Anyone who plays sports, to any extent, is arguably familiar with the saying ‘don’t get in your head,’ or something similar to it. Granted, we shouldn’t really aspire to be in our own heads with anything we do in life, meaning we should trust ourselves and our decisions and avoid anxiety in the process. In sports, however, mentality can quite literally make or break you, and if you’re on the negative end of the equation, it will affect your performance as an athlete.
Say, as an example, you’re scared to catch a ball in baseball, and your position is outfield. Not a great situation, to be fair, but if you acknowledge, in your head, your fear of catching the ball every time it comes to you, or in your direction, you probably won’t grab it, even if you try. You’ve already allowed your fear to plague your mental state, meaning even if you’re hell-bent, after the doubt, to make the catch, you likely won’t.
It’s beyond infuriating, and it’s a great way to begin to despise a sport you once loved to play.
Attitude is everything in anything, not just in sports. But, speaking personally, I can absolutely testify to the notion that doubting yourself in sports is almost a guaranteed method to fuck up. It can occur without you even realizing it, which is frustrating, but the moment you allow any apprehension to creep into your brain, you’re already at a disadvantage. You must think you can do something, and force yourself to believe it.
It is quite simple in essence, and it almost seems too simple, really. But the mind is such a powerful tool when put to the right use, and mentality can become your best friend or your biggest enemy. It’s up to you to make that call.
Photo by TJ Dragotta on Unsplash
ontheedgeofeverything 