Humor can be helpful and encouraging for a best performance, even when practices can be difficult. Humor can be a choice. At the university level I am listening to student-athletes describe their experiences of humor during competition and practice, so we can get better at utilizing humor as a positive motivation. Sometimes athletes think they are funny, many are not. My research is showing that there is a need to study individuals in a real time social context at competitive levels to provide guidance for athletes needing psychological skills training, increasing motivation, creating an awareness of humor, and coping with anxiety and stress.
A favorite story is a 5’4” athlete preparing for her high jump practice, setting the bar at 6’ (her goal height), and running up to it at full speed to trying and jump over it. She crashed into the bar eight times with full intent to jump it. She came to me, a little bruised from landing on the bar, and said with all seriousness, “Coach, there’s something wrong with the bar.” She laughed; the team laughed. She then said giggling, “Just wanted to get all those misses out of the way.” Laughter and humor can create moments of relaxation and learning in a practice that helps prepare the athlete for competition.
Listen. Inspire. Love.