This is the fourth in a series of articles written by the top-ranked U.S Squash Professionals about their lives on tour. These articles will cover some of the players’ training routines, travel experiences, and thoughts about the tournaments they compete in around the world. Welcome to the life of a US professional touring pro.
Chris Gordon
Being a professional squash player, or any type of professional sports person for that matter, is about having great fortitude of mind, a positive outlook and tremendous resiliency. Most spectators see players perform on court but very few realize the internal emotional struggle that goes on in a player’s brain off the court.
There are two sides to this psychological struggle. When you are winning and advancing through the rounds of the tournament one must stay focused on the next match and not be pulled into the natural elation of a positive result. On the other hand when one loses, the train comes to a screeching halt and there is a real tendency to get down. This inner battle needs to be controlled and won over by the belief that one is not measured by how many times one gets knocked down but by how many times you get up!
When I find myself in one of these downward spirals I like to try and take a step back away from the game and let myself refocus, thereby not becoming broken down by the ever dangerous paralysis by analysis. I will usually try and engage in another activity outside of squash to free my mind up and then, when I feel fresher and more relaxed, I sit down either on my own or with my “team” and talk about what things I’ve been doing well and feel confident in. Then we will talk about what areas I feel that I am weak in and have been holding me back. Now that I have my strengths and weaknesses out on the table, I make a plan of how I should move forward—so I begin to feel like the momentum is going in the right direction again and am confident that the results will pick up again very soon!
