Due to the widespread popularity, straightforward rules, and general appeal, kabaddi is properly described as the “GAME OF THE MASSES.” The lack of any specialised equipment required for the game makes it an extremely popular sport in different nations. Maybe the only combat sport in which an individual attempt to attack while a team attempts to defend is kabaddi. Agility, strong lung capacity, muscle coordination, mental focus, and rapid reactions are all necessary for the game. It takes mental fortitude, as well as the ability to concentrate and foresee the opponent’s moves, for one player to take on seven opponents. The majority of trainers and athletes concur that psychological aspects account for somewhere between 40% and 90% of sporting achievement.
Why is Mental Toughness Important?
In kabaddi, mental toughness is crucial. Players may be better able to provide their best work under pressure. With their career’s ups and downs, it can also help them overcome challenges and keep their resolve. Resilience, self-assurance, and the ability to control stress and emotions are all aspects of mental toughness. The physical and psychological demands of the sport are manageable for players with high mental toughness. Their feelings are less likely to have an impact on them. They don’t let the audience or the media’s unfavorable coverage affect how they perform.
Kabaddi players that possess mental toughness are better able to recover from setbacks, injuries, and defeats. They require it most at this time. It requires tremendous mental fortitude to return to a game with confidence after months of injury recovery. Losses can occasionally leave you feeling defeated, and the regret lasts a lifetime. Because of this, mental toughness in Kabaddi is crucial. Players with mental toughness are able to remain calm under pressure, make quick judgements, and carry them out successfully. A sportsperson must use critical thinking to develop the best strategy and move at the appropriate time since they have a limited amount of time to make decisions that could alter the outcome of the game.
Qualities of a Mentally Tough Kabaddi Player
Here are some tips that are common among the pro kabaddi players. Mental toughness is made up of a number of essential qualities. Regardless of where you are in your training, you can succeed by developing your mental toughness as a kabaddi champion.
Positive and Optimistic Attitude
The amount of progress and accomplishment you make depends on your mindset. With an optimistic outlook, people prefer to see things for what they may be, whereas those with a pessimistic outlook frequently perceive things as worse than they actually are. Attitude is the lens through which we view the world. Optimistic sports players put in more work and don’t give up until they achieve their goals. They are also more thoroughly engaged in their work. Kabaddi players who are more upbeat recover from losses and injuries more quickly, perform better under kabaddi pressure, and are less prone to panic and choke than athletes who are more pessimistic.
Highly Motivated
Motivation occurs when you decide what you want and act right away to get it. A champion continuously makes significant progress towards their goals while picking up new skills. Those who have the discipline to act and do what is required will successfully dominate the field. The most successful kabaddi players are self-motivated, they love their sport, and they never do it for anyone else. The Kabaddi enthusiasts find motivation in various locations and ways. They are motivated to push outside their comfort zones and accomplish amazing things that they previously believed were unattainable. Extraordinary Kabaddi performers are driven by their desire for professional and personal development, as well as a passion for the sport.
Have a Compelling Vision
Every champion has a goal and dreams of winning; nevertheless, without a compelling vision, you can only go so far. Willpower is a key component of being a good kabaddi player, but it can only take you so far. You will need a compelling vision that draws you, that inspires you to endure, and that keeps you steadfast on your road towards your goals during the challenging times and difficult days. Some sportsmen achieve the unthinkable while being the underdog.
Anxiety Management
Elite kabaddi players are skilled at controlling their nervousness and delivering when under duress. To ensure that the sportsperson performs to the best of their abilities during competition and peak performance, anxiety management is a crucial component. As a player of Kabaddi, one of the most crucial skills you’ll need to master is the capacity for composure and performance under pressure. A champion maintains their composure under pressure, keeps their capacity to reason clearly and make wise decisions, and attacks the work at hand with assurance, zeal, and persistence. They can manage the signs of pressure, stay process-focused, and maintain situational awareness with deep rhythmic breathing, which enables them to make wise decisions in the heat of the moment.
Have Self Confidence
According to sport psychology, the more confident a player is, the more likely they are to perform well. The belief that you can successfully perform a desired behaviour is referred to as confidence. It is your faith in yourself, your skills, preparation, and abilities. If you have a strong sense of self-belief that is grounded in reality and supported by evidence, you have a better chance of succeeding. Self-assurance is strongly supported by evidence, whereas arrogance is primarily supported by fantasy. Confidence must be earned through hard work, education, and thorough preparation. Reflecting on previous successes or acknowledging your research and preparation for an upcoming event are excellent ways to boost your confidence as a kabaddi player.
Learn from Your Failures
When a champion makes a mistake, they don’t make excuses; instead, they try their best to use it as feedback from which they can learn. Everyone has failed at least a few times, but what distinguishes champions from others is how they respond to failure. Sport, in this sense, is a great metaphor for real life; you fail frequently, but you must learn from it. The difficulties that kabaddi players face make them stronger, as they walk through the fire and emerge more resilient.
Overcoming Obstacles, Difficulties, and Adversity
Champions are renowned for having a strong mental attitude. Mental toughness is the capacity to maintain commitment, confidence, and optimism in the face of the greatest obstacles and adversities. It is not just about working harder or having a high tolerance for pain. In kabaddi, the talented players learn to take advantage of every situation and benefit in some way from every setback, converting challenges into chances and adversity into advantages. Great champions learn that each unsuccessful attempt is one step closer to victory, and they learn to use adversity to fuel their drive rather than letting it derail them.
Kabaddi Resilience
It is the capacity to recover from hardship, suffering, or a lackluster performance. The psychologically strong kabaddi player is able to acknowledge and accept mistakes, comprehend missed opportunities, isolate the lesson, and rapidly move on to concentrate on the next goal in front of them.
Always be Prepared
A kabaddi player should be able to foresee scenarios and feel ready so that there is a course of action for anything that may occur. The psychologically tough sportsman remains calm under pressure. For instance, how you escape from being encircled by attackers when on the opposing team’s court demonstrates your preparedness. You know how to regulate your pace, maintain mental peace, and carry out your strategy.
Bottomline
Nobody is born with the ability to be mentally tough. Instead, it consists of a collection of learned attitudes and methods for constructively interpreting competing circumstances. Young players can benefit greatly from the guidance of coaches and trainers in developing a positive achievement philosophy and the capacity to accept failures when they occur. You may help people in many facets of daily life by imparting lessons in mental toughness. You can take these expert advices to improve your kabaddi skills and win the match.
