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171 pages

English

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Proven ways to overcome performance anxiety

Whether you're new to dog sports or an experienced dog handler, it's quite common to experience mild to severe performance anxiety during competition. Now, with Conquering Ring Nerves, you can face and overcome your anxiety through an easy-to-follow, successful program.

No matter what's going on inside or outside the ring, Diane Peters Mayer shows you how to calm yourself, stay focused, boost your self-esteem, and give a blue-ribbon performance. She uses a multidimensional approach developed during her years as a psychotherapist and anxiety specialist, complete with exercises and techniques adapted from such areas as sports psychology, yoga, and physical fitness. You'll discover how to ground yourself and compete from your "core", and take advantage of quick stress busters and ways to loosen and energize your body. Packed with proven tips to find success and have fun in the ring, Conquering Ring Nerves is your one-stop guide to overcoming competition jitters and becoming the handler of your dreams.
* Reveals how to achieve peak performance under pressure in all dog sports, from agility, obedience, and confirmation to Rally-O, freestyle, and more
* Features illuminating, real-life ring nerves stories
* Explains how to stop being afraid, set goals, and reach them
* Includes a Training Diary to keep yourself on track during training and competitions
* Offers further reading and resources lists to build upon what you've learned
Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

How to Use the Conquering Ring Nerves Program.

Introduction.

Chapter 1: Anxiety: A Force to Be Reckoned With.

Chapter 2: The Breath Is the Key.

Chapter 3: Success Is in the Here and Now.

Chapter 4: Go With the Flow!

Chapter 5: Creating a Safe Space.

Chapter 6: The Confidence Game.

Chapter 7: You’ll Make Mistakes!

Chapter 8: Goals: A Road Map to Success.

Chapter 9: Competing From Your Core.

Chapter 10: Stretching: Loosen and Energize.

Wrap Up.

APPENDICES.

Appendix A: Full Body Progressive Relaxation: The Path to Serenity (script for recording).

Appendix B: Quickie Stress-Buster.

Appendix C: Guided Imagery: Dream It and Do It (script for recording).

Appendix D: Ring Nerve Desensitization Program.

Appendix E: The Training Diary.

Index.

Sujets

Breeds

Pets

Dogs

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	05 mai 2008
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9780470365397
Langue	English

