How to Stop Worrying Before Games
When Worry Takes Over Before a Game
When I was an athlete, I used to sit in the car before games thinking about everything I didn’t want to happen.
I worried about how I’d play:
“Am I going to play well?”
“Am I going to impress the college coach?”
“That other team has a girl who’s really good—I hope I can defend her.”
Once the spiral started, it only got worse. I’d get stuck in my head, and the what-ifs took over:
What if I don’t start? What if I mess up? What if I forgot my gear?
When I was caught in constant worry, it completely changed me as a player. I stepped on the field feeling negative and distracted. I wasn’t focused on what I needed to do in that moment to perform my best.
Instead of playing freely, I played cautiously. I avoided risks, didn’t call for the ball, and second-guessed myself out of fear.
The truth is, I didn’t know how to stop worrying when it started. It felt like a dark cloud hanging over me that I couldn’t escape.
That’s when I realized what I had been missing: mindfulness.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of paying full attention to the present moment — without judgment or distraction.
For athletes, mindfulness is a powerful mental skill. It helps you:
Stay focused on what you can control
Recover faster after mistakes
Perform with more confidence and clarity
Mindfulness teaches you to play in the present instead of worrying about what might happen next.
3 Mindfulness Reminders to Stop Worrying Before Games
These are the same three reminders I teach the athletes I work with when they get caught in the worry spiral.
1. Things Are Always Changing
Momentum can shift at any moment.
A team can go into halftime down by three goals and still come back to win. A hitter can step up with two outs and launch a walk-off home run.
You’re never truly out of it until the final whistle. You never know how you might impact the game—or how the other team’s mistakes could change everything.
Remember: Things are always changing.
2. Cause & Effect: Focus on What You Can Do Now
You can’t control the future, but your actions in the present influence it.
Instead of worrying about losing or making mistakes, focus on what you can do right now to make a difference:
Take the shot that could tie the game.
Serve aggressively to put your opponent on their heels.
Make the defensive play that turns the momentum for your team.
Ask yourself: “What can I do right now to help my future self succeed?”
3. Practice Gratitude
Worry thrives when your mind scans for what could go wrong.
Gratitude helps you refocus on what’s already going right.
It trains your brain to stay positive, optimistic, and grounded.
Plus, gratitude pulls you into the present moment — breaking the cycle of anxious overthinking.
Ask yourself: “What am I grateful for right now?”
Turning Worry Into Fuel
Worrying is normal — it usually means you care deeply about performing well.
But if you don’t manage it, worry can drain your energy and confidence.
With mindfulness, you can transform worry from something that weighs you down into something that fuels your performance.
Because worry can feel like an ice-cold plunge — heavy and dark — but mindfulness turns that cold into a steady flame that lights your path toward your goals.
Perform at Your Best with Mindfulness Coaching
Using these three mindfulness reminders helps you:
✅ Get out of your head when worry strikes
✅ Stay calm and present under pressure
✅ Free up your mental space to perform at your best
Want to curb worry and fuel your performance with mindfulness techniques?
✨ Schedule a free consultation to start building a calm, confident, and focused mindset for competition.