How to Handle Pressure in Sport: A Pro Athlete's Mental Toughness Guide
- Dr Paul McCarthy
- Oct 14
- 18 min read
Mental toughness in sport sets winners apart from losers as pressure builds on the field. A 2019 review shows mental toughness as the leading psychological factor that determines successful performance among Olympic athletes .
Let's get into pressure in sport and its effects become clear. A recent survey of 2,056 athletes shows that competitive pressure associates with pre-competition anxiety by a lot . Psychological resilience can intervene between pressure and anxiety. Research with 543 participants, including 453 athletes from recreational to world-class elite, reveals 58 different types of psychological pressure that athletes face regularly .
Athletes need systematic approaches to mental preparation to handle pressure in sport.
Many coaches and athletes create psychological pressure during practice. They do this to get used to match pressure and make practice better . This exposure helps athletes build mental tools they need to perform under pressure at crucial moments.
This piece shares proven strategies from professional athletes and sports psychologists that can change pressure from holding you back to boosting your performance. These techniques will build your mental resilience to excel when stakes run high, whether you compete at elite levels or play recreationally.
Understanding Pressure in Sport
Athletes face pressure at every competitive level—from youth leagues to Olympic finals. Research shows that athletes feel pressure when they need to perform well [1]. This perception shapes how they experience competitive situations and determines if they'll excel or crack under stress.
What pressure means in competitive settings
Athletes feel pressure when they need to deliver their best performance [2]. Each athlete experiences pressure differently—what overwhelms one might motivate another. This makes pressure management a unique challenge for each individual.
Research shows pressure can affect performance in three ways:
The outcome depends on the athlete's mental strength and the task at hand. Pressure often helps in effort-based tasks by boosting motivation. However, skill-based tasks involve more complex mental factors [2].
Athletes under pressure typically experience two main psychological responses:
Distraction theories suggest pressure hurts performance by making athletes focus on irrelevant thoughts, forcing them to multitask mentally [2]
Explicit monitoring theories show that pressure makes athletes too self-aware, which disrupts their natural flow by making them overthink automatic skills [2]
These responses help explain why some athletes thrive while others struggle under similar pressure situations.
Common sources of pressure for athletes
Athletes deal with pressure from many angles, both external and internal. A complete study found 58 different types of psychological pressure that athletes experience [3]. These pressures fall into several main categories:
Competition-specific pressures:
Important matches and tournaments
Changing game situations
Performance expectations
Technical challenges
Strong opponents
Organizational pressures:
Team selection processes
Training facilities
Money concerns
Coach relationships
Team communication
Studies show athletes report more stress from organizational factors than competition itself [4]. This highlights how off-field issues create significant pressure.
Elite athletes also face unique workplace challenges that increase pressure:
Public scrutiny through media coverage
Small support networks due to relocations
Team relationship dynamics
Risk of career-ending injuries [5]
Personal expectations create huge internal pressure. A 2019 study revealed that 35% of elite athletes face mental health challenges, including burnout, depression, and anxiety [5]. Even more concerning, 77% of athletes reported experiencing performance anxiety last year, with an average of 18.25 incidents [5].
Higher competition levels bring more pressure. One expert explains, "The higher levels you achieve as an athlete, the larger the potential scrutiny is" [2]. This explains why even top athletes sometimes struggle with performance anxiety.
Athletes who handle pressure well tend to see it as a challenge rather than a threat. This mindset helps them perform their best when it counts most [5].
The Difference Between Choking and Clutch Performance
Athletes face a fascinating psychological choice when under pressure. They either give in to pressure or make use of it—responses we call choking and clutch performance. These responses stand at opposite ends of the performance spectrum and involve different psychological processes.
What is choking under pressure?
Choking shows up as a major decline in performance under pressure even when athletes have the skills and motivation to excel. This isn't just a simple performance drop. Research defines it as "acute and considerable decrease in skill execution and performance when self-expected standards are normally achievable, which is the result of increased anxiety under perceived pressure" [6].
