{"id":14915,"date":"2022-11-03T12:57:01","date_gmt":"2022-11-03T16:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=14915"},"modified":"2025-06-04T06:29:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T10:29:16","slug":"is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Pressure Your Friend or Foe?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" data-id=\"15010\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Is-pressure-a-friend-or-foe.-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Team huddle\" class=\"wp-image-15010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Is-pressure-a-friend-or-foe.-1.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Is-pressure-a-friend-or-foe.-1-300x150.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_your_Relationship_With_Pressure\"><\/span>What is your Relationship With Pressure? <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\/is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe\/#What_is_your_Relationship_With_Pressure\" >What is your Relationship With Pressure?<\/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\/is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe\/#Pressure_will_help_you_feel_energized_and_excited_instead_of_weighed_down_and_nervous\" >Pressure will help you feel energized and excited instead of weighed down and nervous.<\/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\/is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe\/#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\/is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe\/#The_Composed_Athlete\" >The Composed Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Every athlete sees and experiences <strong>pressure <\/strong>differently&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If pressure is your foe, you will try to avoid <strong>pressure <\/strong>at all costs. Instead of taking an open shot on goal and risk missing, you will pass the ball. Instead of taking the puck toward the net, you will pass it to avoid a possible mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you view <strong>pressure<\/strong> as unfavorable, you will feel more anxiety that prevents you from seeing your surroundings clearly and playing intuitively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When pressure is your friend, you can play at your peak more often. Embracing pressure allows <strong>pressure <\/strong>to work for you, not against you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you manage <strong>pressure<\/strong>, you can make the best play instead of the safe one. You will be able to see your opponent clearly and anticipate the action as it unfolds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pressure_will_help_you_feel_energized_and_excited_instead_of_weighed_down_and_nervous\"><\/span>Pressure will help you feel energized and excited instead of weighed down and nervous.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Trying to survive <strong>pressure <\/strong>or get through a game where pressure doesn&#8217;t ruin your performance never leads to peak performance. If you change your relationship with pressure, you will vastly improve your performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To change your relationship with pressure, you need to change your view about <strong>pressure <\/strong>and performance. Managing in-game pressure puts you in command of the situation and keeps your confidence intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith has experienced a significant amount of pressure early in her soccer career.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith left Stanford University after two seasons and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2020 NWSL draft. Smith, 22 years old, became the league&#8217;s youngest-ever MVP and helped the Thorns win their third NWSL title.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the championship game against the Kansas City Current, Smith scored the first goal for the Thorns en route to a 2-0 victory. In two years with the Thorns, Smith scored 21 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even before her professional career, Smith successfully managed pressure when she was called up to the USWNT at sixteen years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith&#8217;s mental edge comes from her ability to transform <strong>pressure <\/strong>into energy and a sharpened focus on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SMITH<\/strong>:<em>\u00a0&#8220;Being an athlete is a very challenging thing, and it&#8217;s not just challenging physically; it&#8217;s challenging mentally. There&#8217;s a lot of pressure that comes with it. You know, everyone says pressure is a privilege, and I completely agree with that because I love what I do. And if I didn&#8217;t care, I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d feel that pressure. So pressure is a good thing to me.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peak performance happens when you can allow your skills to shine. When you learn to embrace pressure as helpful, pressure becomes your friend, not foe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s all in your perception&#8230; Pressure comes from the expectations to feel to win or perform great. When you can manage the expectations you feel and others, you can view <strong>pressure <\/strong>in a different way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact us if you want help with dealing with pressure that leads to under performance or a lack of consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-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-compete-well-in-pressure-moments\/\">How to Compete Well in Pressure Moments<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-perform-big-in-pressure-moments\/\">How to Perform Big in Pressure Moments<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/performing-well-under-pressure\/\">Performing Well Under Pressure<\/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_Composed_Athlete\"><\/span>The Composed 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\/2019\/08\/composed-athlete-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Composed Athlete Workbook &amp; Audio\" class=\"wp-image-19327\" style=\"width:190px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Composed Athlete\u201d is presented on<strong> 80-minute Audio Programs<\/strong> with a <strong>70-page step-by-step workbook<\/strong> that guides you through the program each day. It\u2019s a complete system for conditioning your mind to have <strong>maximum composure in competitio<\/strong>n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>The Composed Athlete<\/strong>\u201d was developed for <strong>any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete<\/strong> who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve your composure\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-8fee86ee\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-df6f9eb5 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-composed-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-9e238db0 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-composed-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is your Relationship With Pressure? Every athlete sees and experiences pressure differently&#8230; If pressure is your foe, you will try to avoid pressure at all costs. Instead of taking an open shot on goal and risk missing, you will pass the ball. Instead of taking the puck toward the net, you will pass it to avoid a &#8230; <a title=\"Is Pressure Your Friend or Foe?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/is-pressure-your-friend-or-foe\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Is Pressure Your Friend or Foe?\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[259,247],"class_list":["post-14915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-golf-psychology","tag-mental-toughness-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If pressure is your foe, you will try to avoid pressure at all costs. 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