8 Ways To Stop Being Nervous In Basketball Games

how to stop being nervous in basketball games

Key Takeaway: Overcome nervousness in basketball games by addressing issues like lack of practice, overthinking, lack of experience, and external pressure. Strategies include listening to empowering music, meditation, consistent training, playing more games, and applying practice skills in real game situations.

Have you been so nervous before and during basketball games? If yes, I suggest you keep reading because today, I will tell you eight different ways you can do so that you will never get nervous again in basketball games. 

I have experienced this before, and luckily I overcame it. Now that I have an established website, I would like to share everything I did to overcome my fear during basketball games. Also, I combined it with research. In short, I did this article with research and with a combination of my personal experience. 

Before we jump right into the different ways you can do to stop being nervous in basketball games, let’s first check the reasons why you get nervous.Maybe by giving the reasons, you will figure out yourself the cure for your anxiousness during basketball games. 

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Reasons Why You Get Nervous In Basketball Games

Below are the different reasons why you get nervous before and during basketball games. 

Lack Of Practice

The first reason why you get nervous in basketball games is that you lack practice. You can’t jump into playing basketball games without practicing the basics. It is like jumping off the cliff with crocodiles below it.  

This is also the reason why I get nervous before. I don’t have enough practice, which makes me less confident with my game. If you have the proper training, you will be more confident in playing basketball. 

Overthinking

The second reason why you are nervous during and before basketball games is that you think so much. Overthinking is killing many people’s confidence, not just athletes. 

Maybe you think so much about the negatives that will happen to you inside the court. Or you think that people will laugh at you once you make mistakes, which is why you are so careful on every move you make so that you won’t make mistakes. 

Don’t worry. You are not the only one that is overthinking. Before, I am always overthinking before our basketball match starts. Because of overthinking, I was unable to unleash all of my basketball skills on most of my basketball matches before. 

Overthinking prevents me from scoring many points, and I am sure that it also prevents you! So keep reading because I will tell you later how you could stop overthinking.

how to stop being nervous in basketball games

Lack Of Experience

This is common to beginners out there. If you are a beginner in basketball and feel nervous during your first game, it is normal. However, you don’t want this to happen again soon. Right? 

Lack of experience is one of the common reasons why you get nervous in basketball games. The easy way to overcome it is to play basketball more. However, there are other ways you can do that we are going to discuss later. 

Pressure Of People Around You

The last reason you get nervous in basketball games is because of the pressure people give to you. This may be your basketball coach, the crowd, your teammates, or your enemies. Sometimes you get pressured when your opponent is talking trash with you. Check out my article about how to deal with trash talkers in basketball here! 

I also get pressured before. My teammates, the crowd, and my opponents are the people that pressure me during basketball games. But don’t worry, I have some tips for you to handle the pressure around you. 

Now that you know the different reasons why you get nervous before and during basketball games, let’s next check the different ways on how you can stop being nervous in basketball games. Let’s go!

8 Ways To Stop Being Nervous In Basketball Games

I know that you are already tired of being always nervous during and before basketball games. That is why I listed down below the eight different ways that you can do to stop getting nervous in basketball games. Let’s check them out!

Listen To Songs

how to stop being nervous in basketball games

The first thing you want to do before your basketball game starts is to listen to some good vibe music. This will help you to stop overthinking because your attention will shift to the song that you are listening to. I suggest you listen to songs that will empower or give you the confidence you need.

You can wear some headphones and play some Kanye West or Eminem songs while practicing shooting. Whatever kind of music will give you confidence once you hear it is better. Check out some of the best basketball songs that I listed here! Hope it helps!

Meditate

You will not do this two hours or thirty minutes before your basketball game. You will do this during your off days or after your basketball practice. Meditation is the best way to clear and relax your mind. Meditation can reduce anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and high blood pressure. If you have anxiety in basketball games, meditation is the best way to reduce it.

Work Hard

Lack of practice is one of the reasons why you get nervous in basketball games. So what should you do? Simple! You need to work hard and train more! 

