We train. We fuel. We play. We repeat. It’s more than just this endless cycle, though. How do athletes prepare themselves before sports performances?
Being competitive is one of the most important factors that contributes to success in sports. Staying laser-focused, aggressive, and resilient are all part of this. You have to fully enter the role of “athlete” and set aside the day.
Vivien Bregman is a sophomore and a cross country, indoor, and outdoor track runner. She says that the outcome of a race is determined by the mindset you have at the beginning. For her, she has to take the pressure out of the situation to do well.
During races, she’ll often keep herself going by doing it for her teammates. Other times, she focuses on herself.
She also says, “Before races I definitely get really quiet. I will go silent, especially if it’s like the scariest race of my life, and that’s kind of how you know you’re locked in, I suppose.”
Ava Slivka, freshman field hockey player, find herself staying focused no matter whether she is in the game or not. “I’m always cheering loudly and clapping aggressively; I really want to win, especially since varsity has a clean record right now…To get in that competitive headspace, I always have to follow my superstitions… I need to wear the same jewelry each game. I need to wear the same hocsocx (which go under your shin guards), and I always have to pass the ball with the same teammate beforehand.”
In any sport, you have to be confident. You cannot sell yourself short. You could put in your best effort in practice everyday and then when the time comes for your competition, if you’re not in a good headspace, everything you worked for could be lost. You have to reassure yourself that you’ve trained enough and are capable.
Vivien says that overtime she has gained self confidence.
“I think that has come from achieving my goals directly. When you set out to do something, no matter if that goal is to be the best on the team or to beat a certain time that may not be the best, I think accomplishing your goals definitely has to give you confidence. Accomplishing goals you didn’t even think you could set at the beginning of the season, that’s another thing that has been really influential.”
She started off cross country season last year with a knee injury, did low mileage, and made a comeback. Then, she tried indoor track for the first time and ended up going to nationals for the 800 meter. By the end of the outdoor track season, she and three other teammates went to nationals for the 4 by 400 meter.
She was very surprised and happy that she was able to achieve things she never thought she’d end up doing.
“If you think about the things you’ve accomplished and the people that you surround yourself with, that definitely gives you confidence. You think so highly of other people, too, and if they’re supporting you that has to help you at least a little bit.”
Howie Bottomley is a famous figure at Sutton High School. He has played practically every sport you can name, has coached at multiple levels, and still continues to show up to support students at sporting events and practices. Of self-confidence, he says, “You’ve got to have some. You’ve got to believe in yourself. You’ve got to know your limitations, too. Some people run a 5k in 12 minutes. Not everyone can do that.”
He says that you have to set a goal you think you can get to, knowing that it’ll take work.
As an athlete, you cannot fear failure. You should not negatively compare yourself to competitors or even athletes on your own team. That may make you feel that you cannot or do not deserve to do well or to win. You have to believe in yourself and think positively.
If you’re going up against tough competition or you’ve been in a slump, do not start out by telling yourself that you are not going to do as well as normal. Every game is an opportunity to grow and succeed instead of a continuation of your struggle.
Be sure to check out part two of this series that examines what goes through an athlete’s mind during a game and strategy.
