
May 13, 2020
The Pressure of Winning and How to Handle Losing with Kelley O’Hara and Gabby Reece on The Gabby Reece Show
Check out the Episode Page & Show Notes
Key Takeaways
- Self-confidence and self- worth come from within
- “The only person that will always be there for me is me” – Kelley O’Hara
- Emotion is part of being an athlete – it’s natural
- Know that acceptance from your team or “tribe” matters more than what others think of you
- Sometimes just believing is what you need
- If you’re new on a team, learn from the veterans, on and off the field
Books mentioned
- Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall – how to master the secrets of strength and endurance
Products Mentioned
- Beast – personal care products
Intro
Kelley O’Hara (@kelleymohara) is a two-time women’s World Cup champion and U.S. soccer Olympian.
Dealing with High Expectations
- “I have a chip on my shoulder, I want to prove myself. I know I may not be the best, but I can control my effort” – Kelley O’Hara
- If you’re new on a team, learn from the veterans, on and off-field but when it comes down to playing, go for it
- Fight for yourself, don’t back down
Intensity- How it Arises and Affects Relationships
- Kelley Is naturally competitive- she made everything a competition including even eating a sandwich in grade school
- That approach doesn’t always bring out the best in Kelley, but it’s the reason why she believes she’s successful
- The intensity can affect relationships. When younger, Kelley says she was intense and stubborn all the time
- Though friendships and family relationships she learned – being stubborn doesn’t always win
Techniques to Deal With Disappointment
- “The amount of times I cried in hotel stairwells is more than I can count. I had to talk myself out of crying in front of coaches, because I wanted it so badly” – Kelley O’Hara
- Its okay to cry out your disappointment, and then go back to work the next day
- Emotion is part of being an athlete – it’s human and natural
- Time and maturity help
Pursuing Your Passion
- Kelley played a lot of sports but chose soccer because she liked the team aspect of the sport
- As soon as she made Youth National camp when 15, she said she knew she wanted to go all the way
- By her senior year at college, Kelley knew she could play for a professional team
- Kelley didn’t worry about what she’d do upon graduation. “I asked myself, what do I have to do to be good enough?” – Kelley O’Hara
- Even as a kid, when she failed, Kelley would ask herself– what do I need to do next time?
Training Tips
- Until she became a professional athlete, Kelly didn’t understand conditioning, strengthening, monitoring or heart rate and load
- The intensity of competition changed the way she approached fitness
- Be very specific about the speed you work out at and your heart rate
- It is a challenge to train when you are not 100% but you can trick yourself to getting excited.
- Remind yourself that training is a privilege and maximize it.
Handling the Media as an Athlete
- The US women’s team has been so successful and excellence is expected
- “I turn off social media. Some players like it, it fires them up. But so many people said were saying we would lose the World Cup – why do I need to see that?” – Kelley O’Hara
- Just because someone says something it doesn’t have to be part of your narrative
- As humans, we crave to know what others think of us, but all you need is acceptance from your team or “tribe”
Words of Wisdom for Athletes
- Self-confidence and self- worth come from within-don’t look for outside sources – The only person that will always be there for me is me.” – Kelley O’Hara
- Look inside yourself, look in the mirror and believe in what you see and who you are
Future Plans
- “When I first started my professional career, I felt like I couldn’t do anything else – I know this has an expiration date” – Kelley O’Hara
- She has an interest in business
- Kelley isn’t sure about coaching – “I think I’d be stressed out”