The science behind choking points to two main theoretical explanations:
Distraction theory: Athletes shift their attention from task-relevant information to irrelevant cues like worries, crowd noise, or failure consequences. This pulls limited cognitive resources away from their performance [7].
Self-focus theory: Athletes become more self-conscious under pressure and start to monitor their automatic movements. This "reinvestment" in step-by-step skill execution breaks down the smooth, automatic nature of well-learned skills [7].
Common signs of choking include:
Muscle tension and restricted movement
Higher anxiety levels
Lower self-confidence
Rushed routines
Loss of simple skills that usually come naturally [7]
One athlete painted a clear picture: "It felt like my body didn't belong to me, it was really slow" [6]. Research reveals that high-status athletes choke more often than their less-famous peers. A study of soccer penalty shots showed high-status players scored only 65% compared to 88.9% for non-status players [8].
What defines a clutch performance?
Athletes who deliver clutch performances don't just maintain their level—they raise it under pressure. Scientists define this as "any performance increment or superior performance that occurs under pressure circumstances" [1]. This represents the ideal way to handle competitive stress.
Studies of clutch performances found twelve psychological traits present in these moments. Six traits overlap with "flow" states: task absorption, high confidence, feeling in control, enhanced motivation, moderate enjoyment, and heightened alertness [9]. Yet clutch states differ from flow in six vital ways:
Focused concentration
Strong, conscious effort
Greater self-awareness
Higher arousal levels
Automatic skill execution
No negative thoughts [9]
The brain's clutch performance involves perfect timing between the prefrontal cortex (the brain's "CEO") and other regions. This coordination helps the prefrontal cortex stop the amygdala's "fear response," which leads to clear thinking under pressure [9].
Athletes in clutch moments often say time seems to slow down. They also have fuzzy memories of the event afterward—this suggests a unique mental state different from normal performance [9].
Why understanding both matters
Knowledge of these pressure responses offers valuable insights for athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists. Pressure itself doesn't hurt performance—the athlete's response determines the outcome. Research proves this: expert golfers showed three different responses to the same pressure situation. Some choked, others performed clutch, and the rest showed no major change [10].
Understanding the specific mental mechanisms behind each response allows for targeted improvements. Athletes who tend to choke can benefit from:
Pre-performance routines that manage distractions
Implicit learning techniques that reduce conscious monitoring
Cognitive restructuring to see pressure as a challenge instead of a threat [6]
Building clutch performance requires:
Task-focused attention
Strong confidence levels
Mental toughness
Focused concentration techniques [1]
This knowledge helps athletes direct pressure's psychological complexity. The Individual Zone of Optimal Functioning theory suggests athletes perform best when their emotional state matches what the task needs [10]. Athletes must find their perfect arousal zone—balanced between relaxation and anxiety.
Most importantly, these responses come from changeable psychological factors. This strengthens athletes to transform their relationship with pressure through practice and mental training.
Core Psychological Traits for Performing Under Pressure
Knowing how to perform at peak levels in high-stakes situations depends on psychological traits that athletes build over time. Research shows three core psychological traits that help athletes excel under pressure: self-efficacy, mental toughness, and a positive outlook on pressure.
Self-efficacy and belief in ability
Self-efficacy - an athlete's belief in their skill to complete specific tasks - is crucial to performing under pressure. This differs from general self-confidence because it focuses on what we can do with our skills in specific situations.
Research proves that self-efficacy affects performance outcomes by a lot. A meta-analysis revealed that pre-event self-efficacy and performance had a correlation effect size of r = 0.31. Elite athletes showed a stronger connection (r = 0.40) compared to sub-elite athletes (r = 0.28) [11]. This shows that psychological factors become more crucial at higher competitive levels where physical and technical skills are often similar.
