Are You A Gamer?
Are you a gamer and raise your performance in the “big” game?
Why is it that some teams play great all season long but can’t seem to pull out a victory when it matters most?
Most teams fail to win the big game because of expectation and pressure…
You tell yourself, “This is the Championship game; the biggest game of the year.” The pressure builds… You have never played in a more meaningful game…
By the time the game starts, you feel an overwhelming amount of pressure to win…
Throughout the game, you just can’t seem to get into a groove and you play well below expectations.
After the game you wonder, “What happened?”
Well, you changed your mental approach to the game: You tried harder to tried to have the perfect game.
The big game for the championship is the same game as you played all regular season.
By labeling it, the “BIG game,” the importance increases and you feel more pressure and this can affect your performance.
The best way to approach championship games is to stick to what you have done all season long.
You need to prepare for championship moments all season, practice championship scenarios and imagine those moments so when you are in those situations, you feel like you have been there before.
The Nebraska Huskers faced the University of Texas at the 2015 NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship. The Huskers won the championship in impressive fashion 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-21).
When asked how the team was able to execute during critical points in the game, Nebraska Head Coach John Cook stated his team prepared for that moment from the beginning of the season.
COACH COOK: “My whole message tonight was we do four drills pretty much every day in practice and I call them national championship drills. And I told them, I said, just pretend you’re in the drill, because it’s going to happen. And every situation where it was close, the situations those drills that we work on happened and we executed. I said, just trust your training that you’ve been doing for the last three months and we executed really well.”
Of course you will feel some degree of pressure… You played all season for the opportunity to advance to the championship game.
The key to winning prime time games is to consistently prepare for those big moments.
When you feel like you have been there before, you feel less overwhelmed and you can focus on playing your game.
Tip for Playing Your Best in Championship Moments
When you set your goals in the beginning of the season, ask yourself, “What do I need to do to, not only get to that point, but to succeed in that moment?”
Maybe, it’s staying loose when you are playing game point. Then create little mental scenarios during practice games.
Tell yourself, “This is game point, stay loose and relaxed.”
By rehearsing big time moments, you will place less pressure on yourself and increase your chances of succeeding.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Mentally Prepare for Adversity
- How to Be Mentally Prepared for the Unexpected
- One Method to Be Mentally Prepared
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on iTunes
*Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast on Spotify
Download a free sports psychology report to improve your mental game!
Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.
The Composed Athlete
“The Composed Athlete” is presented on 80-minute Audio Programs with a 70-page step-by-step workbook that guides you through the program each day. It’s a complete system for conditioning your mind to have maximum composure in competition.
“The Composed Athlete” was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve your composure…