Translation of the Dutch text by Jasmijn van Holsteijn | 4 August 2026
What happens to athletes when the pressure mounts?
'One of the things that happens when you’re under pressure is that you get distracted more easily. That can be caused externally by an opponent, but also internally by your own thoughts. ‘I just hope I don’t miss that penalty’ or: ‘If we lose, we’re out.’ In field hockey, for example, you see this during shootouts and penalty shots. Those are the moments when, as an athlete, you have time to think. It’s precisely then that distracting thoughts can creep in. This causes you to focus less on the task at hand. Yet peak performance actually requires your full attention on that task.'
Can you learn to perform better under pressure?
'Yes, just as you can push your physical limits, you can also further develop your mental skills. One of the lines of research I’m working on focuses on training under pressure, also known as pressure training. In this approach, you consciously try to increase the pressure during training sessions or create conditions in which athletes learn to cope with stress.
People often say, “You can’t train for that, because you can’t replicate the pressure of a World Cup match.” It is indeed very difficult to simulate the pressure of that decisive moment. Nevertheless, our research shows that when you manage to slightly increase the pressure during training sessions, it has positive effects. It increases the likelihood that athletes will ultimately perform better even under high pressure.'
'What’s a major stressor for one person may not matter at all to another'
Do you have any examples of how to increase the pressure during a training session?
'One way is to simulate game situations as realistically as possible. In field hockey or basketball, for example, you can create a scenario where there are two minutes left on the clock and a goal must be scored. You can then attach a consequence to that. For instance, the team that fails to complete the task might have to clean the locker room, prepare dinner during a training camp, or perform an extra chore. In rowing, you can have two boats race against each other. The most important thing is that there’s something at stake. This increases the pressure and gives athletes the chance to practice situations that resemble game moments.'
The mental aspect of elite sports receives little attention in training. Why do you think that is?
'There’s still a prevailing notion that pressure can’t be trained for. It also requires different skills from coaches. Within the various TeamNL programmes, we’re exploring how we can integrate the mental aspect into existing training sessions. That often starts with a discussion about what pressure actually is and how people react to it. What’s a major stressor for one person might not matter at all to someone else. By talking openly about this, team members learn from one another and develop greater understanding. You also discuss: How did that feel? What were you thinking? Why did you react that way? That requires reflection and vulnerability. Especially in an environment where selection and performance play a major role, that isn’t always easy.'
'Training to handle pressure isn’t a quick fix and doesn’t guarantee victory. It’s about learning to perform your tasks, even when the pressure is high'
How can mental training become a standard part of elite sports?
'By deliberately making it part of the overall training programme. Coaches can already start incorporating this at an age-appropriate level with youth athletes. We do everything we can to ensure we’re in peak physical condition at the start of a competition, but why isn’t dealing with pressure often a standard part of our preparations?
Training to cope with pressure isn’t a quick fix and doesn’t guarantee victory. The point is to learn to perform your tasks, even when the pressure is high. If you deliberately integrate this into your professional approach, you increase the likelihood that you’ll continue to do the right things at crucial moments. That takes time and energy, but so does physical training.'
What advice would you give to the VU students and alumni who will soon be competing in the World Cup?
'Seek out moments when you can push yourself out of your comfort zone, not just physically but also mentally. Make sure there’s something at stake when you’re practicing penalty corners, penalty shots, and shootouts. And if you notice your thoughts are distracting you? Try to bring yourself back to the task at hand. Some athletes use a simple word for this, such as ‘focus.’ That helps you remind yourself where your attention should be and what’s important at that moment.’
Raôul Oudejans is an associate professor in the Department of Human Movement Sciences at the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He has been conducting research on performance under pressure for twenty years.
