The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is underway, and we’ve already seen so many exciting matchups and shocking upsets. Getting the opportunity to watch and learn from the top teams in the nation has been fascinating, and the one skill that has stood out to me the most during these games has been mental toughness. In such tight contests, it is often not physical ability that pushes one team over the other, but their mental capacity to stay focused and play their best.
Harvard entered NCAAs as the third overall seed and with hosting rights for the first and second rounds. They faced off against the unranked America East champions, the University of New Hampshire, on Friday, and I was not alone in my surprise to see the Crimson trailing 2–0 to start the match. In such an important game, going down by two goals can be daunting. Personally, I have struggled to stay present in games where my team is down by more than one goal. However, this was not a problem for the Crimson, who came back to score eight unanswered goals and win the game 8–2.
The most impressive part of the Crimson comeback wasn’t just their sudden goal explosion, but the grit they showed in fighting their way back into the game. They hustled after every loose ball and played like they were down a goal, even when they were up by five. The mental toughness to give your all, no matter whether you are down two goals or up by six, is essential to being a great athlete and teammate. Mental toughness is also crucial when you are the underdog, as Miami of Ohio demonstrated when they faced off against UVA on Friday.
Miami is the MAC champions and is ranked No. 11 in the Division I RPI. Their statistics are impressive, but when they drew a match against fourth-seeded UVA, many fans across the country counted the RedHawks out. It took impressive mental toughness and belief in themselves for the Miami team to come out and not only challenge the Cavaliers, but beat them 2–1 in a major upset. Watching the game, I was inspired by the work ethic and intensity of the RedHawks, who gave 110% on every play. Despite the doubts, Miami focused on itself and its game plan and pulled out a victory. Having the ability to block out outside noise and lock in on your goals is essential to success in athletics and in life. I hope that my team and I can work together to develop similar mental skills when we face higher-ranked opponents.
