For Bishop Gorman athletes, the game doesn’t start on the field; it starts in the mind, where focus and preparation play a big part in performance.

Many, if not all, athletes feel pressure and stress before games and matches. Nainoa Pereza ’28, a part of the JV soccer team said, “sometimes I feel nervous and unsettled before a game.”

Finding ways to focus and to lock in is part of the game. “I normally try to clear my head by thinking about other things or watching videos on my phone that are lighthearted or funny. I also like to listen to music,” said Franco Anaya ‘28.

Mental health and performance go hand in hand when it comes to sports. Depending on how a player feels before a big game can affect your confidence. “Bad days your playing skills are out of focus,” Caitlyn Luong ‘25 stated.

Pressure and self-doubt can often cause players to be held back from their best. “You need to find your focus,” Luong. But finding a way to deal with this can cause players to push themselves to play the best they can. “My mental approach is to try to be calm before the game to have fun and to play the best I know I can,” said Pereza.

With experience from former school seasons, athletes learn how to channel their minds more effectively. Isabella Redden ‘25 the captain of the girls tennis team said, “freshman year I was very emotional because I have never been on a stage like that, now that I’m a starter I have gotten mentally stronger.”

With that being said, the message is clear: taking care of the mind is just as important as training the body.  Performance is based on both mind and muscle. Every single student-athlete works to become the best they can be on and off the field.