Self-efficacy grows through five main sources:
Mastery experiences (successful past performances)
Vicarious experiences (observing others succeed)
Verbal persuasion (encouragement from others)
Physiological/emotional states management
Imaginal experiences (visualization) [11]
Self-efficacy acts as a psychological shield for athletes in pressure situations. A basketball player put it simply: "It's about self-confidence and believing in yourself" [3]. Research confirms that high self-efficacy often leads to clutch performances, while low self-efficacy can cause choking episodes [3].
Mental toughness in sport
Mental toughness combines psychological resources that let athletes perform well whatever the situation demands. About 88% of studies found that athletes with higher mental toughness levels achieve better results [4].
Athletes with high mental toughness show these key traits:
They persist through challenges and setbacks
They focus better and pay attention to tasks
They solve event-related problems quickly
They control their emotions better [3]
Low mental toughness links to choking under pressure. A sport expert noted: "Is someone predisposed to choke? Yes...because they are lacking in some of these [mental toughness, self-confidence, and functional thinking] key variables" [3].
Mental toughness isn't something you're born with—it grows through training and competitive experiences. Research shows that mental toughness changes as people develop and is shaped by coaches, peers, and both good and bad experiences [4].
Appraising pressure as a challenge
An athlete's response to pressure depends on how they see the situation. The Theory of Challenge and Threat States in Athletes (TCTSA) shows that athletes can see similar pressure situations as either growth opportunities or scary threats [3].
This key difference in outlook appeared in 19 studies as a major factor in an athlete's pressure performance [3]. Athletes who see anxiety as helpful and pressure as a challenge usually perform better than those who see anxiety as harmful [3].
The difference comes down to how athletes weigh their resources against demands. In a challenge state, athletes feel their resources (skills, preparation, support) can meet the situation's demands. In a threat state, the demands seem bigger than their available resources [3].
These outlook patterns connect with both self-efficacy and mental toughness. Athletes who have high self-efficacy and mental toughness usually see situations as challenges, which creates a positive psychological cycle [3]. Research shows that mentally tough athletes consistently see pressure as a challenge rather than a threat, which helps them perform well under pressure [3].
These three psychological traits—self-efficacy, mental toughness, and seeing pressure as a challenge—are the foundations of successful pressure performance. Athletes who develop these traits can turn pressure moments into chances to excel.
Building Focus and Task-Oriented Attention
Athletes succeed or fail based on their ability to stay focused at key moments. The best athletic performance happens when players concentrate on what matters and tune out everything else [12]. Since we can only focus on so much at once, knowing how to direct our attention makes all the difference in high-pressure situations.
Why focus matters under stress
Pressure makes it harder to stay focused. Research shows that athletes choke when their attention switches from what they should be doing to things that don't matter as anxiety builds [12]. These distractions come from inside (thinking about what could go wrong) or outside (noise from crowds, what opponents do) [5].
A study of top athletes showed that under intense pressure, they worried more instead of focusing on their movements [13]. This change in focus ended up draining mental resources needed to perform well, because athletes had to juggle both their sport and their worried thoughts.
The way you focus makes a big difference. Research shows three main types of focus:
Internal focus: Watching your body movements
External focus: Looking at what you want to achieve
Holistic focus: Feeling the overall movement [14]
Science clearly shows that focusing on external goals improves performance and learning better than thinking about body movements [14]. This works for jumping tasks of all types, whether you're experienced or just starting [14]. Looking at what you want to achieve rather than how your body moves leads to better performance.
Avoiding emotion-focused attention
Athletes often get distracted by emotions that grab their attention and make them worry [15]. These feelings can trigger physical changes that hurt performance—what people call "choking" [5].
Focusing on the task itself is a vital part of performing well under pressure. However, getting caught up in feelings of anxiety or thinking about what might happen often leads to choking [2]. One athlete said during research: "It's very much a conscious effort to really focus... a conscious effort really to make myself play better" [2].
