Ava Castrogiovanni, May – We all know that some days are just bad days. Some days our groups aren’t tight, our aim spots aren’t right, and our scores aren’t what we want. And there isn’t anything you can do about it at that moment. But when we are disappointed, our mindset determines the difference between bad and worse. When your mindset goes down the drain, so will your scores. So how do you keep a positive attitude even when you are disappointed?
The first key point is to realize that everyone has bad days and not every day will be a personal best kind of day. Archery is complicated and hard and comes with a lot of ups and downs that are just part of it, but it is always worth it when you stick with it through the tough times. Keeping a positive mindset is crucial, not just to getting through the score slumps of archery, but also to navigating life in general. When you have a bad day, you just have to be okay with it. If you get upset over it, it will take focus away from and worsen the next arrows.
I understand that getting those bad arrows out of your mind isn’t easy. To help distract yourself, focus extra hard on the next arrows, lean on your team, and take deep breaths. By focusing on the next arrows specifically, you have less energy that you can devote to being upset or disappointed over the last arrows.
Another way to keep a positive mindset is to depend on your teammates and friends. Recently, I have been struggling to stop on my aimspot, so that made my most recent tournament very difficult. My group was low in my first round at 10, and my last arrow deflected into an 8. I immediately wanted to cry. I had known that this tournament was going to be a struggle, but I still wasn’t prepared. I got back to the waiting line and immediately walked down a couple of targets to one of my teammates. She asked how I was doing and I told her that I had just shot an 8. She told me that it was okay because she had shot one too. I hugged her and immediately felt better. Once I got to 15, I still wasn’t shooting much better. I went over to see one of my teammates that wasn’t shooting and she gave me another hug and reminded me that I was okay. I was so disappointed with my score that day, but my teammates were there for me and I was still able to be happy and have a good mindset for the next tournament. Whenever you have a bad tournament, remember why we all love this sport so much, the family and support it creates.
So much of archery is mental and one bad arrow can easily infiltrate your mind and shatter your confidence. To combat the doubt, take a deep breath and remember what you are capable of. Deep breaths help to regulate our bodies and minds. Often, when I am disappointed my mind begins to spiral and my confidence declines rapidly. By breathing, I can get myself out of my head and focus on the next arrows instead of the ones that are upsetting me. So next time you are struggling to keep a positive mindset, remember your score does not determine your worth and archery is about so much more than just a number.
