Pressure

“Pressure is a privilege.” Billie Jean King.  This powerful quote resonates with me as an athlete and I believe many others can relate to it as well.

In general, human nature and our survival mechanisms are designed to protect and alert us to danger. When discomfort approaches, an internal switch is activated, signaling us to avoid or fight the impending challenge. The tendency for many is often to run away or find a shortcut to bypass the discomfort.

However, athletes who are in it to compete, not just put in hard work, embrace the pressure. They recognize it as an opportunity for growth, learning, and achievement. Instead of shying away, they confront it head-on, leading to their success.

The fiction, challenges, and all the no's I've received throughout my athletic career may have momentarily halted me but only for a second or two. Thankfully, I quickly realized how to turn these “pressures” or setbacks into fuel. But what I want to emphasize is that this took time and help for me to realize.

There's currently a missing component to the "love of pressure" in sports culture. Factors such as poor coaching or a lack of proper support systems, especially at youth levels, contribute to this gap. I sought out support and currently have a sports mental skills trainer. I've also received mental skills training and have resources at my disposal to develop a healthy relationship with sports pressures. I created a mental skills filter. I know that I need to filter out and process which pressure is negative and which is constructive, hence, fuel. 

With a proper support system in place at both youth club and collegiate levels, imagine how the statistics for athlete burnout, injury, and suicide would improve. Think about what could be achieved instead: women breaking more world records, women reaching new heights in their sports, and athletes enjoying longer, healthier careers. The potential for success and well-being is immense when athletes are given the mental and emotional tools to thrive under pressure.

Pressure can once again be perceived as a privilege as Billie Jean King eloquently shared. It can be a positive motivator rather than something there to destroy an athlete as some use it abusively against athletes to try to produce winning results. It instead can become a glass ceiling waiting to be shattered, a world record waiting to be broken, a chance for an athlete to prove critics wrong or to prove to themselves that the sky is the limit.

Receiving mental skills training and support has significantly improved my outlook on pressure and failure. My athletic performance as a goalkeeper, particularly in handling penalty kicks, dramatically improved. I used to dread penalty kicks due to the pressure I put on myself, but now, I view them as opportunities for personal growth.

By prioritizing mental skills training and proper support systems in sports programs, we can create an environment where athletes thrive and see pressure as a catalyst for growth and success. This is why Billie Jean King's quote means so much to me as an athlete.