Hill and others found that athletes perform better under pressure when they focus on what they need to do instead of their emotions or possible outcomes [2]. This difference matters—thinking about the task rather than your feelings about it changes everything when pressure builds.
Training attention through routines
Pre-performance routines (PPRs) help athletes develop task-focused attention. These step-by-step mental and physical practices help athletes stay focused before and during competition [12].
PPRs improve concentration in several ways:
They direct focus to important cues while blocking distractions
They build confidence and control
They help manage anxiety
They provide a clear plan to follow [16]
A good PPR might include physical steps, visualization, self-talk, relaxation methods, and focusing on external goals [16]. These routines work especially well in pressure situations because they prevent distractions and keep attention on what matters [12].
Athletes can also build better focus through special training. Attention Training Technique (ATT) teaches people to shift their focus from emotional to neutral thinking [15]. Athletes who used ATT said they got better at "shut out different things and focus on what I probably should do" [15].
Other quick ways to train attention include:
Practice separating what you can and can't control
Training with real-world distractions
Drills that make you think over where to focus
Using cues to quickly redirect attention [5]
Regular practice of these methods helps athletes learn to focus exactly where needed—a must-have skill to excel when sports pressure peaks.
8 Proven Strategies to Handle Pressure in Sport
Athletes who win use powerful mental strategies that turn pressure into a performance boost. Research and real-life application at the highest competition levels prove these techniques work.
1. Pre-performance routines
Pre-performance routines (PPRs) are systematic sequences of relevant thoughts and actions athletes use before executing skills. Research shows these routines make performance better in both low-pressure and high-stress conditions [16].
A well-designed PPR prevents choking. It reduces arousal in high-pressure situations and ensures consistent skill execution [2]. These routines include:
Physical preparations (practice swings, ball bounces)
Mental elements (visualization, focusing cues)
Emotional regulation techniques
PPRs improve concentration by directing attention to specific tasks and minimizing distractions [16]. Athletes feel more in control before they perform [16].
2. Visualization and imagery
Visualization connects mental and physical aspects of sports training [7]. This cognitive process uses the same neural pathways as actual physical execution. Athletes can improve their skills without physical practice [7].
Three types of visualization work well:
Process visualization: Imagining each step of performing a task
Outcome visualization: Seeing the desired result
Motivational visualization: Picturing internal states like confidence [7]
Visualization works best when it includes all senses. Athletes should imagine how equipment feels, what crowds sound like, and what the environment smells like [8]. This multi-sensory approach creates a more realistic mental experience that leads to better results [8].
3. Positive self-talk
Self-talk shapes how athletes respond under pressure. Research shows athletes who use self-talk have more fun and interest. They see higher effort value and feel more competent [17].
Positive and task-oriented self-talk protects athlete confidence under pressure. It helps manage anxiety and helps athletes refocus after mistakes [2]. Athletes should practice different types of self-talk:
Instructional self-talk for technical tasks
Motivational self-talk for strength and endurance challenges [17]
Structured self-talk training reduces competitive anxiety. It builds confidence and improves overall performance [18].
4. Goal setting techniques
Good goal setting gives direction and purpose when facing pressure. Goals should be specific, observable, and moderately difficult - not too hard or too easy [10].
Goals need deadlines to create urgency. Athletes should know if their goals are for practice, competition, or both [10]. Written goals with regular progress checks turn vague plans into clear actions [10].
Short-range goals work best as steps toward long-range objectives. This makes progress measurable and keeps athletes motivated throughout the season [10].
5. Simulated pressure training
Pressure training adds stress during practice to help athletes cope better when it counts [9]. This goes beyond making drills harder - it creates real psychological pressure [9].
Research shows three main ways to create pressure:
Judgment: Performing with evaluators present
Forfeits: Facing consequences for poor performance
Rewards: Earning benefits for strong performance [19]
This method works like exposure therapy. Athletes learn that pressure won't hurt their performance [9]. They become more aware of how they respond to pressure and gain confidence in their coping skills [9].
