As we enter the Women’s College World Series of D1 NCAA softball, there is plenty of opportunity to watch elite athletes succeed and fail in the face of pressure. It’s make-or-break time; it’s win or go home. Athletes are facing some of the most difficult situations of their careers—everything is on the line, and they can taste that World Series championship.
An article was recently published with the title: “How Butterflies and TED Talks Boosted Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo.” The article sheds light on the pressures faced by successful athletes and how they effectively keep them at bay. (Read it here: 2019 NCAA softball tournament: How butterflies and TED Talks boosted Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo)
Alex Scarborough quotes DiCarlo’s experience growing up, stating, “Earlier in her career, she sometimes let nerves get the best of her. She had devoted everything to the sport—’It’s my life,’ she said. ‘I didn’t go to prom, didn’t go to homecoming. I didn’t do anything but softball’—and the idea of not living up to expectations made her timid on the diamond.”
As Scarborough points out, athletes who reach the collegiate level often miss out on other social opportunities along the way. Consequently, their evaluation of themselves is purely based on their performance in sports. When they fail in sports, they feel like a failure overall, as sports have become their entire life. Thus, failing in sports leads them to feel as though they are failing as individuals. It’s not just about failing on the field; it’s a much bigger issue for them. For this reason, it is crucial to provide young athletes with a healthy sport-life balance. Especially when they are young, they need the opportunity to develop all aspects of who they are. They require the space to explore their talents in music, school, friendships, and hobbies. By doing so, they can feel that they have value in various areas of life, allowing them to have other sources of confidence to fall back on in times of failure. If kids had these opportunities throughout their athletic careers, the pressure to perform would be significantly reduced. (I wrote a blog recounting my experience in having a healthy sport-life balance a while back, you can read it here: Keep a Sport-Life Balance)
In the article, DiCarlo is also quoted commenting on how her mental game has helped her succeed: “Being mentally tough,” she said, “keeping your emotions at bay is something I’ve had to work on a lot.” The mental game is often overlooked, especially by coaches of youth athletes. They may not have the training or experience to teach young athletes how to utilize their minds to excel. However, having an effective mental game is even more important than excelling; it can help athletes of all ages experience more joy while playing the game. Equipping athletes with the tools to deal with the high-pressure demands that come with being a competitor helps keep negative emotions at bay and allows more room for the positive ones to flourish.
Teaching athletes mental game strategies and giving them the room to explore their other talents can help to keep the game in check. Keeping the game in check has the potential to give athletes the best opportunity to fully develop into themselves, both as an athlete and a person.
One Game, One Love. 