pep talk cheater

Instead of Playing a Cheater  it should say   Getting Cheated 

 

GETTING CHEATED 

 

Video box on Cheating... 

 

Event

• An opponent makes a blatantly bad call or repeatedly cheats, disrupting the match flow and your Flow

 

Put an Image Box here, I will figure out the graphics for Frequency/Intensity/Concern 

 

Emotions triggered from cheating

 

1. Anger

• Immediate, hot, visceral reaction. Feels unfair, unjust, and disrespectful. Clouds judgment, may lead to impulsive retaliatory reaction, verbal or otherwise.

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2. Frustration

• Comes when repeated bad calls pile up and you feel powerless to change the situation. Leads to losing focus on what's important, the matter at hand.. Can trigger self-talk like: "I hate this. Why even bother?"

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3. Anxiety

• Worry that the cheating will continue and impact the outcome. With brain split between playing and monitoring your opponent, focus suffers. Often accompanied by physical tension—tight shoulders, shallow breathing.

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4. Distrust

• You begin doubting your opponent, the fairness of the match, heck, all tennis competition. Distrust changes body language and on-court energy, leading to guarded or impaired play. Can also extend to officials if present, or to the system in general. Everyone's out to get me!

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5. Helplessness / Hopelessness

• Especially if there’s no referee or no recourse. The thought: “This happens every time!!" This emotion is dangerous, it keeps you in the problem and not the solution, draining effort, motivation, and belief.

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These emotional triggers show why “cheating scenarios” are so critical to understand and navigate. 

Proactive strategies to apply: Grounding techniques, reframing the situation, and re-centering on controllables like focus and how to properly respond.

 

Applying the FBTL 4-part EQ growth structure (Awareness, Regulation, Perspective, Growth), 

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Awareness

Every competitor eventually faces the sting of being cheated, with human error built in to the game, dealing with bad line calls or an opponent well-versed in gamesmanship is inevitable.  The first step is awareness: noticing not only the injustice, but your own internal reaction. Anger, disbelief, and doubt will flare fast. EQ Awareness means catching that emotional surge before it sweeps you away, recognizing that it’s natural, but it must be managed real quickly like to avoid negatively spiraling out

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Regulation

The cheater thrives on your emotional unraveling. If you let frustration or rage take over, that's on you. You can not change what happened. You can only change how you react to what happened to you.  Regulation is about letting it go, about calming the storm. A deep breath. A reset routine. Re-anchoring to your mindset. Bad calls are part of the game. Don't panic. You regulate your emotions not to condone the cheating, but to protect your own competitive mindset. Easy to say, hard to do! 

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Perspective

From a broader lens, cheaters don’t cheat because they’re strong. They cheat because they’re afraid. Their insecurity is masked by manipulation. Holding this perspective reframes the moment: it’s not about you getting robbed, but about them unable to meet the moment with class and dignity. Instead of spiraling into self-pity or outrage, lead by example.  See cheating as confirmation that you’re a better competitor. Do not stoop to their level ever!

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Growth

In the long arc of your tennis journey, these encounters with cheaters can become turning points. They teach resilience. They test whether your emotional intelligence can withstand unfairness and still get the job done. The growth comes when you walk off the court, win or lose, knowing you honored tennis, playing the game as it should be played. Over time, these moments forge confidence, composure, and maturity—qualities that elevate not just your tennis, but your off court character as well.

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