Ishita Pesati: Varsity-level Soccer Captain
-Junior and varsity team captain at Monta Vista High School
-Plays club soccer for MVLA in the NorCal Premier League (NPL)
How do you manage soccer, school, friends, family, etc.?
“I think it’s all about how you manage your time. You got to make sure that you know what you have. I just try to go day by day especially to see what I have each day and how much time I can afford to spend with each of those different things.”
How do you deal with burnout?
“Burnout is a real thing and I think to deal with it, you kind of just have to be mentally strong. Especially because being a high schooler and balancing so many things, it’s something a lot of people do but to not burnout, you have to just keep going, to be completely honest. Also, make sure to take time for yourself because that’s really important.”
How do you deal with stress during and before games/tournaments/showcases at the NPL level?
“I try to just focus on my game and I push everything else out. I focus on how I play and not worry about what other people think of me or my style of play.”
Is there any parental pressure? How do you deal with it?
“Yes, there definitely is. My parents do support me and want me to do the best but sometimes, it’s like I play but, because their opinion of how I play matters to me, it’s really sad to mess up often. I think to deal with it, I focus on my game and try to do the best for myself and know that they will support me all the way.”
What kind of environment does your club team have(intense and competitive VS supportive and positive)? Which one does your high school have? Which one do you thrive in and would you like to see any changes?
“I think my club environment is very positive and very supportive. It’s a team but we’re also like family. We spend so much time together, travel to tournaments and we have bonding sessions for all kinds of things so it is supportive but at the same time, everyone is looking to improve themselves. Some people are even looking to go play college soccer and things like that. High school can be very toxic because people are coming from many different places and have different levels of play so it’s kind of frustrating when, for example, one player can play well and another can barely kick a ball. However, at the same time, I feel like that teaches people to be able to come together and accept that there are people who can’t play as well and people who play better than you and still be able to put the work in. I would definitely like to see changes to the environment of my school team. I’d like it to be more positive and supportive of everyone. I don’t know if that’s possible though because the level of commitment that different people put in is varied.”
Is mental health talked about on your team? Would you like to see it talked about?
“It definitely is talked about but it’s not talked about a lot. It is talked about - it is a topic that can be talked about - but not many people talk about it. It’s more just about the team and how the team is doing at the sport.”
What other external pressures affect soccer? ((1) peer pressure about college, school, and college soccer (2) social media - athletes feel a little bit of pressure when others post about what they are doing, posting just the good days and wins)
“Yes, peer pressure is present, especially on my club team. Looking at my team specifically, no one has committed to college soccer yet but people still do reach out to coaches and it is a pressure to hear people asking you, ‘Are you reaching out to anyone?’ or ‘Are you getting your highlight videos together?’. Social media doesn’t affect me because when I see those kinds of things, I think ‘Wow. Good for you. This is amazing’. Sometimes, however, there is FOMO because people talk about going to some tournament or showcase and you start to think that it’s good for them but you wish you also went but honestly, for me, I’m not the jealous type. I’m just supportive and happy for them.”
How has your mental health been impacted as the captain of the high school soccer team? Does the added pressure, responsibility, and expectations impact your mental health?
“It’s definitely been impacted in relation to the soccer team. I’ve felt like I had to take on a much greater responsibility and I felt that the team and how we were doing, which was not so good, was my fault which a lot of the times wasn’t just on me. I took the blame and for me, yes, that did hurt my mental health. At the same time, it pushed me to think of ways that we could do better and how we could improve individual players and the team effort as a whole.”
Are you comfortable talking to teammates about mental health and pressure? What types of teammates help with your mental health/wellness: examples include “good work” and “nice shot”?
“Yes, I am comfortable talking to teammates about this. Definitely, encouraging phrases really help. I remember when I was a freshman on varsity, it was kind of scary because I was playing with upperclassmen but hearing those nice words like ‘Hey, you did a great job’ and things like that really boosts your confidence. Confidence is really important if you want to fit into the team and play more cohesively.”
Does your coach emphasize mental health and provide support for your mental health? Would you like to see changes?
“Yes, they do mention it and they do make us take care of ourselves - both my club and high school coaches make sure that we are feeling well, and if we’re not, we can take a day off and talk to someone about it.”