Coping With the Imposter Syndrome

Tracy Jordan had “tremendous potential,” ask anyone who had seen her play. After some shocking upsets on the tour, she got a respectable computer rating, lots of favorable publicity, and was on her way. But then Tracy lost some matches that she should have easily won. She blew leads. She seemed to stiffen when she had kill shots. Her confidence was noticeably shaken. Tracy acquired a reputation of not being able to win the close matches. Fame and wealth eluded her. More importantly, Tracy never experienced the inner satisfaction of playing up to her potential. She had to be content living with only memories of her flashes of brilliance.

Bobby Williams just took up tennis a few years ago. His speed, coordination and hard work placed him in contention for becoming the next club champion. The other club members gave him a lot of attention and he seemed to be enjoying his new-found fame. A club newspaper even noted his meteoric rise among his peers. But when Bobby played in tournaments, he always seemed to “choke.” He lost some close matches to less talented players. In practice, Bobby was awesome. But when it really counted, Bobby floundered.

So, too, with Anita Jennings whose rightful place in the tennis sun was overshadowed by inexplicable and recurring injuries. Linda Crowley’s problem was that she always panicked during the critical matches, which would have propelled her into the select arena of champions. Lucy Sullivan’s problem was her temper…and as she too frequently protested, the linemen.

As one studies gifted athletes, from professional to amateur, most potential winners only stagnate as losers with potential. They never become what they could be. While their quest for excellence remains unabated, the rewards of their search remain elusive.

Of course, there are many possible explanations for disappointing athletic performances. As psychologists become more involved in sport psychology, some intriguing answers and solutions are now being given. With the proper application of this new knowledge, losers with potential can become what they are capable of being: winners.

Understanding and coping with the psychological concept of the “imposter phenomenon” is but one of the ways losers can become winners. As applied to tennis, the imposter phenomenon refers to the conscious or unconscious belief that a player is unworthy of victory. Despite innate talents and real accomplishments, the rising tennis star feels less competent, less skilled than what others perceive and acclaim. Fans especially family members and coaches, are likely to be overly supportive by making remarks such as what a great future the player has. Pressure builds. While the rising star may publicly agree with these overly optimistic remarks, secretly there are fears that the expectations of others are unwarranted and too high. The player experiences a gnawing sensation that he/she is not really that good and everyone is going to be disappointed. Of course, the athlete would never admit these insecurities, for this would undermine the image of being a self-confident, strong person. And even if these feelings of doubts were shared with others, the supporters would likely be quick to dismiss these concerns with “reassuring” remarks such as “Oh, don’t be silly, you can play with the best of them. Or, “You just have to believe in yourself!” Thus communication is stopped and the frightened player is left alone to feel the panic of being unworthy of others’ high expectations. The fear remains that sooner or later there will be an unmasking; the imposter will be exposed to only being an average tennis player.

With young athletes, this pressure to live up to what others expect, and subtly demand can be unbearable. Something must give. As young, aspiring tennis players attempt to live up to everyone’s great expectations, they may try too hard. They push themselves beyond their physical and mental limits. Injuries, mental lapses, temper tantrum emerge. The all have the same end result. A talented and gifted tennis player becomes just another good player who never quite made it.

Another version of the imposter syndrome is when the player consciously or unconsciously believes that the opponent is the one really deserving to win. That person across the net is seen as being in better condition, having more shots, being more experienced or simply being a nicer person.

Brady Elpers used to enjoy playing tennis. But when she got good, her parents started to push he to greater heights. Her dad insisted she take tennis lessons and forced her to go to the best summer tennis camps. He watched her practice and monitored her every move in her matches. Her father was quick to point out her every mistake and belittled her wins. He did not want her to get complacent and overconfident. When she won, she was told that she was lucky or that she would have never won against a good player. Although these putdowns were designed to keep her motivated to work harder, it had a crippling effect. It made her feel as if her victories were cheap and undeserved. Brady’s once fluid movements became jerky, hesitant and tight. She unconsciously wanted to lose. She felt that she did not deserve to win. Although se appeared to be devastated by her losses, Brady at least no longer felt like an imposter. She became what she felt that she really was, a good player but not a great one. Not surprisingly, a great deal of pressure was removed from her young shoulders when her dad decided she as not destined to be another Chris Evert Lloyd or Martina Navratilova.

