“Tomorrow’s Battle is Won During Today’s Practice.” – Samurai Warrior proverb

We see this scene across the world; a young person is dribbling on the court. They pretend that their team is losing by one point, but they have the ball with three seconds left on the clock. They do the count down and shoots before they get to zero and…………

It doesn’t matter if the shot went in or not; what the young athlete has just demonstrated was  the preliminary stages of performance psychology. They were preparing for the moment; they were preparing for the pressure. 

Pressure

LeBron James Sr. retold a joke he heard after his team lost in the Finals in 2011. “Why can’t LeBron give change for a dollar?” The response was “because he only had three quarters to give.”  This was a reference to his disappointing fourth quarter play against the Dallas Mavericks. This is where they say pressure can create diamonds or burst pipes. Pressure can bring the best out of you or the worst; it depends on how you prepare for it. Pressure is simply defined as the action of a force against an oppositional force. Pressure creates stress by overwhelming the individual with multiple options paired with scarce resources in a time limited setting (Dowling & Martin, 2025; McCarthy, 2025). 

Let us clarify, there is a qualitative difference between taking a last-second shot and searching for finances when the rent is due with no money in your pockets. Sport pressure and real-world pressure are two different categories; but, in real time can physiologically present similarly.

In fact, there are different types and levels of sport pressure. Is it a tryout? Is it regular practice? Is it practice before a big game; is it a return to sport after an injury? Next, are the stressors internal (e.g., negative thinking) or external stressors (e.g., stress from coaches, family, social media)? If the stressors are internal, are they physical (e.g., injury) or emotional (e.g., dealing with imposter syndrome). Lastly, what level is the competition: a) little league; b) high school; c) collegiate; d) professional or e) recreational.

Pressure, like stress, is a two-sided coin. Eustress is good stress. Distress is bad stress. Eustress allows us to elevate and perform our best, whereas when distress increases our performance decreases (Villines, 2024). The purpose of this article is to help athletes prepare how to recognize and handle pressure. The model below is the Yerkes-Dodson Law (1908) formula for optimal performance; it asserts there needs to be a certain level of stress combined with an appropriate skillset that helps to maximize the highest level of performance.

Sport Pressure

At some point in time, 77% of athletes go through a certain level of performance anxiety (McCarthy, 2025); it is that feeling of panic, worry, fear, overthinking, and nervousness that overtakes your body and short circuits an athlete’s thinking temporarily (Moran-Miller, 2026). There are a multitude of reasons why this occurs, but these are the most common issues for performance anxiety

External

We tell athletes to block out the outside noise, that can distract them, but what happens when that outside noise comes from those who support your development? Coaches, fans, and family all want the athlete to succeed; but sometimes, their help crosses the threshold from helpful to hurtful. For example, ever been to a game where the coach is telling the athlete to do one thing, but then the parent has told them to do the exact opposite? The fan that applauded you yesterday, is the same fan calling for you to be benched or traded today. This level of noise can increase anxiety and stress which will reduce the overall performance of the athlete.

Internal

Outside noise is a problem, but what happens to an athlete when the problem is internal. We’ve heard the saying “get out of your own head.” The concern is internal issues can arise for a plethora of reasons; some physical, some mental.

Physical

1. Does the athlete have the physical skillset to compete in this event?

2. Is the athlete healthy? We were taught that you can play through pain, but not an injury. If you are “only” hurt, you are expected to play and at a high level.

3. Is the athlete on her monthly cycle? Does the athlete have a viable organic concern (e.g., migraine headache or upset stomach)?

4. Athletes returning from Injury often question whether the injury is healed or if they still have what it takes after a long layoff.

Mental

1. The athlete has literally never done this before (e.g., first time playing varsity, first time batting from the other side of the plate; being forced to play another position due to an injury; 

2. The athlete is in a slump.

3. The athlete is overthinking and pressing due to concerns non-performance (e.g., released from team, upcoming free agency, bonus will not be met). Consistently deals with imposter syndrome and perfectionism. 

4. The athlete has not properly prepared for the “big moment.”

5. The Athlete is afraid of the outside attention that success will bring towards them.

Level of Competition

We enjoy sports at a young age because it teaches life tough lessons; but, as we would place a first grader in trigonometry, we must also prepare the language and lessons at a level they can emotionally and mentally digest. Far too many adults put a level of unhealthy pressure on children that becomes the genesis of some of their problems later in life, on and off the playing field (Orbach & Blumenstein, 2022). 

