The Mind Game

“You have to go in saying, I’m good enough to beat my opponent.”

The Bible says, “death and life are in the power of the tongue”. And while there is power in what you say. There’s equal power in what you say to yourself. This does not come from the words of the mouth. It remains in the silent chambers of your mind. The health of an athlete is integral. It’s the difference between winning a championship or spending the offseason recovering. It’s the difference between taking that leap of faith or standing on the shore, longing for something more. When an athlete is injured mid-game, we see that. A collapse on the court, followed by an immediate, audible gasp from the audience. As they limp to the sidelines, face tear stricken with sadness, we watch with heavy hearts, hoping it’ll all end well. We see that. We recognize that. We understand that. But it’s not so obvious when it comes to matters of the mind. The mental state of an athlete isn’t often identifiable. Hidden behind fake smiles that don’t quite reach the eyes or unanswered questions prompted by reporters in a press conference. Sure, there may be signs or certain tells. Repeated mistakes, outward frustration. But the public speculation doesn’t always top the inward dialogue. And if that internal conversation, isn’t one of positivity, motivation, and confidence. Your opponent has won long before your first serve.

“Tennis is so mental. If you go in thinking you’re gonna lose, you will.”

Now, this may sound unnerving for some, but for Maya Boynton it’s exactly what makes her love this sport even more. When people say there’s no I in team, well there is in tennis. Though she’s played on tennis teams for years, all her matches are solo. Meaning it’s up to her. Some tournaments allow players to talk to their coaches during breaks or in between sets, but if you’re in a game, you can’t get outside help. It’s up to you to notice any errors and make correct adjustments. That takes a strong mind.

Boynton played volleyball, as well, growing up. She knows the team dynamic. Relying on one another, building team chemistry, identifying each other’s strengths. It just never surpassed the excitement of tennis. When you win with your team, it’s a collective victory. When you win playing singles, it’s personal. Being down in a set, then slowly creeping to a comeback, that’s an exhilarating feeling. The adrenaline rush. Eye to eye in the line of battle with your opponent, and they’re not always nice. Boynton faced a challenge many Black people face in this world. Being the only. The only Black person in the room. The only Black person on the job. The only Black person on the team. The high school she attended was predominately White. While the color of her skin didn’t matter to the peers on her team, it did matter to the peers she played against. Boynton recalled moments before a game, watching her opponent laugh with friends and crack jokes like, “Oh, I’ll be done in like twenty minutes,”. Making the sour assumption that Boynton would be easy to beat. It’s an unpleasant feeling to be underestimated, but it makes the triumph even sweeter. Boynton’s response to herself would be plain, “Okay, great. Let’s make it three sets.” She was a slow starter, but she had the stamina to sustain. Twenty minutes? Try hours. A loss in the first set didn’t matter because Boynton was coming for the second. The nail in the coffin would be the third. “Now they’re crying to their friends. I always enjoyed when that happened,” Boynton laughed. The laughter’s fleeting though. A win over a spiteful opponent might feel good in the moment, but the weight of a microaggression doesn’t just go away. The strength of an athlete can’t compete with that. The reminder that there are those who dislike you, misjudge you, or even hate you over a characteristic that’s out of your control, will always sting. You are still human.

“Me being the number one, and I’m a Black girl. I would definitely say you feel it a little.”

The mind can almost feel like a black hole. Whatever you feed it, it wants more of. Feed it negativity, now we’re noticing every negative. Feed it positivity, there’s a newfound outlook on life. The true challenge is getting the mind to crave positivity after it’s been feasting on the negative for far too long. It’s like getting a picky eater to try new foods. Not happening over night. This applies to life, as well as the world of sports. What does it take to get your head in the game? When you’ve lost your groove, fallen into habitual faults. What does it take to get your mind back in it? Boynton described what works best for her, “I reset how I play. I take a realization and think how am I playing right now? How do I need to change it to play better?” Instead of being on the offensive, she takes a defensive approach. Carefully calculating the slip up of her opponent. Forcing an error on the other is key because “once you keep making the same mistakes over and over again, it’s going to be too much and you’re not going to be able to pull yourself back up.” Something shifted in mind thanks to this perspective. Sometimes, the instinct is to push harder. Force movement. Force an outcome. A better outcome. But when nothing’s landing, when mistakes keep piling on, when the mind starts spiraling, maybe the answer isn’t charging forward. Maybe it’s taking a step back. Observing. Resetting the rhythm.

Like Boynton on the court, it becomes less about winning the point and more about disrupting the pattern. No matter what the hinderance may be, there’s no moving to the next, without correcting what’s already wrong. Shifting into defense isn’t surrender, it’s a smart strategy. It’s a sense of self awareness, protect the positive, while isolating the negative. It’s realizing that control doesn’t always look like offense. Sometimes it looks like stillness. Like waiting for the moment to respond rather than react. And just maybe, that’s the adjustment that’ll relieve the pressure. Not by fighting harder, but smarter. Not every comeback starts with a big play. Some begin with the quiet decision to stop feeding what’s been holding you back. Easier said than done. Fix your mind on what’s obstructing success. Recognize and acknowledge the mistake of self. Form a swift solution. If the issue persists, release frustration, yet empty the negativity tank. Reinstill confidence, but keep self awareness. Become hyper observant and patiently wait for the perfect chance to take advantage of the opponent’s missed moment. All this mental stuff happening up top while the body’s still in motion physically playing the game. It’s a lot. But it’s what Boynton enjoys most.