An athlete should ask himself this question: "Do I want to be perceived as a focused and relentless competitor?" If so, he must know how to look the part before he can play it. A performer who gives off signals of vulnerability will not act out appropriate behavior.
That the athlete may be speaking through his body in any of these ways is an indication that he has been distracted and disturbed.
But consider this: if he's distracted from attention to task because of his frame of mind, then he is focused on his major concern or anxiety of the moment.
It's natural enough for people to want things to go their way. It is just as natural for them to be affected when they do not get what they want. The test of each individual is how he responds to such a circumstance. He can rise above his disappointment, or he can sink below it. An athlete's body language indicates whether he is in the process of elevating himself or burying himself.
The nature and degree of disappointment will vary, but the appearance of an athlete during competition should not vary, for consistent behavior leads to consistent performance.
--Taken from H.A. Dorfman. "Coaching The Mental Game"
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