Sports Psychology Vocabulary

noun a state of nervousness or excitement experienced by a hunter when seeing a deer or buck

• The novice hunter experienced buck fever when he spotted a large deer for the first time.
• I always get buck fever right before I take a shot during hunting season.
• Don't let buck fever get the best of you out there in the woods.
• As the musician stepped onto the stage, she felt a rush of buck fever before performing in front of a large audience.

noun the act of obstructing the air passage, making it difficult to breathe

adjective causing someone to be unable to breathe

• She began choking on a piece of food and had to be given the Heimlich maneuver.
• I saw him choking on his drink and quickly handed him a napkin.
• He was choking on his laughter during the comedy show.
• The team was choking under pressure during the championship game.

noun a lack of courage or bravery; timidity

• His act of running away in the face of danger showed his cowardice.
• He chickened out at the last minute, revealing his cowardice.
• Don't be such a wimp, show some courage instead of cowardice.
• The decision to stay silent in the face of injustice is a form of cowardice.

adjective showing a tendency to expect failure or accept it in a gloomy or overly submissive way

• The defeatist attitude of the team members was evident in their lack of effort during the game.
• I can't stand hanging out with defeatist people who always bring negative energy.
• Don't be such a defeatist, have some faith in yourself!
• Her defeatist mindset was like a dark cloud hanging over her, preventing her from seeing any silver linings.

verb to frighten or threaten someone in order to make them do what you want

• The defendant's lawyer attempted to intimidate the witness during the cross-examination.
• Don't let them intimidate you, stand your ground.
• Those bullies tried to intimidate me, but I wasn't having it.
• The towering skyscrapers seemed to intimidate the small town visitors.

noun feelings of extreme nervousness or unease

• The speaker had a case of the jitters before going on stage to address the audience.
• I always get the jitters before a big test.
• She was full of jitters before her first date with him.
• The stock market is experiencing jitters due to the uncertainty in the economy.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or a state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb

pronoun a word that takes the place of a noun

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• Despite facing challenges, it's important to keep at it and never give up.
• Hey, I know things are tough right now but just keep at it, you'll get there eventually.
• Dude, just keep at it and don't let anything bring you down.
• Life is like a marathon, you have to keep at it and push through the pain to reach the finish line.

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence, in this case, the action of continuing or progressing

adverb a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb, in this case, modifying the verb 'keep' to indicate the manner in which the action is being done

• Despite facing numerous obstacles, it is important to keep going and never give up.
• Hey, don't worry about the setbacks, just keep going and you'll get there eventually.
• Dude, just keep going and you'll crush it!
• Life is like a marathon, you just have to keep going even when it gets tough.

adjective feeling or showing nervous excitement or tension

adverb in a state of nervous excitement or tension

• The team was keyed up before the big presentation.
• I always get keyed up before a job interview.
• She was so keyed up about the party, she couldn't sit still.
• His mind was keyed up with excitement as he waited for the results.

noun a person's way of thinking or their attitude or mindset

• The mentality of the employees must be focused on achieving the company's goals.
• His mentality is all about working hard and playing harder.
• Her mentality is to hustle and grind to make it to the top.
• Having a defeatist mentality will only hold you back from reaching your full potential.

noun a person who is easily agitated or anxious

adjective describes a person or feeling showing anxiety or unease

• She felt nervous before giving her presentation to the board of directors.
• I always get nervous before a job interview.
• I was so nervous about the test, I thought I was going to barf.
• The dark clouds looming overhead made her nervous about the impending storm.

verb to successfully deal with or gain control over a problem or difficulty

• She was able to overcome the challenges and achieve success in her career.
• He managed to overcome his fear of public speaking by practicing regularly.
• I can't believe she overcame that crazy obstacle course!
• Together, we can overcome any hurdle that comes our way.

adjective easily scared or nervous; jumpy

• The skittish horse refused to approach the unfamiliar object.
• My cat is so skittish, she always runs away from strangers.
• I don't know why you're so skittish about trying new food, just give it a shot!
• The stock market investors became skittish after hearing news of a potential economic downturn.

noun a state or quality of being certain or confident

• Her sureness in her abilities made her a valuable asset to the team.
• I have complete sureness that we will win the game tomorrow.
• I'm not sure about it, but I have a strong sureness that he likes you.
• The sureness of his words left no room for doubt in the minds of the listeners.

noun a form of psychological manipulation or mind game

• The athlete's exceptional head game enabled him to outsmart his opponents on the field.
• She's got a strong head game when it comes to solving puzzles.
• His head game is on point when it comes to picking up girls at the bar.
• Having a strong head game is crucial in navigating through complex situations in life.