WOODBURY — From the kiddie pool to the deep end, high school sports take athletes to a whole new ballgame where coaching, commitment, and competition reach a whole new level.
High school athletes, particularly underclassmen, often struggle with self-doubt and internal pressure — feelings that tend to intensify when they’re trying to impress varsity coaches.
But sooner or later, you must learn to cope with these mental challenges to display your ability, everyone knows you tend to play better when relaxed.
Sophomore Ashton Elsemore joined the varsity baseball team his freshman year and quickly was thrown into a starting spot at first base.
“It was pretty nerve racking,” said Elsemore. “Especially being one of the only freshmen, I didn’t really know any of the players, so it was tough to get comfortable.”
Elsemore also notes how he was constantly worried of making an error that cost him his starting spot.
“You always wanna play well to impress the coach and stuff,” Elsemore explained. “If you don’t play well, then you could get benched, but you learn errors come with the game. You’re bound to make errors. If I were to say anything [to freshmen now], just go out there and play your game and be comfortable. Play the game you have been playing your whole life.”
In most sports, failure is common. You’re going to miss shots, strike out, and throw incompletions, but it’s how you absorb the failure and learn from your mistakes.
Kyle Brennan, assistant coach of Nonnewaug’s varsity baseball team, reflects on the team’s mindset.
“Our saying, ‘So what?’ came here in 2023 when we had a really talented baseball team,” Brennan said. “It helped our players put mistakes in the rear view.”
Brennan said it’s important to stay present in the game with a so-what attitude.
“Players have a tendency, if a mistake happens, [they] don’t forget about it,” Brennan said. “Let’s face it, in life and in sports, people screw up, people make errors and people make mistakes. You either stay down on that and don’t raise your performance and you let it affect your mental health and your future performance, or you realize it’s not the end of the world.”
Nonnewaug teams often include underclassmen in the starting lineup. Sophomore Max Nichols has already become a key contributor for the soccer, basketball, and track teams.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking,” says Nichols, reflecting on his first start for the varsity basketball team, “but after a couple of games, I found my rhythm and confidence. In my varsity basketball debut against Terryville, I forgot to take my chain off and the ref yelled at me. While I was taking it off, Coach [Tim Fitzpatrick] told me to sit down.”
Coping with the pressures of varsity sports takes time, resilience, and the right support system. Whether it’s learning to stay calm under pressure or bouncing back from mistakes, every athlete finds their own rhythm.
