Why First Impressions Matter for Athletes & How to Nail Them

From the first moment I saw you…I knew you were the one. Yeah, that’s the kind of effect we all want the first time we encounter someone, whether that means love, friendship, or business. But what if you’re not sure how to show up to ‘wow’ that person? 

It comes down to two key words: perception and identity. 

As athletes, eyes are always on you, which means the pressure to show up a certain way is always ON. Coaches, teammates, and athletic staff wonder if you’re strong, tenacious, or hungry enough, peers wonder if you’re just a regular jock or a real student-athlete, and you may not even know who you are quite yet. Sounds like a huge identity crisis… but guess what? We ALL go through it….and more than once, a lot of the time.

What research says:

• Stokowski (2022) found that “Student-athlete identity can lead to unexpected results such as low maturity, emotional wellness concerns, and difficulty adapting to life outside athletics.”

• In addition, Di Lu(2018) explained that “Student-athletes with high identity conflict have it related to the stressors of their lives as student-athletes. Even further, identity conflict makes them indecisive and unsure about what they should do for themselves; for example, a student-athlete may have to decide between sacrificing social life, sleep, or practice for their present needs.”

So how do you nail it?

The real answer: BE YOURSELF! 

Easier said than done.. I know. But let’s start here:

1. Show up presentable (clean, confident, put together)

2. Show up positive (energy matters more than you know)

3. Show up authentically (highlight your strengths & weaknesses—authenticity is GOLD).

You are created uniquely to do the things only you can do the way that you do them, so exuding perfection is not the goal. What you are trying to exude is self-security…so much so that people want to experience you again and again and again. But first…lose a couple of things? Fear. Doubt. LET IT GO! Show up unapologetically as YOU. If you’re willing to bet on yourself, why wouldn’t anyone else?

Bottom line: First impressions aren’t about masking yourself, but aligning who you are with how you show up. So the next time you walk into a room, make sure no one forgets how you showed up. That’s how you nail it.