Whether you’re on the court, in the pool, or stepping onto the field, pressure is something every athlete will face.
The clock’s ticking.
The crowd is watching.
Your team is counting on you.
In these moments, pressure can either fuel your performance or cause you to lose control.
The good news? Pressure isn’t something to fear, rather it’s something you can train your body and mind to handle and help you succeed.
In this article, you will learn how to overcome pressure in sports and continue to perform with confidence and intention when the game is on the line.
What Is Pressure in Sports?
Pressure in sports can either push you forward or hold you back, it all depends on how you respond to it.
Many factors can add pressure to an athlete’s performance and cause adverse reactions such as making mistakes, performing emotionally and not staying focused during game play. Some factors that can add pressure to an athlete’s performance include:
- High expectations from coaches, parents, or teammates
- Fear of failure or letting others down
- Playing in front of large crowds or during high stake games
- Comparison to other athletes and teammates
- Recovering from injury or returning after a setback
Among these pressures there is a notable difference between them. This being there is GOOD pressure and BAD pressure.
Good pressure happens when athletes are in their peak performance state (aka FLOW state). When all systems are a go and they are performing at a 10/10, this may feel like focus, excitement and clear minded. This kind of pressure often motivates the athlete to continue to push harder physically and mentally as they are in game mode, understanding the effort needed in this moment in order to achieve the results they desire.
On the other hand, many of the pressures listed above can be seen as “bad” pressures…in other words external pressures. Bad pressure may feel like anxiety, fear of failure, and overthinking, usually caused by outside expectations or perfectionism, which can lead to underperformance or burnout. When the athlete is more concerned about how their performance will affect others rather than how it will affect themselves, this is when they start to see cracks in their performance.
We need to support our athletes and be mindful of how they are coping with these external pressures.
Why Do Athletes Feel Pressure?
As athletes, their whole belief system is curated based on a results driven mindset and with this comes the responsibility to perform consistently and at a 10/10 each time they hit the court. This expectation is where athletes start to put more pressure on things they can’t control versus focusing on the skills and factors that they are in control of in order to drive those results.
This is why shifting the mindset from focusing on the external to internal pressure is so important and being self aware enough to recognize when the pressure becomes too overwhelming, what are some tools and strategies “I” can use to put myself back into that peak performance and drive those results I desire.
Signs You’re Struggling With Pressure
Here are some signs you may be struggling with pressure in your performance:
- Overthinking or second-guessing yourself
- Trouble sleeping before games or competitions
- Feeling tense, anxious, or nervous often
- Emotionally reacting to a teammates, coaches, or families feedback
- Loss of motivation or enjoyment in your sport
- Struggling to focus during practices or games
- Physical symptoms like headaches or stomach aches before a performance
- Sudden dip in performance with no clear reason
- Avoiding challenges or big moments in competition
- Constant fear of making mistakes
How to Overcome Pressure in Sports
Luckily, I have several tips and strategies you can utilize and apply to your mental game if you’re struggling with pressure.
- Focus on what you CAN control
- Rethink Your Pre-Performance Routine
- Practice Under Pressure
- Positive Self Talk
- What are your goals?
- Lean on Your Support System
- Breathe In And Reset
Focus on what you CAN control
You cannot put pressure on things that you cannot control. Instead, shift your focus to aspects of your performance that you know you have control over, such as your skills, attitude and effort.
Example: Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky focuses on her own race plan rather than her competitors.
Scenario: A soccer player keeps worrying about the other team’s ranking. Instead, she shifts her attention to her own passing accuracy and communication with teammates during the game.
Rethink Your Pre-Performance Routine
Preparation before a performance is as important as the performance itself. A lot of the time, when we don’t have a routine that we can rely on and time we can put ourselves into a mentally ready state, this is when we may recognize areas in our performance we need to focus on and this can often lessen the pressure of the competition itself.
Example: NBA players like Stephen Curry use the same warm-up rituals before every game to stay grounded.
Scenario: A gymnast listens to the same song, does breathing exercises, and visualizes her routine before each competition to stay calm and centered.
Practice Under Pressure
Our brain loves direction and repetition. The best way to combat the emotional and mental effects of some external pressures is to practice and replicate the same environment and mental state you would be in competition.
Example: Serena Williams trains in match-like conditions to simulate tournament pressure.
Scenario: A volleyball team does scrimmage drills with a countdown clock and crowd noise to mirror the intensity of real games.
Positive Self Talk
The words we say to ourselves and think about ourselves during and before performance, hold so much power and reflect in our physical performance. If you think negatively, you will in turn perform negatively. Practicing positive self talk will help with the pressure that comes with high stake performance environments more than thinking negatively.
Example: Michael Phelps used positive affirmations to stay confident before races.
Scenario: A basketball player catches himself saying, “Don’t mess up,” and replaces it with, “You’ve got this…focus and play your game.”.
What are your goals?
The key is to reframe how you see pressure is to focus on the process of your goals (not the outcome). Any areas of your performance where you tend to buckle under pressure, identify those areas and focus on practicing and perfecting them before thinking about the result of a performance you haven’t even completed yet.
Example: A sprinter aims to improve her form and reaction time, not just win gold.
Scenario: Instead of focusing only on scoring a goal, a striker sets goals like making smart runs and staying composed in the box rather than putting pressure on making goals.
Lean on Your Support System
Some external pressures come from relying on the feedback from your coaches, teammates and family. One way to avoid putting pressure on yourself is to focus on those around you who you trust to take feedback from and who will continue to uplift your performance regardless of results. This puts less pressure on yourself to perform when it comes from people who you do not trust to support you.
Example: Simone Biles openly speaks about how her support team helps her handle pressure.
Scenario: A high school track athlete shares her stress with her coach and starts scheduling regular mental check-ins before meets.
Pro Tip: Or hire a mental performance coach 🙂
Breathe In And Reset
Your breath is the most important tool in any performance scenario. Before a performance/during, take 3-5 seconds to breathe in, hold and breathe out. This will help with regulating your nervous system and take away any pressure in that moment so you are able to regain focus and perform your best.
Example: Tennis players like Novak Djokovic use deep breathing between points to calm nerves.
Scenario: A hockey goalie feels overwhelmed during a high-stakes game. Between whistles, he takes 3 slow breaths to reset and refocus.
Just like in your physical performance, shifting your mental state takes time and repetition. There will always be pressure when you care about something and desire to succeed in a sport you care about. The key here is to notice and adjust your habits before the pressure begins to take away from the joy of being good at your sport.
If you or your athletes suffer from buckling under the pressure of competition, click to schedule a free 30-minute consultation. Let’s work together to build positive habits that help you perform at your best and feel proud every time you compete, with or without pressure.
Beatrice Hipolito
Athletic Mindset Coach
Beatrice holds a B.A. in Psychology and a Brain Training for Athletes Certification from Elite, combining academic insight with her experience as a competitive dancer. She supports athletes facing performance anxiety, confidence issues, and major transitions.
