Beyond the Eyes of High

Performance Athlete
Julia C Monday, January 11 , 2022

Pressure, a threat or
motivation?
High-Performance athletes often
face powerful pressures which can
lead to vulnerability and stress.
Some excel under pressure and
scrutiny, while for others it
becomes too much to handle.
Detroit Redwings Prospect, WHL
Vancouver Giants defenceman Alex
Cotton suggests that the pressure
can be “both motivating and
draining”. A common trait for high-
Alex Cotton
performance athletes is the ability
to hold focus and concentration,
even in stressful and high pressure situations. “ Just don’t even think about it. Who
cares what some people say, you know what you do well so continue to do that and
sometimes in certain cases you'll be able to use someone's negativity for your own
game.” - Cotton’s advice to upcoming elite athletes on filtering the outside noise.

Langley’s Cotton was drafted by the Detroit Redwings in the 2020 NHL draft. Which is
a step of almost every young hockey player's dream. The pressure then inflated.
Cotton was able to turn it into motivation and highlight the significance of learning
from his peers. “ My first two years in the WHL I was around other drafted and highly
touted players. So I got to see how they handled the pressure from places like the
media and coaches”
A dream job like no other
We can see even through a screen, the level of compete a high performance athlete
has, and how resilient they can be. Although, they are just as likely if not more likely
to experience mental health issues. Not only is it physically demanding, but
emotionally and mentally as well. Being a professional athlete is viewed as a dream
job, though it is a job like no other. “Yeah obviously super high level of sacrifice.
Examples being like moving away from home at a young age into a completely
different family, different home. Or when you think back to when you were a young
kid and you think about the friends that you had … and you realize
that you literally have like nobody left from that time in your life
still. The reason being is hockey in the way that you’d have to leave
for hockey tournaments and other hockey activities, even for
training.” says Cotton who first started hockey at four years old.

On a journey that leads to a dream comes inevitable sacrifice. The

reality of what seems like endless sacrifice can affect mental health,
likely in a negative way rather than positive. Athletes are expected to
present themselves in their prime condition, almost all the time. The
power of perseverance, positive thinking, and willingness to
challenge yourself are key factors of overcoming the sacrifice
involved in becoming a high performance athlete. Sacrifice can be as Alex Cotton
simple as following a strict diet to support the body due to physical demands,
saying no to your comfort food.

High level coaches teach athletes how to be the best player they can be, and are a big
part of their journey. Often, athletes will turn to them for advice on their game.
Establishing an outlet who is available to talk to about anything and everything, can
help with relieving the pressure build up. Along with other athletes who face stress or
pressure daily, Cotton, says “... like an assistant coach or like a trainer that you’re
around a lot that you can talk to about pressure situations”.

Beyond the Eyes of High Performance Athlete