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Conquering Ring Nerves
A Step-by-Step Program for All Dog Sports
Conquering Ring Nerves
A Step-by-Step Program for All Dog Sports
Diane Peters Mayer
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Howell Book House
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447.
The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Peters Mayer, Diane, date.
Conquering ring nerves : a step-by-step program for all dog sports / Diane Peters Mayer.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7645-4972-3 (cloth: alk. paper)
1. Dog sports. 2. Dogs-Handling. 3. Performance anxiety. 4. Self-help techniques. I. Title.
SF424.P48 2004
636.7 0811-dc22
2003025515
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my husband, Yisrael, and daughters, Vanessa and Chris, the loves of my life.
For my father, Harry Piotrowsky (1907-2003), who was waiting to see my first book. I did it, Dad!
And to my beloved Beagle, Benny, whose rescue started the whole thing.
Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgments
How to Use the Conquering Ring Nerves Program
Introduction
Chapter 1
Anxiety: A Force to Be Reckoned With
In This Chapter
Anxiety
Fear vs. Anxiety
Ring Nerves
What s Happening to Me?
The Nervous System
The Fight or Flight Response
Fight or Flight at a Competition
Why Me?
Ring Nerve Checklist
Sample Checklist
The Process of Conquering Ring Nerves
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 2
The Breath Is the Key
In This Chapter
Breathing
What Is Diaphragmatic Breathing (Yoga Breath)?
Getting Started Using Yoga Breath
Yoga Breath Practice Exercises
Advanced Yoga Breath-Putting It All Together
Jane s Progress
Yoga Breath and Your Ring Nerve Symptoms
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 3
Success Is in the Here and Now
In This Chapter
Competing in the Moment
Being in the Here and Now
Sitting in the Present
Focus on Your Body
Advanced Present Awareness-Putting It All Together
Focus on Your Dog
Combining Methods
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 4
Go With the Flow!
In This Chapter
Fighting Your Fears
What Can You Do?
More Than Relaxation
Don t Just Manage the Fear
Facing Ring Nerves
Let Go and Accept
Add Calming Statements
Avoidance
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 5
Creating a Safe Space
In This Chapter
Visualize Your Ring Nerves Away
Visualization
Blue Skies
The Beam
The Bubble
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 6
The Confidence Game
In This Chapter
Confidence
Self-Esteem
Self-Awareness
Boosting Your Self-Esteem
Practicing Self-Esteem Exercises
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 7
You ll Make Mistakes!
In This Chapter
Perfectionism
Characteristics of Perfectionists
Are You a Perfectionist?
Make Mistakes to Free Yourself!
Handling Perfectionism
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 8
Goals: A Road Map to Success
In This Chapter
Dreams
Examples of Handlers Big Dreams
What Are My Dreams? What Hinders Me?
Finding Your Purpose as a Handler
Setting Goals
Step by Step
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 9
Competing From Your Core
In This Chapter
The Core
Creating an Image of Your Mental Core
The Physical Core
Working From Your Core
Further Reading
Resource List
Chapter 10
Stretching: Loosen and Energize
In This Chapter
Stretching
Further Reading
Resource List
Wrap Up
APPENDICES
Appendix A
Full Body Progressive Relaxation: The Path to Serenity (script for recording)
Appendix B
Quickie Stress-Buster
Appendix C
Guided Imagery: Dream It and Do It (script for recording)
Appendix D
Ring Nerve Desensitization Program
Appendix E
The Training Diary
Index
Foreword
As I approach the starting line of an Agility course I m about to run, I feel a few butterflies, but overall I m relaxed, confident, and centered. I know I ve done my homework and I m well prepared. My partner, Winston, is sitting calmly at my side, his eyes directed at me, waiting for my signal to begin the run. A few minutes earlier, he had been jumping around, begging for treats and sniffing the ground. When there are only a couple of teams ahead of us, I take some Yoga Breaths and focus on my feet. As a feeling of calm excitement comes over me, Winston settles right in beside me, attentive and ready.
But it hasn t always been that way!
I compete with my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Winston, mainly in Agility, but we also compete in Obedience, and soon will be performing in Freestyle. Yet, until Winston and I took Obedience and Agility classes together, I had never performed anywhere doing anything in front of any kind of crowd. Less than a year into our Agility training, there I was going up in front of my peers with a dog, and had to remember which way to go on a course of jumps, tunnels and other obstacles, the sequence of which was planned by someone other than myself. And all this running and remembering and directing had to be done correctly in less than 60 seconds!
We managed to get through the novice and open levels okay, but when we progressed to the excellent level where everything had to be perfect, some real issues began to appear. When I walked up to the start line I was literally shaking, my legs were weak and I was often nauseous. I seemed unable to focus on an entire excellent-level course. I couldn t concentrate, I would forget parts of the course, and I couldn t qualify. My instructors would say things like, You took your eyes off your dog! or Your shoulders were facing that off-course tunnel. Some days I felt weak and had no energy even though I had taken care to maintain proper eating habits and get plenty of rest. I have since learned that this weakness was my body s way of responding to stress. But I loved Agility and had by now developed a passion for something for the first time in my life!
I was determined to become really accomplished at this sport. I sought out the best teachers in the area to sharpen my skills. I added another day, sometimes two, of classes to my weekly schedule. I began a physical conditioning program for both me and Winston. And I read several books written by well-known sports psychologists and Olympic champions about training for and competing in a sport. What I discovered was that they all seemed to agree that at the highest levels of any sport, there is little difference in physical skill. The difference is in the mind. Well, I needed to know how to acquire the way of thinking of a successful competitor. The books talked about relaxing, visualizing, breathing, concentrating and focusing. But none described in detail how to do it.
One day while searching the Internet for information on how to accomplish these things, I saw a notice about one of Diane s Competing at Your Peak ring nerve seminars. I wrote to Diane and asked to purchase the handouts for the seminar since it was too far away for me to attend. From those notes, I began teaching myself how to relax, concentrate, visualize and breathe. Things changed dramatically for me. I began to succeed in finally qualifying on excellent courses, and over time Winston and I developed into a very consistent team. From the very day I got the premium in the mail I followed the program to the letter, beginning with visualizing the location of the trial and my upcoming run. I would and still do think about that upcoming run for the six weeks or two months leading up to it. But the ab