Fake it Until You Make it

 Two years ago, I found myself at high school basketball game supporting a classmate of mine who was coaching. Within seconds of being there, a foul was called and a free throw shot was taken. The player shot the ball, and once she realized she was going to miss the shot she immediately hung her head and mouthed “Dang it”. It took her a second to gather herself before she realized she needed to be on the other end of the court for defense. I kept my eye on this player for next few minutes and noticed after every single “attempt” her body language was full of self-doubt. It was obvious she felt defeated by the physical performance she was displaying. Although I can’t speak to how well she was previously playing before I arrived, her defeated body language wasn’t aiding in current performance.

The head drop, the eye roll, the exasperated sigh; we’ve all seen it. We all know what it means: “I am unhappy with the way I’m performing.”

“Fake it until you make it.” We’ve all heard many great coaches say this. An opponent, or even a teammate, should never be able to guess how you’re feeling on the court. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with Coach Sue Enquist from UCLA. One of the things she preaches to her players is “fake it until you make it.” Positive body language is a huge factor in how you perform. If an opponent thinks you’ve already defeated yourself, they grow more confident in their ability to beat you.

You can usually pick out the better players by how they carry themselves. If you watch pre-shot routines, those who display more confidence usually have better technique, even if they don’t make the basket. Confidence is a huge predictor of your level of play. If you don’t have it, fake it! Even if you aren’t feeling confident, pretend that you are! Be an actress! Keep your head up after an error, even if you want to throw your fist through a wall. It can actually affect the way you feel and play. Positive body language can change the hormones in your body and literally make you feel more confident. Yes, it’s true. It can also affect how your opponents play against you; it’s harder to beat a confident team. It can also affect how your teammates play next to you. Your body language affects them just as much as it does your opponents. Always keep your head up!