mental game ---

[DanMaz]

Rule your mind or it will rule you.


its that simple but so hard to do...

 

[coachtomv]

Without a doubt my friend.

Goes for coaches also, do not get into your players head in a bad way. Prepare them and get out of their way, let the players play the game as much as possible and keep things simple where you can. Trust them and they will trust you, don't over think it.

 

[DanMaz]

This goes for everyday life too ! not only sports. what are you telling yourself? self talk is where it starts...

(hey Tom! hope you are well! Tell Maddy hello from us all!)

 

[DynastyFastpitch]

DanMaz, I think what really helps players from the youngest age groups through Olympic level is training the mind to focus on process instead of just results. For example, player A might have gone 1 for 4 but you had 3 frozen ropes that were snagged out of the air. The week before, player A went 1 for 4 with 3 strike outs. Player A spent all week on tracking drills/strike zone awareness drills/and extra time in the cages/ and more. The stat book says .250 hitter each game but Player A now knows there were huge gains because her process improved. She wasn't just watching the best pitches going over the plate. She focused on the pitchers pitch sequencing. Her head stayed on the ball looking for spin. The mental side is huge in a game of failure! Process Process Process!

 

[DanMaz]

80% (or more) of the game is mental. the question is... why dont coaches and players and parents work on the mental game especially since its 80%+ of the game?

 

[daboss]

80% (or more) of the game is mental. the question is... why dont coaches and players and parents work on the mental game especially since its 80%+ of the game?

Why do dogs chase their tail? Don't they know it's attached to their butt? It's been there all along yet they act like it's something new...............

Sorry DanMaz but I couldn't resist being a smarta**. lol. People in life, not just fastpitch, have overlooked some of the most valuable tools available. The tool of education. People want to play the game but are reluctant to learn the game. There's more to it than a general understanding of the rules. Many are reliant that somebody else will do that for them. That's why many get led down the wrong path. They only know enough. They leave the rest up to others. That's a very trusting nature.

Personally, I like knowing more about what I'm doing. I always leave the door open to learn from others, then assess what I've learned to see if it's indeed better. We don't always know. Some times we need to grow.

You can't go wrong by learning more but you can be wrong if you use it incorrectly.

 

[DanMaz]

i think most players dont work on their weaknesses enough. Its too easy to go to a batting cage and pound line drives all day and feel good about it. ITs not as much fun to go to practice and work on that outside pitch you always struggle with... nobody likes rejection or failure. here it is in a nut shell... afraid to fail... afraid to learn!
work on your weaknesses more than your strengths. and i bet for many one of their weaknesses is the mental game. JUST DO IT!

 

[Dale Brigger]

The mental game is as important as the physical game. I am constantly working with my daughter on attitude, body language, comments in and around the game, and such. I think what is many times overlooked is the importance of hearing about the mental game from someone other than mom/dad or even their coach. Our coach set up a couple of mental game practices over the winter with a former DI coach and another former player. I talked with my daughter on the way home from the practices to see what she took away from it. Her response "it was 80% of what you have been telling me dad, but it was said in a different way and a lot of it clicked for me". That's good stuff right there. They hear it from us all the time, but maybe what they need is that different voice and in a different way. I have seen exponential growth from her over the winter with attitude and the way she is learning to lead. She is a catcher so her #1 quality needs to be leadership and not afraid to be vocal with her team. She is getting there. Disappointed she lost her Junior year in high school, but looking forward to seeing her translate all this mental information for the summer!

 

[DynastyFastpitch]

DanMaz, I think the mental game isn't taught for various reasons. I think some don't know how. Some don't think it's that important. Some may think it takes time away from drills and practice time. Growing up as a baseball player, our mental training came from getting yelled at after games we lost. Personally, teaching the mental game is very important. My varsity high school team would meet 2-3 times per week for "chalk talk." We have great discussions about the game and how we approach it. We preach what Sue Enquist preaches. "The game doesn't know how old you are." "The game doesn't know who is suppose to win." It's really helped us. I was speaking to Coach G, the head coach of Oklahoma State a couple years ago and he said he had to twist the AD's arm to get him to pay for a mental coach to come in and help his players. Some are resistant. Luckily, there are some great books out now about the mental side of sports. Coaches just need to try it.

 

[DanMaz]

DanMaz, I think the mental game isn't taught for various reasons. I think some don't know how. Some don't think it's that important. Some may think it takes time away from drills and practice time. Growing up as a baseball player, our mental training came from getting yelled at after games we lost. Personally, teaching the mental game is very important. My varsity high school team would meet 2-3 times per week for "chalk talk." We have great discussions about the game and how we approach it. We preach what Sue Enquist preaches. "The game doesn't know how old you are." "The game doesn't know who is suppose to win." It's really helped us. I was speaking to Coach G, the head coach of Oklahoma State a couple years ago and he said he had to twist the AD's arm to get him to pay for a mental coach to come in and help his players. Some are resistant. Luckily, there are some great books out now about the mental side of sports. Coaches just need to try it.

OMG- sue enquist is and was my go to gal! Love watching her videos. 30% rule one of my favorites. I used to have my team watch a 15-20 minutes video of my choice usually Enquist speeches before practices atleast twice a weak. This was 10u 11u - 14u... they probably didnt get it back then but i know many of them now remember it. If your bored and never watched her videos practices tips speeches, i would suggest it. Do it now during this down time. She is very motivating and i have used a ton of her stuff over the years! i used to make a motivational booklet in the beginning of the season with quotes and write ups from older players and mental training and pass one out to each player and parent if they wanted one. its lust like muscle memory...train your brain. If you only do it a few times a season, it isnt doing much. You need to train your brain like you train to hit. it then becomes natural and a reaction and builds a ton of confidence. I love Sue Enquist! yeah it might be old school but it is very effective!