Feeling nervous before a match? Good!

Written By Sarah Findlay

That feeling in the minutes before a competition - the one most athletes try to get rid of - isn’t a weakness.

It’s preparation.

If you care about your performance, your body will respond. And that response doesn’t mean you’re underprepared or lacking confidence. It means what you are about to do matters to you.

The Moment Before You Compete

Picture the build-up before a game, race, fight, or performance.

You’re adjusting your kit. You can hear the sounds of competition around you - balls being struck, shoes on the floor, whistles blowing, crowds building. Your name is called, or your event is about to begin.

Immediately, your body reacts:

  • Your heart rate climbs

  • Your breathing changes

  • Muscles feel tighter than they did 10 minutes ago

  • Movements feel slightly heavier or more mechanical

Your mind starts firing too:

  • “What if I don’t start well?”

  • “Stay focused.”

  • “Don’t make silly mistakes.”

  • “What if this comes down to the final moments?”

You might even imagine a worst-case scenario or a game-deciding moment. Most athletes interpret this as a problem - but it isn’t.

What’s Actually Happening?

When nerves appear, your body and your brain respond accordingly.

Physically

You may notice:

  • Increased heart rate

  • Faster breathing

  • Muscle tightness

  • Butterflies in your stomach

  • Slight shakiness or tension

This is your nervous system activating your fight-or-flight response. Adrenaline increases, blood flows to working muscles, reaction speed improves, and focus narrows. Your body is preparing you to move explosively, react quickly, and perform under pressure.

Mentally

You may experience:

  • Racing thoughts

  • Heightened awareness

  • Strategy planning

  • Concern about outcomes

  • Mental rehearsal of key moments

Your brain is scanning for risk. It’s trying to anticipate what could go wrong so you’re not caught off guard. This is not weakness. It’s protective preparation.

The Real Problem: Misunderstanding Nerves

The issue isn’t nerves themselves - it’s how we interpret them.

Many athletes think:

  • “If I was confident, I’d feel calm.”

  • “I shouldn’t feel this nervous.”

  • “I need to get rid of this feeling.”

So they fight it, try to suppress it, or label it as bad.

The goal is not to eliminate nerves. It’s to understand and regulate them.

Awareness Creates Control

The best performers aren’t the calmest athletes in the room. They’re the most aware.

They understand their personal response to pressure:

  • What physical sensations appear first

  • Which thoughts repeat automatically

  • The impact on their actions

Because they expect the nerves, they don’t panic when they appear. They ride the wave instead of resisting it.

Before Your Next Competition, Notice This

Instead of trying to calm yourself down, get curious. Ask:

  • What happens in my body first?

  • What thoughts show up automatically?

  • What impact does this have on my behaviours and performance?

The first few minutes are often about settling the system. Once action replaces anticipation, your nervous system adjusts. Understanding your response is the first step toward performing with your nerves rather than against them.

Final Thought

Nerves mean you care. They mean something is on the line. They mean you’re stepping into something that matters.

That’s not something to eliminate - it’s something to learn how to use.

Confidence isn’t the absence of nerves. It’s the ability to perform anyway.

💡 Want to learn how to harness your nerves for peak performance? Reach out to Ignite Performance Psychology for tailored performance psychology support for athletes and teams in London.

Sarah Findlay