Sports Psychology

noun a pair of small screens attached to a horse's bridle to prevent it from seeing sideways and behind, used to keep the horse focused on what is ahead

• The horse wore blinders to help keep its focus during the race.
• I need to put on my blinders and concentrate on finishing this project.
• Don't let your blinders stop you from seeing the bigger picture.
• She had blinders on when it came to her relationship, refusing to see any red flags.

noun a device for gripping or holding something tightly

verb to grasp or seize something tightly or eagerly

adjective describing something that is crucial or essential in a particular situation

• She always keeps a clutch with her when attending formal events.
• I forgot my clutch at home, can I borrow yours?
• That clutch bag is so on point!
• He really came through in the clutch during the final moments of the game.

noun a condition in which someone sweats and feels cold and clammy

adjective describing the type of sweat as cold

• She woke up in a cold sweat after having a nightmare.
• I broke out in a cold sweat when I heard the news.
• I was in a cold sweat the whole time waiting for the results.
• The thought of public speaking makes me break out in a cold sweat.

adjective describing a person or animal that lacks pity or compassion; without emotion or feeling

• The scientist studied the behavior of the cold-blooded reptiles in their natural habitat.
• I heard that guy is a cold-blooded killer.
• Don't trust him, he's a cold-blooded snake.
• Her cold-blooded response to the situation shocked everyone.

noun a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities

adjective confident (having a feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; self-assured)

• She exuded confidence during the job interview.
• I have confidence that we will win the game tomorrow.
• You gotta have confidence in yourself to succeed.
• His confidence was like a shining light in the darkness of self-doubt.

adjective Feeling or expressing distress and annoyance, especially because of inability to change or achieve something.

• The team was frustrated with the lack of progress on the project.
• I'm so frustrated with this traffic!
• I'm feeling hella frustrated right now.
• She felt like hitting a brick wall when she couldn't solve the problem, so frustrated.

noun A psychological barrier that prevents a person from making progress or thinking clearly

• The student experienced a mental block while trying to solve the complex math problem.
• I have a mental block when it comes to remembering people's names.
• I can't think straight right now, I have a serious mental block.
• Her anxiety created a mental block that prevented her from speaking in front of the crowd.

verb to preoccupy or fill the mind continually, intrusively, and to a troubling extent

• She tends to obsess over the smallest details when working on a project.
• My sister really obsesses over her favorite TV show.
• I totally obsess over that new video game, I can't stop playing it.
• His mind would obsess over the possibilities of what could have been if he had made different choices.

noun a noun is a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun

• His overconfidence in his abilities led to his downfall in the competition.
• She was so overconfident that she didn't even bother preparing for the presentation.
• Don't get too cocky, your overconfidence might cost you in the end.
• His overconfidence was like a blindfold, preventing him from seeing the reality of the situation.

verb to transfer from one surface to another through friction or contact

• The ink from the newspaper rubbed off onto my hands.
• I accidentally rubbed off some of the paint on the wall.
• I hope some of his coolness rubs off on me.
• Her positive attitude really rubbed off on the team, making everyone more motivated.

adjective having confidence in oneself; self-assured

• She exuded a self-confident demeanor during the job interview.
• He always seems so self-confident, like nothing can shake him.
• She's totally feeling herself, so self-confident!
• His self-confident aura was like a shield against any doubts or criticisms.

noun A fixed, intense, and intimidating look or gaze that is often associated with anger or disapproval.

• The professor gave the student a death stare after catching them cheating on the exam.
• My mom gave me a death stare when I came home past curfew.
• She hit him with a death stare when he made a rude comment.
• The dark clouds overhead seemed to be giving the city a death stare.

noun a tactic in soccer where a team applies immediate pressure on the opposing team's players after losing possession of the ball, in order to regain control and prevent a counterattack

• The team's gegenpressing tactics proved to be effective in disrupting the opponent's possession.
• Our coach wants us to focus on gegenpressing to win the ball back quickly.
• Gegenpressing is all about putting pressure on the other team to force mistakes.
• In business, gegenpressing can be compared to staying proactive and always one step ahead of the competition.