[Table Tennis Mentality] How to deliver “peak performance” at an important tournament

The true and proper way to prepare for a tournament is to stay as calm as possible until match day and build up, one by one, the things you can do now

　What should you do to bring your best condition, your “peak performance,” to an important tournament?

　It is common to see coaching that tries to raise tension by counting down the days until a target event — “X days until the Inter-High” or “X days until the Olympics” — but I feel that this is not very meaningful, or rather, that it often works against you.

　A player who lacks motivation is not going to enter the Inter-High. Even without being told, the players know full well that they are aiming for their main event. Putting pressure on them with “X days left,” making them焦る, and driving them into a state where they can no longer do what needs to be done now is not effective.

　I think the true and proper way to prepare for a tournament is to stay as calm as possible until match day and build up, one by one, the things you can do now.

　If there is a child who is especially prone to skipping practice and needs to be spoken to individually, you should address them directly, one by one, rather than speaking to everyone as a group.