Adversity as an Athlete
How difficult is it to “keep going” when you experience adversity during your competitive season?
Adversity can seem insurmountable at times. When you are benched for several games, it may feel like you will never see action for the rest of the season.
When you struggle through a slump, it can feel as though you will never have a good game or play at your peak. When you are injured, you may think your athletic career is over.
How you view adversity affects your motivation, confidence, training, and game performance.
For example, you start a season with high hopes. During preseason, you performed better than ever during your athletic career. However, when the regular season began, you significantly underperformed and were benched.
The motivation you had in the preseason drastically declined. Your confidence was decimated. You felt hopeless. Practice felt like a waste of time because you believed you would be on the bench for the rest of the year.
In this instance, your overall negative view of your adverse circumstances stagnates improvement and keeps you entrenched in the rut.
Adversity is unavoidable.
However, that may be a good thing. Adversity, when approached with the right mindset, leads to growth. When you tackle adversity head-on, you become motivated to improve, build your mental toughness, and achieve next-level play.
Opportunities within adversity include:
- Adversity builds mental toughness, which is crucial for enduring future athletic challenges.
- Adversity pushes athletes to hone technique, improve their conditioning, develop mental skills, push beyond their comfort zones, and bounce back stronger.
- Adversity enhances perspective and helps you navigate the ups and downs inherent in sports
- Adversity can teach valuable lessons about preparation and your approach to the game.
During the 2024 NFL season, Chicago Bears rookie quarterback had a three-game drought throwing zero touchdowns and a completion percentage under 50 percent.
This is not the only time rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has faced adversity. As a freshman at Oklahoma, Williams hardly played the first half of the season. Williams’ coach, Lincoln Riley, gave him advice that helped him stay motivated and focused, which he still applies to this day.
WILLIAMS: “Lincoln Riley called me the other day, and just wanted to talk to me. Check in, things like that. It’s something that he told me my freshman year, when I wasn’t in a position that I wanted to be in. I wasn’t starting at the time, and he told me to ‘keep going.’ I use those words to this day.”
Adversity is a challenge and an opportunity to grow your athletic potential. Adversity builds champions, leads to greater athletic achievement, and strengthens your resolve.
How you face adversity determines how far you go in your athletic career.
Remind yourself that there is opportunity within adversity. To keep yourself going during tough times, use a key phrase to remind you to push onward.
Phrases that have personal meaning provide motivation and guidance when adversity strikes. Remember, adversity doesn’t determine your athletic future, but your response to that adversity is the difference-maker.
Related Sports Psychology Article
- How to Reach for Your Athletic Potential
- How to Prevent Mental Mistakes During Competition
- How to Focus on Your Race for Triathletes
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