Cognitive restructuring helps athletes spot and change negative thoughts that hurt performance under pressure. This technique comes from cognitive behavioral therapy. Athletes learn to challenge wrong beliefs and replace them with accurate ones [20].
The process has three key steps:
Find thought patterns causing negative feelings
Create better, more productive thinking patterns
Practice these new patterns in real situations [21]
Athletes learn to see pressure as a challenge instead of a threat. This creates positive emotions and better performance satisfaction [22].
7. Breathing and relaxation
Slow, controlled breathing fights the physical effects of pressure. Deep breathing improves lung capacity and breathing efficiency. This leads to better endurance and stamina [6]. Regular slow breathing (VSB) helps control emotions and builds stress resistance [6].
Useful breathing techniques include:
These exercises reduce anxiety and calm stress responses. They improve focus and performance before and during competition [23].
8. Journaling and reflection
Journaling helps athletes process experiences and build mental toughness. Regular writing improves intelligence, mindfulness, and goal achievement. It develops emotional awareness, memory, self-discipline, and communication skills [24].
Athletes should write down all achievements, from small wins to major victories [24]. Writing "three good things" daily and reviewing them weekly builds confidence and positive outlook [24].
Journaling helps maintain goal focus. Daily writing about objectives and planning small steps creates a path to success under pressure [24]. Post-performance reflection teaches athletes from experience and builds self-awareness [25].
Using Resilience to Cope with Pressure
Resilience serves as a core psychological trait that helps athletes excel under pressure. Defined as "the ability to withstand—and/or adapt—after an adversity" [1], resilience goes beyond just handling stress—it turns pressure into a driver of growth and excellence [26].
How resilience buffers anxiety
Research shows that anxiety and resilience share a strong negative relationship. Athletes with higher resilience levels experience less anxiety's negative effects on their sports performance [27]. This protection works through several pathways:
Resilient athletes notice stressors as challenges they can overcome rather than threats. They tap into their personal resources like work ethic and confidence. These athletes see tough situations "as opportunities for personal growth and learning" [1].
Studies confirm that 35% of elite athletes face mental health concerns [28]. Their resilience helps them handle these challenges by giving them mental tools to control emotions in high-pressure moments. This control lets them stay composed, make smarter decisions, and bounce back from setbacks quickly [29].
Link between resilience and confidence
Resilience and confidence work hand in hand. Mental resilience helps athletes participate in deliberate practice, which builds their confidence through mastery experiences [30]. This confidence then strengthens their resilience further.
Research proves that athletes with stronger resilience excel in competitive settings and show better adaptability during tough times [30]. On top of that, studies found both resilience and self-esteem play key roles in an athlete's performance [31].
Resilient athletes develop what experts call a "challenge mindset." They face difficulties with positivity and believe in their ability to overcome obstacles [11]. This mindset becomes second nature as they progress in their careers [32].
Training resilience through adversity
Athletes aren't born resilient—they develop it through calculated exposure to challenges in supportive settings. The "ARC method" (Adverse → Resilience → Challenge) creates perfect conditions that balance manageable difficulties to build resilience skills [33].
A coach's role becomes vital in developing an athlete's resilience when they:
Build strong bonds with athletes
Set up challenging yet supportive environments
Show resilient behavior in training and competitions [32]
Elite sports naturally test and build resilience. Athletes face constant pressure from competition results, money issues, injuries, losses, and anxiety [34]. Notwithstanding that, the best environment to build resilience combines high standards with strong support systems [11].
Role of Coaches and Support Systems
Coaches build mental strength in athletes who face pressure. Their training methods and communication style shape how athletes handle high-stakes situations.
Creating a pressure-ready environment
Athletes need balanced pressure training (PT) that simulates competition without overwhelming them [9]. Coaches must cooperate with athletes to understand their specific stress triggers and set meaningful consequences instead of random standards [35]. The best environment combines tough challenges with a resilient support system [9].
