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Wings Up! Game Time. Nice win tonight! @fgcu_mbb #fgcu #fgcueagles (at Alico Arena)

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Pressure

My basketball coach got on me the other day at practice about not being able to handle pressure. As much as I disagreed, I do have to admit that the amount of down and backs I had to run for either 1) missing or 2) not shooting a “perfect” free throw was not helping me build my case (yikes! lol). Knowing about my blog, and of course, still trying to make his point, he told me to make a post about pressure. So without further ado, this one is for you, Coach Smesko!

Pressure is something that all athletes deal with, some probably more so than others. That is because pressure is all about perception. It is mental. The way we think about pressure dictates its actual effect on us. Think about it. As athletes, especially at a collegiate level, we deal with a variety of external pressure: blogs, newspapers, criticism from coaches, teammates, and fans, program expectations, season records, loud gyms, ect... External pressure is one thing, but internal pressure – that self-applied pressure – that is the pressure that most athletes lose the battle to. The pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect – to be the best; the pressure to impress our coaches and the fans - to make our parents proud - to be good enough to make it to the next level – to earn playing time - to not make any mistakes.

Most of the time the pressure we put on ourselves is greater than the pressure put on us by other people or situations. I think the quicker players learn to overcome internal pressure is when they are able to start reaching new levels in their game. I’m no sports psychologist or anything, but I’ve developed a concept. In order to alleviate pressure, we must live by the Four P’s: practice, poise, persistence, and prayer.

1. PRACTICE

We’ve all heard it before, but “practice makes perfect.” The more you practice a skill, the better at it you become. The better at it you become, the more confident you are in your ability to make that play or deal with that situation. That practice has to go beyond “practice time.” We have to be devoted to our craft in order to reach the level of excellence we want to achieve.

2. POISE

John Wooden describes poise as, “Just being yourself. Being at ease in any situation. Never fighting yourself.” As athletes, we tend to let our emotions kick into overdrive. It is important to play with passion, but being controlled by your feelings can cause problems. Not maintaining poise during “pressure situations” can impact decision-making and effectiveness. We have to discipline our emotions to remain calm in situations and with ourselves.

3. PERSITENCE

“Continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” Competitive athletes strive for perfection. Frustration kicks in when we don’t get things right or something might not come as easy to us as we thought. This is where persistence is key. Perfection doesn’t happen over night. We have to be comfortable getting ourselves out of our comfort zone, working through our mistakes, and relentlessly working until we turn those weaknesses into strengths.

4. PRAYER

I know everyone who reads this may not be believe in God, but I do, and prayer is something I believe is very powerful. Prayer is a tool we as athletes can use to help turn our negative thoughts into positive ones. With God all things are possible. When you work hard and align your prayers with God’s will, he is faithful to honor it. So if you struggle with putting too much pressure on yourself - pray, practice, maintain your poise, and be persistent! Hard work always pays off!

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23