Get Back! Get Back! Back post! BACK POST! COME ON, YOU HAVE TO MARK THAT MAN! As I stood on the sidelines yelling, again, getting frustrated, again, and looking around at my teammates also yelling, again, I had to take a second to stop and think. I am a mental game coach, this is my job. In the heat of the moment I know that this is where the hard work of Mental Toughness and focus come into play. What does my yelling, and the team yelling have to do with my Mental Game? Good question.
This is important on several levels. First, I know that a player with my behavioral style (My style is high I and D above the line for those of you who are familiar with the DISC system that we use) is prone to yell and scream and be very emotionally involved in the play. Sometimes this is to my advantage, sometimes not. I hustle non-stop and can be very inspiring when positive, but when the tides turn......As a coach, I also am very involved, likely to shout directions non-stop and get very emotional.
The mental game challenge for all of us is to develop the SELF AWARENESS to be able to interrupt a behavior when it is not working. I also know from studying my "style" that I am very concerned about what others think about me and how they respond to me. For me to spend my energy yelling advice that no one is likely to be able to heed, and to get myself out of my focus on my own game, this is a waste of energy. I need to pay attention to this as much as I pay attention to the field and the ball. If I do not, then I become a liability to my team, and progress toward my goals is restricted. As a coach, I need to make sure that the players that I am trying to reach will be open to what I have to say.
I know that I need to be more focused on taking care of my role to be effective. I need all of the energy that I can muster to get past defenders who are 20 years my junior. For someone with my style. it is much more effective to skip the constant commentary, advice and worrying about what others are doing; reserving energy for playing smart and keeping focused on my responsibilities. If I accomplish this, my comments can be saved for positive chatter that can have an uplifting effect on the team, especially after mistakes and things that may knock others right out of their mental game. Keeping comments limited and positive keeps team spirits up and the energy lively. Some players do not want encouragement when they are down and are resentful, and learning about my own style and others styles has helped me to figure out how to talk to players of different styles. ( As a coach, this type of information is absolutely incredible!)
If it does nothing for me to continually shout advice on the field, but this is my lifelong habit, what to I do to make the changes and develop new habits? At 6D Sports, we use a daily journal as a place to focus on our goals for mental game development. The journal teaches essential skills to use each day for developing the mental game. One of the most important of these skills is effective goal setting. For a player like me, with a tendency to waste energy and lose focus because of my emotional involvement, it is important to make my communication with others a priority to focus on in practice and play. Before each game I have to review my goals for the game, one of which needs to be, "I communicate positively, focus on my own play, focus on staying loose and creative."
When I do this, the difference in my play is amazing. When I am relaxed and focused, I hit the ball on target 200% more than other times. Keeping my emotions and energy in check keeps me creative and connected to my teammates. I am able to see the field better, and direct the play how I want it to go. I am not going to say that I wish that I had these skills when I was playing professionally, but if I had, I know that my career would have lasted much longer, and I would have enjoyed the game more.
Remember....enjoy the game!
This is important on several levels. First, I know that a player with my behavioral style (My style is high I and D above the line for those of you who are familiar with the DISC system that we use) is prone to yell and scream and be very emotionally involved in the play. Sometimes this is to my advantage, sometimes not. I hustle non-stop and can be very inspiring when positive, but when the tides turn......As a coach, I also am very involved, likely to shout directions non-stop and get very emotional.
The mental game challenge for all of us is to develop the SELF AWARENESS to be able to interrupt a behavior when it is not working. I also know from studying my "style" that I am very concerned about what others think about me and how they respond to me. For me to spend my energy yelling advice that no one is likely to be able to heed, and to get myself out of my focus on my own game, this is a waste of energy. I need to pay attention to this as much as I pay attention to the field and the ball. If I do not, then I become a liability to my team, and progress toward my goals is restricted. As a coach, I need to make sure that the players that I am trying to reach will be open to what I have to say.
I know that I need to be more focused on taking care of my role to be effective. I need all of the energy that I can muster to get past defenders who are 20 years my junior. For someone with my style. it is much more effective to skip the constant commentary, advice and worrying about what others are doing; reserving energy for playing smart and keeping focused on my responsibilities. If I accomplish this, my comments can be saved for positive chatter that can have an uplifting effect on the team, especially after mistakes and things that may knock others right out of their mental game. Keeping comments limited and positive keeps team spirits up and the energy lively. Some players do not want encouragement when they are down and are resentful, and learning about my own style and others styles has helped me to figure out how to talk to players of different styles. ( As a coach, this type of information is absolutely incredible!)
If it does nothing for me to continually shout advice on the field, but this is my lifelong habit, what to I do to make the changes and develop new habits? At 6D Sports, we use a daily journal as a place to focus on our goals for mental game development. The journal teaches essential skills to use each day for developing the mental game. One of the most important of these skills is effective goal setting. For a player like me, with a tendency to waste energy and lose focus because of my emotional involvement, it is important to make my communication with others a priority to focus on in practice and play. Before each game I have to review my goals for the game, one of which needs to be, "I communicate positively, focus on my own play, focus on staying loose and creative."
When I do this, the difference in my play is amazing. When I am relaxed and focused, I hit the ball on target 200% more than other times. Keeping my emotions and energy in check keeps me creative and connected to my teammates. I am able to see the field better, and direct the play how I want it to go. I am not going to say that I wish that I had these skills when I was playing professionally, but if I had, I know that my career would have lasted much longer, and I would have enjoyed the game more.
Remember....enjoy the game!
