With 4 games remaining in the 2016 regular season, we find ourselves just outside the final playoff spot but with full control of our destiny. The schedule of remaining games is such that with 3 wins in the final 4 games, securing fourth and even third is very much in play. The reality is that in essence we will face 3 must win games on a row to close out the season if we wish to confirm our participation in the playoffs without having to rely on results from other games.
So how as a coach, does one ensure that they team is prepared and ready to perform when it counts? The greatest challenge that athletes have is to play their best when it really counts. Regardless of the level of competition, , every athlete needs to rise to the occasion of the big game or competition. That goal is accomplished by working hard in practice and being as prepared as you can be as the important game approaches. The days leading up to the big game are crucial to achieving competitive goals. Athletes need to ensure that their equipment is ready, some rest, and as a team with might want some fine tuning on technique and tactics. Game preparation wise, our team has played the same set up for the majority of the season, so really its about reminder the players of their roles and adjusting the game plans somewhat to our opponents while focusing on what "WE" want to do. However the area that will probably make the biggest difference in how a team with perform is the attitude toward the big game. The mindset will impact every psychological contributor to competitive performances including your motivation, confidence, intensity, focus, and emotions. A healthy attitude can set you up for a psychology that create conditions for optimal performance, while an unhealthy attitude, by contrast, will only set you up for failure. It's easy as the big game approaches to lose perspective on the important an individual game might actually hold. After all, it remains a game. The fact is that the game on its own isn't important but the outcome may impact the standings but as a coach, player or team, you should only focus on the game itself. In any game there are a wide range of factors that can impact the result. However many of them like the quality of the referee, weather and field conditions, how the opponent game planned, and many others, are completely out of your control. So the key to to take care of those things over which you have control and can determine how they might play out. One of the most common problems that occurs in athletes as the big game approaches is a shift in their focus away from process and onto outcomes. A process focus involves paying attention to those things that help you play your best, for example, technique, tactics, and pre-game preparation. In contrast, outcome focus involves focusing on the possible results of the game: winning, losing, rankings, or who you might beat or lose to. Many people believe that focusing on the outcome will increase the chances of that outcome occurring, but the opposite is actually true. When does the outcome of a game occur? When the final whistle blows, of course. And if you're focusing on the end of the game, what are you not focusing on? Well, the process, obviously. Here's the irony. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, you have a much better chance of playing your best because you are paying attention to things that will help you play well. And, if you play well, you're more likely to achieve the results you wanted in the first place. Also, why do we get nervous before big games? Because we are afraid of the outcome, more specifically, afraid of failure. So by focusing on the outcome, it's more probable that athletes will fell anxious and less likely to play well and achieve the desired result. In contrast, focusing on the process and making sure to deal with the aspects that are within you control., may reduce the fear of failure, and help feeling relaxed, which leads to improved performance and being able to achieve competitive goals. Another shift that can occurs before big games is a focus on the present-what you need to do to play well now-to either a past focus-onto results you had in the past-or a future focus-onto the results you may or may not get in the big game. The reality is that you can't change the past, so there's no point in even thinking about it (except perhaps to learn from your mistakes so you don't repeat them). If something bad happened in the past, be disappointed, then let it go. If something good happened, revel in it, then let it go. Looking back has no value to your present. As for looking forward, thinking about the future also does no good. It can cause doubt and worry because it often triggers a fear of failure. A future focus can create anxiety because it makes people think about expectations that might come from others, whether parents, coaches, or peers. Basically, thinking about past games or looking ahead to potential outcomes can affect the focus required to perform during the current game. Perhaps the worst thing that happens to many young athletes before a big game is they go negative. The expectations and pressure that they can feel before a big game can cause confidence, which may have been high from all of your training and games up to this point in the season, to plummet as they focus on all of the bad things that can happen in the upcoming game. Sports are unforgiving in how it judges athletes; the score doesn't lie. And we also live in a world where it is difficult not to compare oneself to others. In sports, this means athletes comparing themselves to teammates and opponents. But when the focus is on others, thinking about how they are playing, how they will do in the big game, and whether it's really possible to win, it affects the chances of actually winning. As a coach, it is important to create an environment when the players will focus on our preparation, our skill set and who WE together can overcome challenge, and the look at the progress made toward your reaching goals and objectives, both short term ( the game taking place) or longer term on the overall season. There will always be ups and downs, but the key is to ensure that the team is heading in the right direction. Are we improving our technique and tactics? Are your rankings and results getting better? As long as there is measurable and factual evidence showing progress, it serves as motivation to keep working. All this works great in theory, here's hoping I can apply it and the team can have a successful runs of games
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|