Managing a slump takes work
WHS is filled with athletes who seemingly can outrun everyone, make every jump shot and stick every landing. But what happens when one of these athletes loses their special touch?
According to WHS senior Jessie Stern, confidence is rather difficult to maintain as a competitive athlete. As a four-year cross country and track athlete, Stern is well acquainted with the struggle to persevere.
“Last year during spring track there were four races in which I hit the exact same time,” said Stern. “During these races I kept telling myself that I wasn’t fast enough to hit the time I wanted.”
Despite this brief slump, Stern eventually ran the 800-meter race in 2.25 minutes, a personal record. Although she put the hard work in as an athlete, Stern accredits much of her success that season to her then-coach, Christopher Tafelski.
“He told me that I was the one who had to believe in myself and he was right,” said Stern. “The day I hit that time I remembered to relax and to listen to myself when I knew that I could go faster.”
For senior multi-sport athlete Adam McDaniel, getting through a rough patch as an athlete boils down to establishing one very important thing: trust.
“Trust is a big thing,” he said. “Being able to trust in yourself, trust in your game and trust in your teammates is really important for a winning team.”
Senior Sydney Keenan experienced a lack of motivation for gymnastics as a sophomore. “I didn’t value the sport anymore and I realized that I was doing it just to do it,” she said. But Keenan’s falling out with gymnastics didn’t happen overnight. “I saw my scores noticeably dropping,” she added.
Though she wasn’t pleased with her results from that season, Keenan still earned herself a varsity letter, which she said was the point in which she decided to change her attitude. “I told myself that if I didn’t put 100 percent of my effort into gymnastics then I should just quit.”
In the end, coming out of a slump is a mental challenge for any athlete. If they stay focused, it’s always possible to regain their touch.
“The whole thing about shooting is in your head,” McDaniel said. “Obviously you need to be able to shoot a lot to become a better player. But a lot of it is in your head. Staying calm and knowing you can make a shot is really important.”
“Last year during spring track there were four races in which I hit the exact same time,” said Stern. “During these races I kept telling myself that I wasn’t fast enough to hit the time I wanted.”
Despite this brief slump, Stern eventually ran the 800-meter race in 2.25 minutes, a personal record. Although she put the hard work in as an athlete, Stern accredits much of her success that season to her then-coach, Christopher Tafelski.
“He told me that I was the one who had to believe in myself and he was right,” said Stern. “The day I hit that time I remembered to relax and to listen to myself when I knew that I could go faster.”
For senior multi-sport athlete Adam McDaniel, getting through a rough patch as an athlete boils down to establishing one very important thing: trust.
“Trust is a big thing,” he said. “Being able to trust in yourself, trust in your game and trust in your teammates is really important for a winning team.”
Senior Sydney Keenan experienced a lack of motivation for gymnastics as a sophomore. “I didn’t value the sport anymore and I realized that I was doing it just to do it,” she said. But Keenan’s falling out with gymnastics didn’t happen overnight. “I saw my scores noticeably dropping,” she added.
Though she wasn’t pleased with her results from that season, Keenan still earned herself a varsity letter, which she said was the point in which she decided to change her attitude. “I told myself that if I didn’t put 100 percent of my effort into gymnastics then I should just quit.”
In the end, coming out of a slump is a mental challenge for any athlete. If they stay focused, it’s always possible to regain their touch.
“The whole thing about shooting is in your head,” McDaniel said. “Obviously you need to be able to shoot a lot to become a better player. But a lot of it is in your head. Staying calm and knowing you can make a shot is really important.”
