Lelah Forbes
Earlier in the year, Alexandria City High School named the athletes of the month for September. One of them was senior Lelah Forbes. Lelah has been putting on incredible performances, and Theogony asked what a game day looks like for her.
Q: How does your game day start? Any specific morning routines?
A: In the morning, I make sure to have all my stuff ready to go in my bag waiting for me. I also try to get my teammates excited for the game whether it’s during school or before the game.
Q: What do you typically eat before a game? Do you have any specific meals?
A: Before a game, I usually eat some sort of protein bar or granola bar because it’s quick, easy and gives me the energy that I need.
Q: How do you mentally prepare for a game, what kind of music do you listen to or any meditation practices?
A: To mentally prepare for a game, I make sure I am confident about my own playing so that I can arrive with confidence. I want others to see the confidence that I have in our team, and be able to spread it to others. I try to listen to upbeat music that gets me excited and ready to play.
Q: What goes through your mind right before the game starts? How do you handle the nerves if any?
A: Before a game starts, I envision myself going for every ball and trying my hardest. I tell myself that I am going to put in all of my effort no matter how I’m feeling or how good or bad our opponent is. When I’m nervous, I convince myself that the opponent is no better than me and that only I can control how I play, not others.
Q: How do you stay focused during the game especially in high pressure moments?
A: When I’m playing I’m always locked in although when I get tired, it becomes harder to be fully committed to putting 100% into everything I do. Despite this, I just try my hardest with whatever I have left.
Q: What are some key things you do to stay calm if things aren’t going well?
A: To stay calm when things get tough, I try to slow myself down. Instead of trying to do everything all at once which doesn’t help anyone, I make sure I am an option for my teammates as well as a positive voice.
Q: How do you balance emotions, whether you’re celebrating a coping with a loss?
A: I try not to let my emotions affect me too much especially after a loss, meaning that I try to keep my negative thoughts about the game for later. Instead of being mad about during or after the game, I can continue to be positive and leave negativity for when I’m off the field.
Q:How do you wind down at the end of game day?
A: At the end of the game day, whether we win or lose, I think about what we did well and what we can improve upon so that I can start thinking about the next game and what we can do to prepare for it.
