Yes, you will suck at your first competition. And that’s totally ok.
Preamble:
If I could have 1 euro for every time I heard a first timer saying “I will only start competing when I can dive to X meters/break that record”, I would be equally poor but less triggered.
I used to try talking some sense into these people, but seen how my words can’t usually even cross the first layer of their eardrum, I gave up and now I just nod unexcitedly instead. But it still annoys the shit out of me (now that you have this info maybe avoid throwing that line in while in a conversation with me).
Short answer:
because it’s your first; and when you are a rookie, it is normal to suck.
Yes, there are some people who didn’t suck at their first competition, maybe they are prodigies, or maybe they were lucky. Not everyone is a prodigy, or the word wouldn’t even exist, and also no, dont’ count on luck because if luck was the norm also that word wouldn’t exist.
So instead on relying on luck, or a god given gift, rely on tangible things like your abilities and your training.
How many people you know who did spectacular things the first time they showed up? Do you really think that Newton was sitting under a tree and the falling apple instantly triggered the creation of the theory of gravity? Do you think Phelps got his first Olympic medal the first time he jumped in the pool?
It is boring to listen to how hard and how long someone worked for something and all the obstacles they had to overcome to get somewhere, so that’s usually not what we are shown when we are told a success story (look up Phelps training regimen and then ask yourself a couple of questions).
Expect to work hard to get your medal or your record, and if you dont want to do that, then that’s also ok, but accept that you will probably not go very far and dont sit around sulking about it the rest of your life.
So, it’s your first comp, what are you going to do?
The way I see it you only have 2 options:
1- announce your PB or close to it, expect to be nervous and COUNT ON FAILING AND TO USE THE FAILURE TO GROW (this is not a sentence you can split in 2 parts and throw the second part away).
2- stay very conservative to make up for the lack of experience and the wrecked nerves; have a happier experience, go home knowing you could have done more and look at the next one with enthusiasm and excitment.
In my opinion both options are valid and which one you choose depends on
-what your goals are, not in terms of performance, but in terms of growth as a freediver (and as a person).
-who you are as a person, what are your motivators and how well you respond to failure (in short, are you a carrot or a stick learner?)
