MVHS athletes find mental strength during competition – El Estoque

Last year, junior and Varsity Boys soccer player Jason He nervously walked into the penalty area as he thought about how to execute his penalty kick. As a midfielder, he did not get many opportunities to score goals, but he knew he had the ability to score a penalty; however, doubts entered his mind, making his movements tense. He ran towards the ball, loaded his right leg up for the kick, and the ball missed the target completely.

After the missed penalty, his brain went into a frenzy. Before the penalty, the score was tied 1-1, so the missed penalty made the injury worse as the match ended, 2-1. As the match progressed, he remained conflicted as his colleagues were reassuring while his coaches were more critical of the setback. However, he used the memory of his failure as motivation to focus on penalties and improve in the future. Since then, he has developed several techniques to help him grow after setbacks.

After a match, my father usually takes me home, and during the drive we talk about the opportunities I had during the match and the good and bad aspects of my performance, he said. During the week I practice to improve the bad aspects of my performance. and that gives me the feeling that the competition showed me what I could improve.

Pancho Tzankov, head coach of the Varsity Boys Soccer team, encourages players to reflect and analyze matches afterward. He takes advantage of the opportunities he gets through the small breaks he takes, in the form of substitutions. Substitution is often seen as bad by some footballers because the player no longer contributes to the team. However, he sees this break as an opportunity to see the game from a new perspective.

If I'm standing on one side of the field during the attack, I don't know what's happening behind me, but if I'm on the bench, I can watch all 22 players playing on the field, he said. For example, I could see what a defender from the other team is doing while we're attacking, so that the next time I go on the field I can take advantage of what he's doing wrong.

Like He, junior and MVHS second baseman on the Boys Baseball team, Timothy Yin takes time to mentally prepare for the field during breaks to gain an advantage when he plays. By pitching and fielding with good technique, Yin ensures that the opponent does not get free points.

“I really try to take my time because as soon as I get on the rubber my movements are restricted,” Yin said. If I make big, sudden movements, the umpires can call a walk, which sends every runner on base to the next base. So it's important that I calm down and then go up the hill. When it comes to fieldwork, you have to think about every situation because if you're not where you need to be, it can confuse the whole team.

Likewise, Tzankov teaches his team not to let their emotions get to them, because in a group, even one person's emotions can affect the mental state of the entire team. Unlike Yin, who does his routine before every throw, Tzankov has his team do their routine before every game, consisting of stretching and light running.

The warm-up should get the players in the mood for a match and boost their confidence, getting them ready to perform in the best possible way without getting injured, Tzankov said. We do the warm-up the same way every time so that they feel normal and ready for the game, without added stress or unnecessary confusion.

While Tzankov tries to keep his team's composure during the warm-up, Yin enjoys the joy of scoring and tries to keep that momentum going throughout the match. Yin's joy reminds him of the highs and lows that players naturally face during a game, making it easier for him to regulate his emotions when events seem to spiral out of control.

So when I run the bases and hit home plate during a game, I come back to the dugout, the place where our team bench is, Yin said. I finally sit down and think about what I did well, and most importantly I try to remember that feeling of happiness after I score for the team and then keep that feeling with me in everything else I do in a match do.