The buzzer sounds. It’s halftime, and the team is down by two touchdowns. Walking back to the locker room, thousands upon thousands of thoughts run through the players’ heads. How could they possibly clear their heads in time for the second half?

Student-athletes constantly deal with pressure and anxiety from multiple aspects of their sport, and every one has different ways of preparing for a game or recovering from a bad play.

“Just forget about that play and know there’s nothing you can do and just be ready on the next play,” senior fullback Dominic Garcia said on how he recovers from a bad play.

It’s not just the guys that have ways to keep their head in the game, the Lady Hawks also have their own ways for dealing with mental challenges.

“When we go in the huddle, I really listen to what she’s telling me and what she’s telling the group, and I focus on improving those little things,” senior volleyball player Caroline Holtman said.

The coaches also have a role in keeping their athletes’ head on right.

“Trying to stay calm is the biggest thing, not letting situations get too big,” assistant football coach Shaun Beeles said. “We’re not gonna always be 100 percent successful, and things aren’t always going to go our way. Live to see another play. Just… in everything, do your best.”

Even when the team comes back unsuccessful, the coaches can help pull them back onto their feet.

“We try to erase it. Whether we are erasing a bad play or a bad set or a bad game, we try to erase it by making the next play, next set, next game better,” head volleyball coach Robin Jones said about dealing with a loss. “We try to fix our mistakes and prove that we are better than what we just did, and I think that helps us to erase that bad, negative feeling in our head.”

No matter the sport, student-athletes work hard to let go of the past and move forward in the game.

After all, the most important play is the next one.