It is completely natural to be nervous, to get butterflies when an athlete is getting ready to compete against an opponent. Coaches get butterflies too! In this normal situation take deep breaths, visualize success, keep a positive mindset, and use a word or phrase that helps maintain confidence. Once the competition begins and the athlete is in the flow of the competition the nervousness should go away. There is another aspect of Performance Nervousness in which the athlete is not able to execute basketball skills at a high level in competitive situations. The athlete is able to achieve success in practice but not in competitive situations. In this situation the athlete can seek to understand what makes him/her successful in practice and how to duplicate that success against an opponent. Reflecting and caring about the outcomes in practice and choosing to see how those outcomes can impact competitive situations can be an avenue to help the athlete achieve success against an opponent.