Coaches should follow these practical steps:
Create pressure training specific to each sport's context
Step up pressure exposure through progressive challenges
Make PT part of team culture rather than a special event
How coaches can model mental toughness
Mental toughness becomes real when coaches show it themselves. Coaches who join pressure training among their athletes set powerful examples [9]. Their involvement proves to athletes that PT is a core training element, not just a passing fad.
Coaches show mental toughness by:
Making training tougher than actual competition
Staying calm during stressful moments
Measuring mental performance metrics
Supportive feedback and communication
The quality of communication affects performance under pressure. Good coaches give supportive feedback that empathizes, offers solutions, and follows clear goals [4].
Coaches can maximize their impact by:
Adapting Strategies to Different Sports and Situations
Mental strategies must adapt to specific sporting contexts to work better. Athletes will get different results from the same techniques based on their sport type, timing, and development stage.
Team vs individual sports
Tennis and swimming athletes build resilience through personal determination and emotional control. They carry complete responsibility for their results [38]. Individual sport athletes show by a lot higher rates of anxiety and depression compared to team sport athletes [39]. Athletes' failure processing creates a key difference - individual athletes often feel intense shame after losing, which connects to depressive symptoms [39].
Team athletes build resilience differently through shared dynamics and collective responsibility [38]. Team sports' social nature creates built-in support systems that protect against pressure. Different imagery and activation strategies emerge between team and individual sports [40], and this demands customized mental training methods.
Pre-competition vs in-game pressure
Athletes should focus on preparation and anticipation before competition, while quick adaptation and emotional control matter during the game. Pressure training's timing relative to upcoming competitions is vital. Coaches should implement it regularly in training but avoid sessions right before competition to maintain confidence [9].
Coaches need to pick the right moment to add pressure in training sessions. Basketball players learning a new play shouldn't face pressure at first, but adding it later helps them execute more consistently [9].
Adjusting based on athlete experience
Simple pressure coping strategies help novice athletes, while elite competitors need more complex approaches. Performance expectations become major stressors as athletes move up to higher competition levels [3]. Internal or external expectations often lead to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and higher pre-competition anxiety [3].
Elite athletes' pressure training should match or exceed real competition's psychological challenges. Both novice and experienced athletes ended up benefiting when they see pressure as readiness instead of weakness [41].
Conclusion
Pressure is part of competitive sports at every level. In spite of that, athletes who thrive under pressure and those who crumble differ mainly in their mental preparation, not physical ability. This piece explores how psychological factors substantially affect performance when the stakes run high.
Building mental toughness needs practice just like any physical skill. Athletes should understand what separates choking from clutch performance, know their pressure triggers, and develop core psychological traits like self-efficacy and resilience. Looking at pressure as a challenge instead of a threat turns tough situations into chances to excel.
Athletes of all competitive levels can use practical tools like pre-performance routines, visualization, positive self-talk, and simulated pressure training. These methods work best when they match your sport, experience level, and personality.
Coaches serve a vital role. They create environments that balance challenge with support, show mental toughness themselves, and communicate effectively during high-pressure moments. Their guidance helps athletes build psychological resilience to handle anxiety and develop lasting confidence.
Note that mental skills don't develop overnight. Try these strategies during practice before using them in competition. Your mental approach will improve bit by bit, leading to breakthrough performances under pressure.
Pressure isn't your enemy—how you respond to it determines if it helps or hurts your performance. Athletes who accept pressure as part of competing can perform their best when it counts most. With regular practice of pressure-management techniques, you can turn high-stakes moments from anxiety triggers into opportunities for your greatest achievements.
Key Takeaways
Master these evidence-based mental strategies to transform pressure from a performance killer into your competitive advantage when stakes are highest.
• Reframe pressure as challenge, not threat - Athletes who view pressure situations as opportunities for growth rather than dangers consistently perform better under stress.
