WOODBURY — Four white lines, two goals, one ball — this is my dream. But sometimes, it feels like my worst nightmare.
In the heat of competition, when the pressure is high, the loudest voice isn’t from the crowd — it’s the one in my head. My self-talk can either be my greatest weapon or my biggest weakness.
There is no stronger competitor than my own mind. Whether I’m on the soccer field or the basketball court, the way I speak to myself determines my performance. A single thought can lift me up or tear me down. The real battle isn’t just against my opponents; it’s within myself.
If only there was a way to be more positive during my performance, I think.
After games, people come up to me and tell me what great job I did, yet it feels like the opposite in my head.
At least I’m not alone in the mental blocks of performing. Nonnewaug sophomore Max Nichols has similar difficulties on the basketball court.
“After I miss a shot or make a bad pass, I get pretty frustrated,” Nichols said. “In those times I try not to let it get to my head, but sometimes I’m not so lucky.”
Nonnewaug freshman basketball and soccer player Bryce Gilbert also experiences challenges with her performance on the soccer field.
“I tend to get really worked up during my games just because of the environment and the excitement of being in the game,” Gilbert said.
Through the highs and lows of sports, I’ve learned that encouragement and reassurance can make all the difference.
Like myself, freshman volleyball and basketball player Chloe Whipple has seen a dramatic change in her gameplay because of one simple change.
“In recent games I’ve been trying to talk more positively to myself,” Whipple said. “When I look back on my performances when I didn’t [talk positively], I noticed a huge difference in my games.”
In these realizations, many athletes have found different strategies to help them through the self-imposed pressure. Nichols finds prayer to be the most beneficial.
“During the national anthem, I usually pray,” Nichols said. “That gets me ready the most before games.”
For Gilbert, she relies on reassurance after mistakes.
“What helps me most is reassuring myself after I make a mistake,” Gilbert said.
It’s easy to be hard on yourself, especially when you set high expectations.
“I do think some people are definitely too hard on themselves,” Gilbert said. “I think that a lot of the time it’s the people who are the better ones on the team where they hold such a high standard of how they play. In those cases, I think it’s undeserving.”
Instead of being self-critical, it’s important to recognize the good that I do in games and not just the failures. For example, I started setting goals – I call them “three small wins” – before every game, whether that’s better communication, making five good passes, or taking two good shots.
Since then, I’ve noticed a difference in my attitude going into games, especially if my team doesn’t have a good record.
So here’s what I’ve realized: There is a way to be more positive during my performance.
This is the opinion of Elliana Obolewicz, a sophomore two-sport athlete at Nonnewaug and a reporter for the Chief Advocate.
