social anxiety during tourneys

[lakwa]

so i went to my first tourney last saturday and im 14 years old and i got really nervous. i also didn't plan to play in the tourney since i was too late so i just played friendlies and was shy and nervous to play. i'm always pretty shy but i never get really nervous and im going to sign up my next one probably so i dont want it to affect my play

 

[SevenYearItch]

I'm assuming you're asking how to get over it....

Be on time, I'm sure being late was an all eyes on you experience which doesn't help. Look at Smash as a way to be you as you want. At 14 all you have is who social situations at school have allowed you to be, so you're FAR from who you'll be in 10 years. Use this as a way to find out a bit more about your personality and who you are. Wife talks about it alot, how he reinvented himself essentially with his alias. When you go, just know that pretty much no one there knows you in depth, so you can start fresh. They'll never see your social anxiety if you don't allow it.

 

[lakwa]

I'm assuming you're asking how to get over it....

Be on time, I'm sure being late was an all eyes on you experience which doesn't help. Look at Smash as a way to be you as you want. At 14 all you have is who social situations at school have allowed you to be, so you're FAR from who you'll be in 10 years. Use this as a way to find out a bit more about your personality and who you are. Wife talks about it alot, how he reinvented himself essentially with his alias. When you go, just know that pretty much no one there knows you in depth, so you can start fresh. They'll never see your social anxiety if you don't allow it.

no it wasn't, i just didn't rsvp for the tournament so i couldnt go anyways

 

[EPsilon933]

Everyone's there playing video games. No one's watching you. Are you watching anyone specifically along with everyone else? Look at the screen and have a good time. Everyone there loves playing video games. If you keep going to tournaments, eventually you'll get used to the new environment and like it

 

[raymundoTheGod]

I had the same problem at my first tournament. I just brought out my guts and just started playing and talking with people. Lo and behold, I made some friends. There's nothing to be afraid of, everyone has the same common interest as you, so it should be easy to get to know people. No one is there to be a tough guy.

 

[Kitsune91]

Just "break the ice" when you are playing some friendlies with strangers. When I went to my first tournament I was extremely nervous and suffered from massive anxiety. At that time I was also 14. I used to shiver while playing against strangers like I was in freezing temperature. It was so bad. When I say "break the ice" I mean just compliment the other player or ask them basic questions between matches like "How long have you been playing that character?" or "How long have you been playing this game?" and use that to start a small conversation. It may take a bit to work up the courage to do so (depending on your level of anxiety) but since the question is such a basic one it shouldn't take long to eventually say it. Feel free to ask them for tips or mention something they did in your match that you liked. This will help to establish friendly communication. If you give respect, you earn respect. Before you know it (literally, you will just start doing it) you will be talking freely and not hesitate anymore. If possible, I would also recommend trying out Melee Online via NetPlay. That will help eliminate any nervousness/worries you get about playing against strangers and their play style. Hope that helps OP!