Summer after her junior year, Lauren Rummel entered the Olympics as one of twelve volleyball players on the USA team. After returning home with a gold medal, she finished her third season with Oregon State and was awarded AVCA First Team All-Region.
“It definitely gave me a newfound sense of confidence, being able to play on an international level like that with some of the best players in the US as my teammates, and then some of the best players around the world,” says Rummel.
When it comes to adopting an alter ego on the court, she says, “I don’t have any weird or cool names, but I do feel a sense of competitiveness that is completely unique to volleyball.” Stepping onto the court brings out a different side of her. “I get really intense… I get this fire in my eyes, and I just want to win.”
The Association for Applied Sport Psychology states, “For athletes, foreclosing on your athletic identity can lead to a performance-based identity, where your value and self-worth are solely dependent on your performance. It is important you have a strong understanding of, and relationship to, who you are as a person and as an athlete” (Association for Applied Sport Psychology, 2024).
Keziah Ekkisi, a sophomore on the Oregon State basketball team, explains how wins and losses throughout the season can shape confidence both on and off the court. “Even if you win every game, you can’t think you are the best player, and if you lose every game, you can’t think you are the worst player.”
Beyond performance, Ekkisi reflects on how moving from France reshaped his sense of style outside of basketball. “In France it’s really coded. It’s old-fashioned, so people dress a little bit all the same… Here it’s really different. You have every style, so I like that. It’s cool,” he says.
Rituals and fashion can also become essential cues in activating an athlete’s alter ego. “I only play games in leggings… It’s just personal preference, but to me putting on my leggings signifies that it’s game time and it’s go time,” says Rummel. The clothing becomes a signal, marking the shift from everyday self to competitor.
Oregon State soccer player Andrew De Gannes shares a similar ritual. “On game days, I like to put on a good fit, whether it’s a Nike Tech tracksuit or just anything that looks good walking into the field, because I like the ‘look good, play good’ kind of thing.”
For Rummel, however, the alter ego is not about appearance alone. She rejects the external pressure often placed on athletes, instead valuing strength and authenticity. “I feel like it just makes me prouder to perform on a big stage… I feel like it makes me want to show how strong I am, physically and mentally.”