These players who are most susceptible to the imposter syndrome are first generation player and perfectinistic personalities.

First generation tennis players are those who because of their unique athletic talents suddenly become the focus of the immediate and extend family. Sibling jealously and frustrated athletic parents, who try to achieve via their children, are but two examples of additional tension with which the player had to cope. The budding tennis star starts to fell uneasy and distressed with the role of being the center of so much attention. Unconsciously, this first generation player may begin to self-destruct so as to be able to enjoy the safe anonymity of being just another member of the family. The perfectionist is one whose identity and self worth are wrapped up in being perfect. Anything less than perfection is unacceptable; Even to win in an imperfect way is to receive undeserved credit. The perfectionist feels like an imposter and failure is the unconscious just punishment.

For those tennis players who are losing matches because of feeling that they don’t deserve to win, there are solutions. Sport psychology has given us some mean to deal with the imposter phenomenon. Some of these techniques are listed below.

1. Self-recognition. The first and most important step for minimizing the imposter effect is to recognize that the feeling of unworthiness is present. A true champion is cognizant not only of the physical but especially the mental strengths and weaknesses which are accompanying the champion into every match. The athlete must feel that one’s presence on the court is deserved. The feeling “I belong here” needs to be cognitively and experientially affirmed. When there is ambivalence, effective counseling by a competent clinical sport psychologist can work wonders.

2. Find a listener. When there are feelings of doubt about one’s worth, it is important to locate an empathetic listener. A good listener is one who will let other go the end of their thoughts. Even if that means listening to self-depreciating, gloomy remarks. To be avoided are the avid supporters who will let others go to the end of their thoughts. Even if that means listening to self-depreciating, gloomy remarks. To be avoided are the avid supporters who will not listen to negative feelings but will only aggravate the problem by insisting that self doubts are foolish. 3. Exercise the muscle of the mind. Self-hypnosis meditation positive visual and auditory reinforcements and other mind enhancing techniques are all useful tools, which tennis players can learn to use. The conscious and subconscious can become a tennis player’s greatest ally if properly programmed. A player who has the imposter syndrome should write out and frequently rehearse all the things which were done to prepare for victory by recognizing and remembering the hours of practice, the unlimited energy spent in “reading, watching and listening to improve one’s game, and appreciating the innate abilities possessed, a sense of worthiness will be felt. The fears of being an imposter will dissipate and one’s performance will improve. 4. Make the opponent the imposter. By mentally attacking one’s opponent, a tennis player who has the imposter syndrome can reverse the roles. The opponent can be perceived as being the unworthy one who deserves to be defeated. Enjoyable images of how the opponent looks quite awkward, is out of shape, was lucky to have won previous matches, and partied too much the night before are constructive thoughts for the player who used to self destruct with these ideas. 5. Thought stopping. Thought stopping is another helpful technique, which can be used to stop unpleasant and self-defeating thoughts. Whenever a player begins to sense that a negative thought is beginning to intrude, a prearranged, healthier thought pattern can be substituted. For example, by placing a rubber band around one’s writs and snapping it hard every time the thought of being unworthy arises, psychic energy can then be rechanneled to focus on a previously established positive thought pattern. A flick of the band can be the signal for a player to recite the litany of reasons why it is fair and just to be a winner. To be a successful tennis player requires more than simple physical skills. The tennis mind must be trained and disciplined. The imposter phenomenon is but one of the common psychological barriers to tennis success. A few countermeasures were presented but only a carefully honed mind can effectively implement these or any other mental strategies. It takes time and effort to develop the powers of the mind, which have lain dormant for most athletes. But the potential for greatness is there. It begins with an awareness of what is, and then, a decision to be. Perhaps the effort for greatness will be more than what the reader may wish to endure. If so, then I suggest to the reader that this article be passed on to one of his/her many “worthy” opponents. (Reprinted with permission from Inside Woman’s Tennis) December 1987 – Indy Sports