You can’t become a confident basketball player if you are not skilled. If you are a newbie, it is normal to feel less confident because you are just starting. But you should never stay on that. You should practice getting your skill level from zero to one hundred. 

By doing that, it will give you confidence. Why? Because you will know the work that is put in, and you will have the ability to execute various moves you practiced on the court. Also, make sure that you have a goal. 

If you have a goal and you reach one of your goals, you will be more motivated to keep going to achieve the next goal on your list. Also, it will boost up your confidence every time you achieve one of your goals. 

Play More Games

The reason why you get nervous in basketball games is that you don’t have enough experience. So what should you do? Play more games! Expose yourself to basketball games so that you will get used to it. 

Try playing three to five times a week. It should be a pick-up basketball game. Focus on practicing your shooting but don’t overdo it too much. Focus more on playing. Your playing time should be more than your practice time. 

I suggest you play with basketball players that are more skilled than you and basketball players that are less skilled than you. If you play basketball with players less skilled than you and beat them effortlessly, it will give you the confidence to try new things. 

how to stop being nervous in basketball games
Basketball player confidently shooting the basketball

When you already have the confidence to try new things, the next thing you want to do is play with basketball players that are more skilled than you. However, this may hurt your ego at first because you will experience lots of teachings, and you will get beaten most of the time. 

But this is normal during your first time playing with them. Don’t get too angry if these skilled players teach you or if they outplay you all the time. The best way to do so is to listen to their advice and work hard to surpass them. 

Once you surpass them, it will give you the confidence to try another level. It is like a ladder or a video game. The more level you pass, the more confident you are to continue. However, make sure that you don’t become arrogant when you get better. Just be humble while growing! 

Try In Games What You Are Practicing

how to stop being nervous in basketball games

Do you execute lots of crossover and other basketball moves during practice but not in games? If yes, you are making a huge mistake, and it hurts your confidence! 

The reason why you are practicing is to become a useful player on the court. If you don’t apply what you practice, what is the point of practicing? You should apply what you practiced during basketball games. 

You can learn lots of things just from applying the things you have been practicing in game situations. Force yourself to do the things you are practicing in games to become more comfortable and understand when to do them in basketball games.

 If you don’t start executing the things you’ve been practicing for in games, you will never get the confidence to do those. 

Do Not Take The Game So Serious

The other reason why basketball players are overthinking is that they take the game seriously. They take it as a life or death situation. This is a very bad thing to do because it makes you more nervous. 

Just laugh it off and treat the basketball game like it’s a game with your friends. I know lots of basketball players that are good and confident when playing with their friends but start becoming nervous and messing up during basketball intramurals, team games for their school or college basketball games. 

Don’t take the game so seriously but focus on it. You focus on essential things, not on your mistakes and what other people are saying. Focus on the game but don’t take everything seriously. 

Learn From Your Mistakes

The next thing you should do to stop getting nervous in basketball games is to learn from your mistakes. Don’t take every mistake you make seriously. Some people take their mistakes seriously and never try again because they become afraid and anxious. 

My tip for you is to learn from your mistakes. If the ball is always getting stolen from your hands, you should improve your ball handling. If you often miss a jump shot, focus on improving your shooting. 

Don’t let your mistakes prevent you from becoming the best basketball player you can be. Some people stop because of the mistakes they’ve made. Mistakes are inevitable. And even the greatest NBA players like Michael Jordan make mistakes. But their mistakes didn’t stop them. Instead, they learn from it and make it a motivation to work harder!

Think About Positive

The last thing that you should do to stop being nervous in basketball games is to think positively! Remove every negative thought inside your head and replace it with positive thinking. Tell yourself that everything will be fine every time you make some mistakes. Think that you will win the ball game. Be optimistic and have fun on the court! 

Check the video below for more tips on how you can stop being nervous in basketball games:

Final Words

I hope that the ways I have listed above will help you to become more confident and less nervous on the court. I hope that everyone reading this will become a better basketball player soon! Let’s get that ball and hoop! 

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