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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Athletes can respond to trash talk without getting pulled into an argument: notice the remark, return attention to the next controllable action, and use a short cue or routine practised in advance. That can help redirect focus, but it is not a guaranteed performance fix—and repeated, threatening, discriminatory, or deeply personal comments may need to be treated as harassment rather than ordinary gamesmanship.
How to ignore trash talk during a game
Do not make “ignore it” mean pretending you did not hear the comment or forcing every thought out of your mind. Use a simple reset: register the remark, do not answer it, and direct your attention to the next task you can control.
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- Notice it. Recognize that a comment was made without treating it as an instruction or a problem you must solve mid-play.
- Use one brief cue. Choose a task-focused phrase such as “watch the ball,” “feet set,” or a specific technique reminder for your sport. These are examples, not clinically validated phrases.
- Do the next familiar action. Return to the play, a practiced routine, or the immediate goal rather than trying to guess what the opponent intends.
- Review the play, not the provocation. Afterward, assess the decision or execution. If the comments continue or raise a safety concern, use the appropriate reporting route when feasible.
This sequence brings together strategies reported by Olympic wrestlers and evidence about self-talk during an attentional task; the sequence itself has not been tested as a single intervention. In interviews with all 20 members of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team, athletes described approaches including blocking distractions, taking perspective, using positive or coping thoughts, narrowing attention to immediate goals, routines, arousal control, and visualization. The study was retrospective and qualitative, so it describes coping strategies rather than proving that each one works for every athlete. Gould, Eklund, and Jackson, 1993.
What should you say to yourself?
Pick a cue that tells you what to do next. “Watch the ball” is more directly tied to an action than “I’m going to destroy them”; a player might instead choose a brief reminder about positioning, footwork, breathing, or a specific technique. The right cue depends on the sport and the moment.
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Why concise, instructional cues are a sensible starting point
A 2023 study tested self-talk and attentional control under noise distraction. Its first study included 36 participants; its second involved 39 national second-level basketball players. In the basketball study, instructional self-talk reduced errors in quiet conditions, while motivational self-talk increased errors under noise. This is a narrow result from a defined attentional task—not proof about match outcomes or every sport—but it is a reason to practise a concise, task-relevant cue instead of assuming a motivational slogan will always help under pressure. The 2023 study.
Motivation and emotion still matter
Motivational self-talk is not automatically useless. Interviews with 34 male basketball players found that athletes described goal-directed self-talk as serving cognitive, motivational, emotional, and activation-regulating functions in different competitive situations. Those accounts show how athletes said they used self-talk; they do not establish one formula for everyone, and the male basketball sample should not be treated as representative of all athletes. The 2019 study.
Prepare a reset routine before competition
A useful response is easier to reach for if you have practised it before someone tries to provoke you. During training, pair your chosen cue with a familiar reset action—such as resetting your stance or returning to a pre-serve routine—then refocus on the next immediate goal. Adapt the routine to your sport; the wrestling interviews support these as reported coping options, not guaranteed fixes.
- Choose one short cue tied to an action you control.
- Practise using it during training after ordinary mistakes or distractions, not only in calm conditions.
- Decide beforehand when to involve a coach, official, or safeguarding contact, and learn the rules that apply to your sport or league.
After a game, consider whether the cue helped you return your attention to play. If it did not, adjust and practise a different cue or routine; judge it by whether it helped you refocus, not by whether the other person stopped talking.
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When does trash talk become harassment?
The IOC consensus statement describes trash talk, also called sledging, as “a form of verbal harassment from athlete opponents or fans that is intended to destabilise athlete motivation and to hinder performance.” That is the IOC statement’s characterization, not a universal legal definition or a ruling on every sport’s conduct rules. The same consensus notes that research directly addressing the issue is limited. IOC consensus statement, 2017.
Trash talk may concern playing ability or athleticism, but it can also target personal matters. A 2018 survey of 291 varsity athletes at one U.S. university found reported topics included appearance, family, and relationships as well as sport-related subjects. That single-university sample is not a national estimate of how often athletes experience trash talk. “Trash-Talking and Trolling,” 2018.
Repeated personal targeting, threats, discriminatory abuse, or comments that leave an athlete feeling unsafe deserve attention; do not assume every remark is harmless because it happened during competition. Rules and reporting procedures differ across sports and leagues, so check the relevant governing-body, team, or event process. If the incident causes persistent distress, seek help from a trusted coach and appropriate qualified support. IOC mental-health guidance stresses that athlete wellbeing is shaped by both individual and environmental factors, not willpower alone. IOC consensus statement on mental health in elite athletes, 2019.
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