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From Coach Traub:
Today?s Mental Skills Tip ? My definition of 'winning' the mental game, revisited: I will give my best effort one step at a time and accept whatever happens, then repeat. Athletes give their best effort when they are performing from a trusting mode. To do this, they must be confident and focused while performing, as opposed to distracted by thinking too much. In competition, execution is the name of the game. Winning comes from much more important than talent, reputation, potential, or even desire. Execution is a function of both physical skills and mental skills, but physical skills won't change much during one season or one post-season. In a week, day, or even an instant, however, mental skill can fluctuate from Mars to the moon. The team that wins the big game will be the one whose players get into their "trust mode" more often than their opponents. There are other important mental skills, too, but "trusting it" has to be right at the top of the list.
How does an athlete get confident and focused? He learns to consciously increase his confidence by preparing well and by developing an optimistic explanatory style. When something tries to get in the way, like a mistake, a stroke of bad luck, or someone else's behavior, a leader won't let it interfere with his confident attitude or body language. He knows that mistakes happen and that he's still good-to-go. He doesn't let things outside of his control bother him. By emphasizing good thoughts and carrying himself with poise, he gets his mind right and his body right. He is creating ideal state, which sets the stage for a peak performance.
Allow me to review the three steps needed to give a best effort performance, assuming that the motivation is there.
In step two, he defines what he wants to do on the next play in controllable terms with the simplest plan possible for the current situation. He's programming his own computer so that he doesn't have to think about it while he does it. He knows that to trust it and get his brain out of the way, he must keep it simple. Committing to his plan allows him to just see it and act or react appropriately. At 'go' time, step 3, he trusts that he's doing everything he can to give his best effort, so he is at peace and can focus wholly on the task-at-hand. He has released any regrets about the past; he is blocking out any worries about the future. He will do the opposite of thinking too much. This focus on the process unleashes his potential. He is allowing whatever will happen to happen. He is full of trust!
COACHING POINT - The most important coach any athlete will ever have is himself, but you're pretty high up on that list, too. You influence your athletes/teammates with every communication you deliver, verbal and non-verbal. If you agree with me that "trusting it" is vital for performance and you want to win, you will make your communications lead to more faith and trust, not less. Unfortunately, it is possible to slip up and communicate mechanical corrections, strategic teaching points, restated standards, and negative emotions too often. I'm not suggesting you avoid these completely. Rather, I'm suggesting that you should be aware, especially during intense competition, of whether or not your communications are likely to help you and your players get what you want. Perhaps that teaching point could wait until after the game and perhaps your own emotions that are tied up with winning and losing could be hidden or re-prioritized so that those around you feel like winners as long as they give their best effort.
Coach Wooden Quote: "Don't permit fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all imperfect and will fail on occasions, but fear of failure is the greatest failure of all."
Harvey Penick, "You must accept your disappointments and triumphs equally."
Today?s Mental Skills Tip ? My definition of 'winning' the mental game, revisited: I will give my best effort one step at a time and accept whatever happens, then repeat. Athletes give their best effort when they are performing from a trusting mode. To do this, they must be confident and focused while performing, as opposed to distracted by thinking too much. In competition, execution is the name of the game. Winning comes from much more important than talent, reputation, potential, or even desire. Execution is a function of both physical skills and mental skills, but physical skills won't change much during one season or one post-season. In a week, day, or even an instant, however, mental skill can fluctuate from Mars to the moon. The team that wins the big game will be the one whose players get into their "trust mode" more often than their opponents. There are other important mental skills, too, but "trusting it" has to be right at the top of the list.
How does an athlete get confident and focused? He learns to consciously increase his confidence by preparing well and by developing an optimistic explanatory style. When something tries to get in the way, like a mistake, a stroke of bad luck, or someone else's behavior, a leader won't let it interfere with his confident attitude or body language. He knows that mistakes happen and that he's still good-to-go. He doesn't let things outside of his control bother him. By emphasizing good thoughts and carrying himself with poise, he gets his mind right and his body right. He is creating ideal state, which sets the stage for a peak performance.
Allow me to review the three steps needed to give a best effort performance, assuming that the motivation is there.
(1) create an ideal performance state (e.g. confident, having fun, intense, under control, and relaxed)
(2) commit to a plan of attack, and
(3) focus singularly on the task-at-hand.
In step two, he defines what he wants to do on the next play in controllable terms with the simplest plan possible for the current situation. He's programming his own computer so that he doesn't have to think about it while he does it. He knows that to trust it and get his brain out of the way, he must keep it simple. Committing to his plan allows him to just see it and act or react appropriately. At 'go' time, step 3, he trusts that he's doing everything he can to give his best effort, so he is at peace and can focus wholly on the task-at-hand. He has released any regrets about the past; he is blocking out any worries about the future. He will do the opposite of thinking too much. This focus on the process unleashes his potential. He is allowing whatever will happen to happen. He is full of trust!
COACHING POINT - The most important coach any athlete will ever have is himself, but you're pretty high up on that list, too. You influence your athletes/teammates with every communication you deliver, verbal and non-verbal. If you agree with me that "trusting it" is vital for performance and you want to win, you will make your communications lead to more faith and trust, not less. Unfortunately, it is possible to slip up and communicate mechanical corrections, strategic teaching points, restated standards, and negative emotions too often. I'm not suggesting you avoid these completely. Rather, I'm suggesting that you should be aware, especially during intense competition, of whether or not your communications are likely to help you and your players get what you want. Perhaps that teaching point could wait until after the game and perhaps your own emotions that are tied up with winning and losing could be hidden or re-prioritized so that those around you feel like winners as long as they give their best effort.
Coach Wooden Quote: "Don't permit fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all imperfect and will fail on occasions, but fear of failure is the greatest failure of all."
Harvey Penick, "You must accept your disappointments and triumphs equally."