What is too much pressure for an athlete? Coaches and parents must recognize when training the champions of tomorrow; they must speak to them in the cognitive language of today (The Asten Institute, Project Play, 2019). Conversely, elite and professional level athletes still need emotionally intelligent staff to help navigate through tough times, despite their levels of fame and bank accounts (McCarthy, 2025; Nuetzel, 2025). However, the stage and consequences are different at the elite level, so the key is to prepare the athletes so they can properly deal with the pressure (Moran-Miller, 2026).

Properly Prepared for Pressure

The question is how do we prepare for pressure? What separates the athlete from being deemed clutch versus one who chokes (Dowling & Martin, 2025; McCarthy, 2025)? F. Scott Fitzgerald stated, “never confuse a single defeat, with a final defeat.” The same LeBron James Sr. who lost the 2011 Finals took those words from the bad joke to heart and went on to win the Finals in 2012, 2013, 2016 & 2020 and capture MVP of those finals.  The people tried to “dis” King James, but he would not allow himself to be disturbed by the disease of self-sabotage. He would not allow disbelief to have a strong hold over his mindset. He would not allow his thoughts to distance him from greatness due to a momentary setback.

Champions decide to be great. Champions decide to do the work. Champions decide to do the work consistently. Champions decide to do the work at a high level. Champions understand to be ready for the pressure; you must practice under and for the pressure. This is not an exhaustive list, but some key attributes:

 Strategies to Perform Under Stress

1. Do the Work. Have a high level of competency in the sport you play. Adequate repetition of requisite motor skills, film study, strength program, stretch, proper nutrition, and rest.

2. Focus on the Process and not the Outcome. Don’t worry if you will make the shot, just shoot the shot that you have practiced repeatedly with no fear or hesitation. Control what you can control!  Goals should focus on things you can control, not just the outcome.

3. Practice under Adversity. If you practice calmly, you will not be prepared to play in the storm. Your body reacts to what you have trained it to react to daily.

4. Self-Talk. Self-Affirmations. Recognize the power of your words and say what you want to achieve. This is also an opportunity to write down your ideas and thoughts. The visible manifestation of your words helps with cognitive neuroplasticity of (re)wiring you brain to expect success.

5. Positive Imagery and Visualization. See yourself performing in the heat of battle. See yourself succeeding in the heat of battle.

6. Breathwork. Do not forget to breathe. And understand the various ways you can regulate your emotions by controlling your breathing. Mediation is a great place to do breathwork, imagery and visualization; but also, to learn to relax.

7. Learn from the Past. Errors, failures, and mistakes can become our best teachers. The axiom says, when you lose don’t lose the lesson. Tough moments and times helped to forge the character of a champion.

8. Cognitive Restructuring. Block out the noise from your inner voice that doubts. Block people outside of your inner circle who add unneeded tension. And for the literal noise you cannot block out, welcome it as fuel to the fire to consume all who seek to block your path. Your mind is a steering wheel, you control it. You guide it to where it needs to go. Flip any negative thought with two positive thoughts, immediately. 

9. Believe in Yourself. Trust the work you have put in and understand you wear that jersey because you earned it. Every shot is not made, every race is not won, every event will not result in a win. However, strive for perfection,

10. Performance Coach. Each athlete should have access to a performance coach to help guide you through these strategies on a consistent basis.

Conclusion

Billie Jean King stated when you are under pressure, it is a privilege! I never understood imposter syndrome with elite athletes. Why would you doubt yourself? Why would you be surprised to be in the exact spot you prayed and trained for since childhood? When pressure is viewed as a friend, as opposed to a foe, it will create diamonds in your life on and off the playing field.

Pressure in sports is powerful; as it gives us the opportunity to truly gauge our skill level. When the proverbial rubber hits the road, this is where we get the opportunity to shine brightly. Pressure can paralyze us or motivate us to be at our best. Win or lose, we get the opportunity to gain a true understanding of our ability and develop resiliency from setbacks. We are not built with this clutch gene (Conant, 2026; Dowling & Martin, 2025). It is a skillset that must be developed and consistently nurtured; and the earlier, the better.

Lastly, these skills help us to deal with pressures outside of sport. If the athlete can deal with stress on the court, then the athlete can apply these same strategies to conquer their fear of public speaking and test taking. When we deal with a loss on the field, it gives the athlete the muscle memory, courage and strength to deal with the tough losses that life will, eventually, bring.