Positive affirmations can lead to success. Telling yourself you can do something and that you will do it creates positive mindsets for those who need them. If you say you might be able to do something or you can’t, it tends to lead to failure.
Great Neck South guidance counselor and boys’ badminton head coach Allison Gottfried instills a positive mindset in her team, leading to success both on and off the court.
“We do work on our mental game a lot,” Gottfried said. “Sometimes I have them repeat to me, ‘I can, I can, I can. I will.’
This positive mindset has led the kids to dig deep when the lights are brightest and come out victorious on badminton’s biggest stage. Sophomore Arthur Xu, who won first place in the county singles match, understands the mental adversity in badminton.
“Winning individual counties was a great experience, a great game and a huge learning experience for me,” Xu said. “I learned how the mental aspect can really impact how you play. If you go into a game thinking, ‘I lost to this guy two times already. I just played a game and I’m obviously very tired already. I can’t win either way.’ If you go into the game like that, there is a very slim chance you are able to win, especially if you already lost to this person before. But if you go into the game thinking, ‘I can win, it was very close. I got this. It’s up to two points. It’s all mental.’ That really pushed me forward into really overcoming my limits and really playing better than I’ve ever played before during this season.”
It took all the mental power to muster up a 5-2 upset over Jericho on Sept. 10. Jericho’s 70-match win streak was snapped that night, but they wound up getting the last laugh at the dual meet county championship in a 4-3 win over Great Neck South, on Oct. 23. But at the end of the day, it was a learning experience and a hard-fought ending to its 14-3 season.
“It was incredibly close,” Gottfried said. “If we had gotten one more point in one doubles match, we would have won 4–3 instead of losing 4–3. The bus ride home was quiet. The boys were devastated because they were so close. We beat Jericho once and lost once in the regular season, so we knew it would be tight. That loss is now fuel for the future. Many of the players train in the mornings and offseason — they’re very dedicated.”
Junior Shenglin Tang, who has won an all-county award and finished fourth in the county, credits a lot of his success to Gottfried’s mindset.
“Growth didn’t occur overnight,” Tang said. “It came throughout four years on the team. The season is only about two months long, so most development happens outside of that — through interactions with teammates, mentors, and other leaders who inspire me. Seniors played a big role in shaping who I am today. When I was younger, I needed to mature, and over time, I grew into a leadership role. I also credit the coach a lot. She supports us beyond practice, and it becomes more than just a coach-player relationship. It turns into mentorship and a long-lasting journey together.”
In addition to the team’s success, Xu and Tang both have proud individual accomplishments.
“During the individual county tournament, I looked at the bracket and was terrified because I had very tough opponents early,” Tang said. “I told myself I wouldn’t go out early. In the first round, I faced someone I had lost to before. The final game came down to the last points. I still remember the exact moment the birdie dropped. I won, and that was a huge personal moment for me.”
“Winning the individual county title was huge,” Xu said. “I learned how important the mental side of the game is. If you go in thinking you’ll lose, you probably will. But if you believe you can win, it pushes you to play better than ever.”
Xu and Tang will be teammates again next season, with their eyes set on winning the program’s first county title.
