Struggling With Recruiting Stress? 7 Ways to Keep Your Lacrosse Player Mentally Strong
The recruiting process creates intense pressure for lacrosse players and their families. Between showcases, campus visits, and college coach evaluations, the mental game becomes just as important as physical skills.
Mental toughness separates players who thrive under pressure from those who crumble when it matters most.
Here are seven proven strategies to help your lacrosse player build mental resilience during the recruiting journey.
1. Practice Mindfulness and Present-Moment Awareness
Recruiting anxiety often stems from worrying about future outcomes or dwelling on past performances. Mindfulness training helps players stay grounded in the present moment.
Key mindfulness practices:
Spend 10 minutes daily focusing on breathing
Notice when your mind drifts to recruiting worries
Bring attention back to the current drill or play
Use mindfulness apps designed for athletes
During showcases and tryouts, players who practice mindfulness perform with greater clarity and confidence. They focus on executing each play rather than thinking about college coaches watching from the sidelines.
Start practicing mindfulness now. The mental skills developed through consistent practice become automatic responses during high-pressure recruiting situations.
2. Develop Positive Self-Talk Strategies
The internal dialogue running through your player's mind directly impacts performance and confidence levels. Negative self-talk destroys confidence faster than any opponent.
Replace self-defeating thoughts with power phrases:
"I've trained for this moment"
"My preparation shows in my play"
"I belong on this field"
"I trust my abilities"
Practice positive self-talk during training sessions. When players master encouraging internal dialogue during practice, it becomes natural during recruiting events.
Create specific trigger phrases for different situations. Use "Next play" after mistakes and "Trust your training" before face-offs or crucial defensive plays.
3. Master Breathing Techniques for Pressure Situations
Controlled breathing becomes essential when recruiting pressure intensifies. Simple breathing exercises help players maintain composure during college coach evaluations.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique:
Inhale for 4 counts
Hold breath for 7 counts
Exhale for 8 counts
Repeat 3-4 times
Use this technique between quarters, during timeouts, or before penalty shots. Deep breathing clears mental fog and restores focus when stress levels spike.
Practice breathing exercises daily. Make them part of your pre-game routine so they become automatic responses during recruiting showcases.
4. Visualize Success Before Important Events
Mental rehearsal builds confidence and reduces anxiety before crucial recruiting opportunities. Visualization primes the brain for successful execution.
Effective visualization includes:
Seeing yourself making key plays
Feeling confident body language
Hearing positive crowd reactions
Experiencing successful outcomes
Spend 15-20 minutes visualizing before showcases and campus visits. Picture yourself playing with confidence, making good decisions, and impressing college coaches with your skills and composure.
Avoid visualizing failures or mistakes. Focus mental rehearsal on positive scenarios and successful plays.
5. Focus Only on Controllable Factors
Recruiting involves many variables beyond your player's control. Dwelling on uncontrollable factors creates unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Controllable factors:
Effort level and intensity
Attitude and body language
Preparation quality
Response to mistakes
Communication with teammates
Uncontrollable factors:
Other players' performances
College coach preferences
Roster needs and timing
Weather conditions
Referee decisions
Channel energy into what you can control. This mindset shift reduces anxiety and allows players to perform with greater freedom during recruiting events.
6. Build Emotional Awareness and Regulation
Recognizing emotional triggers prevents them from derailing performance. Players need strategies for managing frustration, anxiety, and disappointment during recruiting.
Signs of emotional overwhelm:
Tight shoulders and jaw
Rapid shallow breathing
Negative internal dialogue
Loss of focus on fundamentals
Emotional regulation strategies:
Take three deep breaths
Use calming trigger phrases
Focus on the next play
Maintain positive body language
Develop specific responses to emotional triggers. Practice these techniques during training so they become automatic during high-pressure recruiting situations.
Create a mental reset routine. Use the same sequence every time emotions start affecting performance.
7. Embrace Support Systems and Communication
Recruiting stress doesn't have to be faced alone. Strong support networks provide perspective and reduce individual pressure.
Build your support team:
Coaches who understand recruiting
Family members who provide encouragement
Teammates sharing similar experiences
Mental performance specialists
Open communication relieves stress and provides valuable insights. Share concerns about recruiting with trusted advisors and celebrate small victories throughout the process.
Link to our player evaluation services to get professional feedback on your player's development and recruiting readiness.
Talk to teammates who have successfully navigated recruiting. Their experiences provide practical strategies and realistic expectations for the process.
Why Mental Training Matters
Mental toughness often determines recruiting success more than physical skills alone. College coaches evaluate how players handle pressure, communicate with teammates, and respond to adversity.
Players with strong mental games:
Perform consistently under pressure
Bounce back quickly from mistakes
Display confident body language
Make smart decisions in crucial moments
Lead by example during difficult situations
Mental skills require consistent practice just like physical techniques. Start implementing these strategies immediately rather than waiting for recruiting pressure to build.
Taking Action
Begin mental training today. These seven strategies become more effective with consistent practice over time.
Start with one strategy per week:
Week 1: Implement daily mindfulness practice
Week 2: Develop positive self-talk phrases
Week 3: Master breathing techniques
Week 4: Practice visualization before training
Week 5: Focus on controllable factors
Week 6: Build emotional awareness
Week 7: Strengthen support systems
Contact us to discuss how our training programs incorporate mental performance development alongside physical skills.
Mental preparation separates recruited players from those who fall short of their potential. Start building mental toughness now so your player thrives when recruiting pressure peaks.
