Jerry Diaz and his opponent square off during the WKO Shinkyokushinkai 2023 Guam Full Contact Karate Championship in May at the ilearn Academy Gymnasium in Guam.
NATIONAL Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer Jerry Diaz believes that with proper training and preparation one could overcome all doubts and fears to become better than yesterday.
“I myself had mental and emotional doubts about my performance heading into a national basketball competition or a karate bout,” he said.
“That was when breathing techniques and visualizing the outcome came in handy,” he said. “I also told myself that no matter what happened, if I gave my best, I could live with the results.”
According to Diaz, there is a difference between training and enjoying the grind, and training to compete. A competitor must psychologically prepare themselves for any outcome, he added.
Many athletes succeed because they have experienced coaches who prepare them properly and appropriately for a competition, Diaz said.
This is one of the reasons why the CNMI hires professional coaches and trainers off-island who have experienced the highest level of competition, he added.
Specific preparation for any sporting competition is highly important, Diaz said.
During training, for example, an athlete must progressively increase their levels of performance in all areas: physical, mental, emotional.
Working on an individual athlete’s strengths and weaknesses can push them into greater heights, Diaz said.
He said there are days when an athlete can score 30 points during a scrimmage, but freeze and underperform during actual competition.
There are many scenarios that can play out, hence the need to be exposed to stressors during training, he added.
An athlete must learn to expect the unexpected and to be prepared for that moment, Diaz said.
Athletic competition is a rewarding and demanding experience, he added. Athletes are challenged to be the best version of themselves, and that includes accepting the outcome of competition, Diaz said.
For professional fitness inquiries, contact Jerry Diaz through Instagram at @BBJ_Athletics or Facebook.
