Kiersten Thomassey, positioned mere feet from a cardboard box filled to the brim with commemorative national championship hats, can still recall the moment the UNC field hockey team’s season shifted.
“We were rolling,” the senior midfielder said, reflecting on the team’s October game against Virginia. “We were playing so well — absolutely killing it.”
Thanks to its simple play and clean passing, North Carolina had built a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Thomassey still isn’t sure what happened — maybe they felt too comfortable or were nervous to lose the lead — but UNC began to play on its heels. UVA came out ready in the second half.
The Tar Heels were completely rattled and dropped the game 3-2.
“That was the game where we were like, ‘Our season cannot keep going on like this,’” Thomassey said.
Enter Dr. Jeni Shannon. Shannon, director of the Carolina Athletics Mental Health and Performance Psychology Program, works with teams like the field hockey program weekly in sports psychology meetings.
Whether it’s performance anxiety or body image, Shannon is there to help.
And for elite athletes like Thomassey, taking control of the mental aspect of the game has become an increasingly important step toward success on the field.
