Commitment to training is worthless without game day focus
As you prepare for your game or race, it’s important to remember to focus on what you want to accomplish and develop a strategy to execute it. Your coaches can only do so much to prepare you physically and mentally. Game time is your chance to take what you’ve been told and make it happen. They can tell you their observations and how to improve, but ultimately you and only you can pull the trigger.
Don’t focus on the other team and what their weaknesses might be (on the same note, don’t adore or admire them either). Even the best of teams have a lot to work on and their energy shouldn’t be wasted building. That energy you spend on them could be spent much more wisely getting in the zone and preparing for your performance. While skill development and conditioning are necessary components to success, mastering your emotions and mental faculties is what will set champions apart from the rest.
It’s much better to play smart than to force things: take your time to line things up. Take the time today to write down 3 things you want to work on in the game today. Then, for each thing, write down 1 or 2 ways you could make that happen. Then go through that list repeatedly. Psych yourself up. Get in the zone. Spend some quiet time visualizing yourself making great passes, making smart checks, getting the puck out, and shooting into the net. The more you can see yourself doing it, the more likely you are to achieve your goals. It’s amazing what you can do when you have the will to do it. Come loaded and ready to go FOR YOU and THE TEAM, not because of how good or bad the other team is. This is your battle, this is your moment to show yourself what you can do when you are 100% focused.
Leave a Reply