1. Starts with the right attitude and state of mind (know what your core confidence is all about):

• Confidence comes in knowing your are prepared and having an unshakable belief in your abilities to reach intended goals
• Also linked to mentality of being a “Competitive Warrior”
• Jerry Lynch (2002): “Confidence is about who puts it on the line, who has the courage to compete like a warrior without fear of failure”
• Courage to leave it all out on the athletic field, play with heart, determination, and full focus

2. Program your mind for success ahead of time with positive affirmations and expectations.

• Expect the best from yourself; affirm what it is you are going to do to be successful
• Confident goal oriented statements starting with “I will, I can, I am going to…”)
• Focus on those things you want to occur, rather than things you’re afraid might go wrong
• Script Success: Visualize yourself performing the way you want (confident, energized, full focus)

3. Routinize Your Behaviors: Develop a systematic pre-performance routine that clicks on desired mental-emotional state of mind (practice, pre-game, competition)

• Practice (once you walk through the gate, you commit yourself to giving it everything you have the entire practice – this includes making a commitment to listening, learning, executing skills/drills with precision and full focus)
• Pre-game competition – develop a systematic routine for engineering the environment and getting yourself ready
• During Competition (once you walk b/w the lines, you are committing yourself to being mentally tough and a great competitor throughout the entire game).

4. Poise and Composure: learn how to let go of mistakes quickly if things do not go the way you want.

• Key part of mental training is about compensating, adjusting, and trusting
• If plan A does not work, go to plan B or C
• Use of “Focal Points” are effective to help focus attention back onto task at hand
• Be persistent and mentally tough, don’t allow frustration to undermine your confidence/focus

5. Take control of Negative Self-Talk: Reframe “stinking thinking” into positive task oriented suggestions.

• Starts with awareness of situations that cause you to get frustrated, rushed, intimidated, lose focus – then reframe the negativity into positive, mentally tough self-suggestions:
• Basketball: Instead of “I can’t hit that shot if my life depended on it”, let go, reframe it back into something more positive and task oriented “get a good look at the basket, see it, feel it, trust it”
• Baseball pitcher pressing, “I can’t get my change up working today”, reframe it, step off the rubber, breathe, refocus, visualize the feel of good release point and follow through, say to yourself “this one is going to drop off the shelf”
• Field Hockey player consumed w/negative thoughts, worried about messing up “This girl is so quick, I can’t shake her”, reframe -“win the tackle, aggressive to the ball, do the simple”
• Ineffective outside hitter in volleyball – “keep bringing it, aggressive swings, read and react, fly to the ball”

6. Look at failure as a stepping stone for future achievement.

• Champions approach to overcoming adversity: Play to win as opposed to fear making mistakes
• He missed 9000 shots, missed 26 game winning shots, lost 300 games - Michael Jordan, NBA 6 time World Champion “I failed over and over, that is why I succeed”
• Focus on the process of competing well, winning will take care of itself

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Are You a Captain?

Responsibilities

The following is the list of our captain's responsibilities:

Generate Team Spirit

• Organize a least one social event outside of practice
• Lead the team cheers at meets
• Provide end of the year awards to all team mates
• Other: locker notes, pep talks, fun runs, ice cream treats, team lunches, whatever you can think of to motivate the team members

Lead warm-ups, stretches, and cool downs

• Lead team in daily stretching and dynamics, making sure the team does them effectively, efficiently, and together
• Gather entire team at meets for warm up and cool down at meets
• Be a model when it comes to warming up and cooling down

Be a role model for all team members

• Be on time everyday with all necessary equipment
• Help coaches focus the team during team meetings
• Attend all team events
• Bring disciplined work habits to practice daily
• Maintain a summer journal and the mileage chart information
• Be knowledgeable about the sport, training, and equipment

Organize summer running

• Pick a time and location
• Make sure at least one team member is there for every run
• Phone team members and encourage them to run and attend

Know and support your team mates

• Know everyone's name by the 2nd week of practice
• Show interest in all runners' progress
• Be approachable
• Cheer on team at workouts and races and encourage others to do so

Be a team spokesman

• Be a conduit between the coaches and team concerning team issues
• Help articulate team goals for the team

 

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