{"id":14595,"date":"2022-03-25T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=14595"},"modified":"2025-06-04T08:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T12:21:07","slug":"mental-toughness-as-an-underdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Toughness as an Underdog"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Playing-as-an-Underdog.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Toughness as an Underdog\" class=\"wp-image-14597\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Playing-as-an-Underdog.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Playing-as-an-Underdog-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mindset_for_Tough_Conditions\"><\/span>Mindset for Tough Conditions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/#Mindset_for_Tough_Conditions\" >Mindset for Tough Conditions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/#Its_clear_that_young_athletes_cant_complain_their_way_to_the_top_What_can_they_do_instead\" >It\u2019s clear that young athletes can\u2019t complain their way to the top. &nbsp;What can they do instead?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Do your sports kids complain about not getting enough playing time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful athletes often make sacrifices. Yet, one of the most challenging sacrifices for some athletes is accepting their role on the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Players\u2019 roles can frequently change due to injuries, roster shake-ups, changes in playing style, coach preferences, or a new team members\u2019 successes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When young athletes are relegated to a backup role or have their playing time reduced, they can have difficulty adjusting to their new role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They will say they worked hard to build their skills and hone their game. They\u2019re talented and have been important contributors to the team. They played a lot better than most of their teammates in practice, they\u2019ll tell you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, young athletes who have had their role changed feel they deserve to start or earned the right to play. They may question why another player receives more playing time. They may think their coach is unfair or has something against them personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This type of negative thinking can hurt kids\u2019 performance, and it also sparks negative energy on the team. Negative attitudes hurt the team and hurt sports kids\u2019 standing in their coaches\u2019 eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Its_clear_that_young_athletes_cant_complain_their_way_to_the_top_What_can_they_do_instead\"><\/span>It\u2019s clear that young athletes can\u2019t complain their way to the top. &nbsp;What can they do instead?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First, even when kids\u2019 roles have changed, they can still contribute to the team\u2019s success and improve their game. They can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Learn by watching. They can develop their game and better understand strategy by watching others compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Push their teammates. When athletes push their limits in training, they also push their teammates to become better. This <strong>mentality <\/strong>fosters team play and cohesion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Hone their skills. Even though they have less playing time, they can take advantage of the opportunities in practice to develop their skills through focused repetition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. Showcase their abilities. Each practice, kids have the opportunity to display their skills, work ethic, and positive <strong>mindset<\/strong>. This can lead to more playing time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. Contribute to teamwork. &nbsp;Just as negativity infects a team\u2019s morale, positivity can improve the collective mindset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remind kids to keep in mind that a team\u2019s success results from all players pulling in the same direction toward a common goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take, for example, shooting guard Nik Stauskas. Stauskas entered the NBA after being drafted No. 8 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Kings. Stauskas found himself battling for playing minutes and never lived up to his potential as a rookie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stauskas bounced around the league, playing for eight different teams, which affected his effort and energy. In 2022, Stauskas contemplated retirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, after he had a 10-day successful stint in the NBA \u2018G\u2019 League, Stauskas was signed to a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics. Stauskas has since decided to accept his role, contribute wherever he can and maintain a positive attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI just have a different appreciation now for being in this [situation], having this opportunity,\u201d he said. \u201cTrying to make the most of it. If I\u2019m not going to play, I\u2019m going to be the first guy waving the towel, pumping everyone else up. For me, that\u2019s growth because that\u2019s something that I wasn\u2019t willing to do just a couple years ago in my first stint in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When kids define and accept their roles on a team, their motivation stays high. They become valuable team assets when they approach each practice and game with a positive <strong>mentality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to complain, but complaining does nothing to improve young athletes\u2019 circumstances. Instead, they can contribute to the team&#8217;s success in many ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Encourage young athletes to work on a <strong>mindset <\/strong>aimed at helping their team. Help them compile a list of how they can contribute to their team\u2019s success as a leader, a challenger, coach-player, or a helper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young athletes should read this list before practice and commit themselves to being team players. Being good team members is just as important as scoring or winning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-thrive-as-an-underdog-in-sports\/\">How to Thrive as an Underdog in Sports<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-counter-the-upset-when-playing-an-underdog\/\">How to Counter The Upset When Playing an Underdog<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/\">How to Become a Sports Cinderella Story Team<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"Sport Psychology Cds\" class=\"wp-image-15979\" style=\"width:205px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mindset for Tough Conditions Do your sports kids complain about not getting enough playing time? Successful athletes often make sacrifices. Yet, one of the most challenging sacrifices for some athletes is accepting their role on the team. Players\u2019 roles can frequently change due to injuries, roster shake-ups, changes in playing style, coach preferences, or a new team members\u2019 &#8230; <a title=\"Mental Toughness as an Underdog\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Mental Toughness as an Underdog\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[246,247,250],"class_list":["post-14595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-mental-toughness","tag-mental-toughness-in-sports","tag-sports-psychology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Successful athletes often make sacrifices. 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Cohn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/peaksports\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"],\"description\":\"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. 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