarships, and records, it has left them feeling unsatisfied with anything less and the inability to see the inherent good. This has fostered a fear of failure. Coaches and parents should be more
concerned with providing athletes the tools to be successful in their lives beyond sport. Your career as an athlete doesn't last forever, and records will eventually be broken. But the ability to embrace challenges is for life. The next time you find yourself caught up in results, expectations, and anxiety, consider that speed is a product of joy. Recall the examples in your life in which time flew by, and then remember why. Allow yourself to have fun, and watch the time literally fly.
By: Cal Brown
Email: calbrown26@yahoo.com Phone: (925) 586-7114
References
“Caeleb Dressel 17.63 50 Free Post Race Interview.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Mar. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm9d3bE-V6w.
“Having Fun in Sports and Peak Performance.” Dr. Michelle Cleere, Dr. Michelle Cleere, 30 June 2020, drmichellecleere.com/blog/fun-sports-peak-performance/
“How Anxiety Can Affect Sports Performance.” UPMC HealthBeat, 11 May 2022, share.upmc.com/2022/05/how-anxiety-affects-sports-performance
Taylor, Dr. Jim. “Fun Is a Mental Tool in Sports.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 14 Mar. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-power-prime/201803
/fun-is-mental-tool-in-sports