• Develop task-focused attention through routines - Pre-performance routines and external focus (on intended outcomes vs. body movements) prevent choking by directing attention to relevant cues.
• Build resilience through simulated pressure training - Practice under deliberately created stress conditions to develop coping skills and prove to yourself that pressure won't hurt performance.
• Use positive self-talk and visualization daily - Structured mental rehearsal and instructional self-talk significantly reduce competitive anxiety while boosting confidence and performance.
• Strengthen core psychological traits - Self-efficacy, mental toughness, and challenge appraisal form the foundation for consistent performance under pressure across all competitive levels.
The key difference between athletes who thrive and those who crumble under pressure lies in deliberate mental preparation, not just physical ability. These psychological skills require consistent practice but can transform high-stakes moments from sources of anxiety into platforms for peak performance.
References
[1] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9811683/[2] - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2024.2414442[3] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10924853/[4] - http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016_Carpentier_Mageau_JofSportExePsych.pdf[5] - https://www.apadivisions.org/division-47/publications/sportpsych-works/concentration-and-attention.pdf[6] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10224217/[7] - https://www.performancepsychologycenter.com/post/visualization-techniques-and-mental-imagery[8] - https://thebehaviourinstitute.com/how-to-develop-the-power-of-visualization-in-sports-performance/[9] - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21520704.2022.2164098[10] - https://www.apadivisions.org/division-47/publications/sportpsych-works/goal-setting.pdf[11] - https://www.innerdrive.co.uk/blog/mental-resilience-elite-sports/[12] - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2017.1408134[13] - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20425657/[14] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11235689/[15] - https://thesportjournal.org/article/experiences-from-attention-training-techniques-among-athletes/[16] - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1944271[17] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7429435/[18] - https://thementalgame.me/blog/using-self-talk-to-overcome-athletic-challenges-and-boost-performance[19] - https://bulletproofmusician.com/how-can-you-create-the-feeling-of-real-pressure-in-practice-situations/[20] - https://openpsychologyjournal.com/VOLUME/15/ELOCATOR/e187435012210070/FULLTEXT/[21] - https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/self-talk-for-sports/cognitive-restructuring/[22] - https://www.brothersinarmsscotland.co.uk/male-mental-maintenance/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-can-be-a-powerful-tool-in-athletic-performance/[23] - https://positivecoach.org/resource-zone/breathing-exercises-for-athletes/[24] - https://www.opexfit.com/blog/4-key-journaling-strategies-athletes[25] - https://www.performance-journals.com/blogs/news/10-reasons-why-all-athletes-should-keep-a-journal?srsltid=AfmBOooDith2M2PTUAhwiJejBsJQrOjmw-fHOLdQtiLjZx8Ucbd0dMfE[26] - https://www.relationalpsych.group/articles/how-to-have-the-psychological-resilience-of-olympic-athletes[27] - https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4603094[28] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10687549/[29] - https://thementalgame.me/blog/the-zone-of-resilience-cultivating-robust-confidence-for-consistent-performance-in-sports[30] - https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1556619/full[31] - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357419327_Role_of_Resilience_and_Self-Esteem_in_Determining_Sports_Performance[32] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10819297/[33] - https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/whats-the-secret-to-building-resilience-in-elite-sports[34] - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029224001006[35] - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10413200.2022.2061637[36] - https://learn.englandfootball.com/articles-and-resources/coaching/resources/2024/How-coaches-can-communicate-effectively[37] - https://appliedsportpsych.org/blog/2019/12/effective-communication-in-critical-sport-moments-key-principles-and-cultural-considerations-for-coaches/[38] - https://rimcafd.com/menuscript/index.php/rimcafd/article/download/2859/1580/6602[39] - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6683619/[40] - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353880098_The_relationship_between_performance_strategies_and_mental_toughness_in_team_and_individual_sports_of_young_adult_athletes[41] - https://thementalgame.me/blog/how-elite-athletes-manage-pressure-before-big-events
