ATHLETE INTERVIEWS: Ashlie Nakano (West Valley College 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 first installment, I interviewed Ashlie Nakano:

Tell me about yourself

My name is Ashlie Nakano and I have committed to West Valley College. I have been playing softball for 13 years. My primary position is pitcher, but I also play 3rd base.

How did you start playing softball?

I played a lot of sports when I was younger. Softball was my favorite out of all of them because I grew up in a family that played a lot of baseball. My dad and grandfather always gave me tips and helped me practice in the backyard.

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

My favorite part of the game is knowing that I have a team to support me. Softball is a game where you fail more times than you succeed. It is important to feel supported, even when you fail, so you can improve in the future.

How has softball impacted your life?

Softball has impacted my life drastically. It has earned me a spot to play at the collegiate level which was the goal from when I started playing. I have also met some of my closest friends from playing throughout the years. Softball has tested and strengthened my abilities to persevere, be confident, and deal with stress.

Why do you continue to play softball?

I continue to play softball because I love every aspect of it. It is something that takes my mind off of all the other things going on in my life. It became an outlet for me and has continued to be for many years.

How do you define mental toughness?

Mental toughness is something that is talked about a lot in softball because of how many times you fail. I define mental toughness as still being confident in your abilities despite failing 3-4 times in a row. Learning to accept when you mess up, process it, and then move on from it requires a lot of mental toughness.

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

I believe sports to be right on the edge of cultivating mental toughness and breaking down an athlete. Sports test your physical and mental strength at the same time. I believe that coaches have a huge impact on an athlete. Being mentally tough in game-time situations is hard enough, pairing that with an unsupportive coach can make an athlete lose love for the game. I feel that sports cultivate mental toughness and teach certain lessons that can be applied on and off the field.

Was it easier to focus on mental or physical challenges while you were in high school?

During the high school seasons, it was definitely easier to focus on the mental challenges. This doesn’t just apply to high school, it was also prominent while playing travel ball. Being able to focus on the mental challenges wasn’t always a positive thing. In softball in general, it is easier to focus on the errors and strikeouts versus the positive things that happened. This has happened a lot throughout my softball career because I physically knew I could do it, but the results weren't what I wanted. It caused me to struggle with the mental side of softball, which I mainly focused on.

How does the training and competing test your mental health?

Training and competing test mental strength with every rep and play. You practice for hours multiple times a week in preparation for when it happens in the game. However, the training part of the sport tests mental strength the most. Being able to repeatedly try something in order to get it right tests how mentally strong you are. Messing up repeatedly can break down confidence which is very important.

How do you stay motivated to continue playing softball?

I stay motivated because I want to improve. Every practice is an opportunity to earn a spot which keeps me motivated to always do my best. However, there are times that I struggle to find motivation and just need a break. As stated before, softball is a very mental game, but wanting to improve more is the thing that keeps me motivated after all these years.

If you had to choose one skill to improve, what would it be and why?

If I could improve one skill, it would probably be my rise ball. It is one of the hardest pitches to hit if thrown correctly.

What do you think is the most important thing that softball players need to remember?

I think that the most important thing to remember is that softball is just a game. It is easy to stress while playing but in the big picture of things it is just a game.

How often do you reflect on yourself as a player and how does it impact your future performance?

A lot of the time after games, I think about the plays that I made or how I did pitching. Reflecting on the game afterward helps me think about what I could do next time or figure out what I need to work on. Thinking about what I did wrong only helps with pinpointing the issues I need to work on for future situations.

There’s a lot of pressure on athletes to perform well—how do you handle pressure?

I feel like I handle pressure pretty well. Even from a young age, I was able to just focus on what I was trying to do during the game. However, there are times that I overthink the situation and don’t execute what I need to do. I feel like most of the pressure comes from internally. Trying to just focus on one situation at a time is something that has worked for me while handling pressure.