Sports history is peppered with tales of superstitious athletes and their ‘lucky’ charms and even anecdotes of professional players pinning major losses on not following their game-day rituals. But Aussie basketball player, Ezi Magbegor isn’t one of them. Instead of placing her trust in an extrinsic object like a pair of lucky socks or jocks, the Australian Opals player focuses on her mental game.
“Playing year around, the mental side of your game is really important – both on and off the court,” says Ezi Magbegor on the latest episode of our podcast, Uninterrupted by Women’s Health Australia.
“I try not to get too low or high. I try to just remain steady. Games can be very intense… You don’t want to focus on something that if you don’t have it or if something goes wrong, it ruins your mindset,” says Ezi.
If Ezi did carry a talisman with her, she says it would be “A phrase or a word. [Because this] is always going to be in your head, no matter what the situation is,” explains Ezi.
Once you learn Ezi is studying psychology, her fascination with the way the mind works makes even more sense. “I love knowing more about how I work and how others work. [Psychology is] something you can implement into everyday life. I find it really interesting,” she says.
“[Sports psychology] is a growing field at the moment. A lot of sports and teams are realising the importance of sports psychologists now. I think they should be on every team. Seasons can be gruelling, they can be tough… if everyone has access to a sports psychologist and can use them when needed, it’s not seen as taboo because they’re part of the team and just there.”
Listen to Ezi Magbegor on our podcast Uninterrupted by Women’s Health Australia on Apple and Spotify. Post continues below.
When she’s not training, playing or studying, Ezi looks after her mental health by prioritising rest. “It’s important to take time to yourself when you can. [This] looks different for everyone,” says Ezi. In her downtime, Ezi shares that she loves getting stuck into a new book (she’s just finished It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid) or simply hanging out in her apartment.
