Sunday Syndrome aka. White Pant Syndrome
The silent killer. We all know what it's like to deal with show nerves, or anxiety. That happens most days of the week, regardless of how well you've prepared, what ribbons have already been won, or how good/bad your warmup went that day.
But then we get to the weekend and what I like to call "White Pant Syndrome". Everyone knows what I'm talking about. You've made it through a whole week practically unscathed, but Sunday roles around and you have to put on those white pants again. What is it about wearing whites that does people in?
I was living in Arizona years ago and I remember a particularly bad few weeks of horse shows. I was getting around, perhaps learning more about what I shouldn't be doing, than how to do things correctly. Needless to say, consistency wasn't exactly on my side, but it was the Sunday classes that did me in. Two weeks in a row I donned those white pants... and ended up eating dirt. I specifically remember being told that I should wear brown pants until I could get past that mental block. I didn't try that but it took a long time to overcome my Sunday Syndrome.
It's now years later and I spend more time than not in white pants at horse shows. I have to say that I've learned something; those white pants aren't so bad. Okay, the amount of spray and wash I go through says otherwise, but I've actually come to enjoy wearing them.
I've learned to thrive in those Sunday classes, or the big mid week classes that test my limits. It's taken a long time to enjoy being pushed, but such a necessity to truly improve and make it to the next level. To spend the time being uncomfortable enough to get better and learn a new limit. It's invigorating, challenging, sometimes stressful and yet very rewarding. I don't think I'm trading those white pants in for brown ones any time soon.
If your coach is pushing you to reach another level of uncomfortable, just remember, it is the only way you will truly get better. No amount of "comfortable" is going to progress you there. Only when you get good at being uncomfortable are you really going to see growth. To be cliche, you have to get comfortable at being uncomfortable!
As a side note, whoever thought that wearing white pants and spending time with horses was a good idea clearly never had to do their own laundry.
But then we get to the weekend and what I like to call "White Pant Syndrome". Everyone knows what I'm talking about. You've made it through a whole week practically unscathed, but Sunday roles around and you have to put on those white pants again. What is it about wearing whites that does people in?
I was living in Arizona years ago and I remember a particularly bad few weeks of horse shows. I was getting around, perhaps learning more about what I shouldn't be doing, than how to do things correctly. Needless to say, consistency wasn't exactly on my side, but it was the Sunday classes that did me in. Two weeks in a row I donned those white pants... and ended up eating dirt. I specifically remember being told that I should wear brown pants until I could get past that mental block. I didn't try that but it took a long time to overcome my Sunday Syndrome.
It's now years later and I spend more time than not in white pants at horse shows. I have to say that I've learned something; those white pants aren't so bad. Okay, the amount of spray and wash I go through says otherwise, but I've actually come to enjoy wearing them.
I've learned to thrive in those Sunday classes, or the big mid week classes that test my limits. It's taken a long time to enjoy being pushed, but such a necessity to truly improve and make it to the next level. To spend the time being uncomfortable enough to get better and learn a new limit. It's invigorating, challenging, sometimes stressful and yet very rewarding. I don't think I'm trading those white pants in for brown ones any time soon.
If your coach is pushing you to reach another level of uncomfortable, just remember, it is the only way you will truly get better. No amount of "comfortable" is going to progress you there. Only when you get good at being uncomfortable are you really going to see growth. To be cliche, you have to get comfortable at being uncomfortable!
As a side note, whoever thought that wearing white pants and spending time with horses was a good idea clearly never had to do their own laundry.
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