ATHLETE INTERVIEWS: Alyssa Yu (Wolverines Athlete)

In order to cultivate mental toughness, I often seek advice from those around me and those who I look up to. I've found that hearing the experiences of others can make me feel better and I can learn new methods and strategies that I can apply to my own game. As a result, I decided to create a series of posts on my website dedicated to interviewing athletes (titled ATHLETE INTERVIEWS) so that anyone visiting my site can potentially use the words of others to better themselves.

In this sixth installment, I interviewed Alyssa Yu:

Tell me about yourself!

I am Alyssa. I'm going to be a senior at Cal High School. I’m currently playing for the West Coast Wolverines, and have been playing softball for around 10 years.

How did you start playing softball?

I started playing in 1st or 2nd grade because of a friend that I was close with.

What’s your favorite part of the game and why?

In-game, there’s nothing that compares to stealing bases and analyzing other teams. In general, I’ve enjoyed all the friends from everywhere I’ve made who take the game as seriously as I do.

How has softball impacted your life?

Softball has given me the potential for scholarships, but more than the opportunity to move to the next level, the game fostered a competitive spirit within me and also taught me the importance of success in small goals.

Why do you continue to play softball?

I continue playing softball because I know that one day, I'll wish that I was on the field again.

How do you define mental toughness?

I think mental toughness is the ability to work through failure, but also acknowledging the validity and importance of it in life.

Do you believe sports help cultivate mental toughness and in what ways?

Yes, sports do cultivate mental toughness. While I can't speak for sports other than softball, I've found that playing a sport in which you fail more than succeed forces you to learn how to move on to the next opportunity when you aren't able to perform the way you desire in the current one.

In high school, what kind of mental strategies did you employ to handle adverse situations?

I always told myself that it would be over soon :)