{"id":15442,"date":"2023-03-24T12:08:16","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T16:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=15442"},"modified":"2025-06-04T05:37:40","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T09:37:40","slug":"how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Sports Cinderella Story Team"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cinderella-sports-story.jpg\" alt=\"How to Become a Sports Cinderella Story Team \" class=\"wp-image-15443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cinderella-sports-story.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/cinderella-sports-story-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Be_the_Team_that_Catches_the_League_by_Surprise\"><\/span>Be the Team that Catches the League by Surprise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/#Be_the_Team_that_Catches_the_League_by_Surprise\" >Be the Team that Catches the League by Surprise<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/#Teams_that_become_%E2%80%9CCinderella%E2%80%9D_stories_have_several_common_characteristics\" >Teams that become &#8220;Cinderella&#8221; stories have several common characteristics:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/#Developing_an_elite_team_mindset_requires_several_steps\" >Developing an elite team mindset requires several steps:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>What are the makings of a &#8220;Cinderella&#8221; story? In sports, we hear inspiring stories of Cinderella teams upsetting highly-ranked teams or advancing deep in tournaments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams that become Cinderella stories have the mindset that they will battle until the end, no matter who they are playing, where they are playing, or when they are playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These teams are so focused on their game that they are not deterred by the ranking or accomplishments of their opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What separates teams that become Cinderella stories from teams that live up to low expectations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams that become Cinderella stories do not see themselves as &#8220;Cinderella&#8221; teams. The term &#8220;Cinderella team&#8221; implies a team has a slim chance of winning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams that become Cinderella stories have supreme, stable confidence in their abilities and don&#8217;t see themselves as underdogs. They believe they have the same chance to win as their opponents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teams_that_become_%E2%80%9CCinderella%E2%80%9D_stories_have_several_common_characteristics\"><\/span>Teams that become &#8220;Cinderella&#8221; stories have several common characteristics:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>* Are united and have a common goal. Together, team members pull in the same direction with one objective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Trust one another and hold each other to a high standard. Team members expect each player, including themselves, to give their all in their preparation, practice, training, and competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Supportive and encourage each other. When one team member is down, the others pick up the slack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Are hungry to achieve success and not afraid to put in the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Are confident and possess team mental toughness to overcome obstacles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>* Believe anything is possible and compete until the final whistle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 2023 NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, fifteenth-seed Princeton upset seventh-seed Missouri, 78-63, to advance to the Sweet 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Commentators have labeled Princeton&#8217;s run as a Cinderella story. The Princeton Tigers are only the fourth fifteenth-seed to reach the Sweet 16 in men&#8217;s March Madness history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Princeton dominated most of the game, only trailing 3-2 in the opening minutes of the first half. The 15-point win was the largest margin victory in tournament history for a 15 seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Senior guard Blake Peters scored 17 points, including 5-of-8 shots from the three-point line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peters attributed Princeton&#8217;s success to belief, unshakeable confidence, and team unity. Peters did not see the victory as an upset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PETERS<\/strong>:<em>\u00a0&#8220;I have no words for you. I have the best teammates in the world. When we go out and believe in each other, anything is possible. I know it&#8217;s cliche, but anything is possible.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Princeton&#8217;s mindset has given themselves a mental edge over its opponents. The team does not attribute their success to luck. Princeton put in the work and honed its mindset throughout the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you pay attention to mental and physical details, you will always have the chance to succeed and accomplish your objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Developing_an_elite_team_mindset_requires_several_steps\"><\/span><strong>Developing an elite team mindset requires several steps:<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>* Work diligently in practice&nbsp;<br>* Develop trust among teammates.<br>* Build team cohesion<br>* Put team first over individual goals<br>* Challenge each other in practice<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more your team works together to develop a positive team mentality, the greater the chance for team success, no matter who is the opposing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-thrive-as-an-underdog-in-sports\/\">How to Thrive as an Underdog in Sports<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/\">Mental Toughness as an Underdog<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-perform-well-on-the-court-in-big-moments\/\">How to Perform Well on the Court in Big Moments<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio and Workbook Program\" class=\"wp-image-19341\" style=\"width:180px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Be the Team that Catches the League by Surprise What are the makings of a &#8220;Cinderella&#8221; story? In sports, we hear inspiring stories of Cinderella teams upsetting highly-ranked teams or advancing deep in tournaments. Teams that become Cinderella stories have the mindset that they will battle until the end, no matter who they are playing, where they are &#8230; <a title=\"How to Become a Sports Cinderella Story Team\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-become-a-sports-cinderella-story-team\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How to Become a Sports Cinderella Story Team\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15444,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[318,324,246],"class_list":["post-15442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-confidence-in-sports","tag-focus-in-sports","tag-mental-toughness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Teams that become Cinderella stories have stable confidence in their abilities and don&#039;t see themselves as underdogs, they only focus on the match. 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