On behalf of the Amateur Softball Association, welcome to the February issue of the ACE Coach monthly email from ASA Director of Coaching Education and two-time Olympic Coach Mike Candrea: Candrea on Coaching. As a youth sports coach, you naturally want to prepare your team to win as many games as possible, and as a Responsible Coach, you want to prepare your players to win off the field, too. The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program is proud to bring you this series in which Coach Candrea will provide you with coaching tips and resources that you can use for the betterment of your youth softball team.

February 17, 2010
Volume II, Issue 2

Overcoming Game Day Jitters

We have discussed in past articles the importance of preparation, keeping your mind clear, and having positive self talk.  This month as we prepare for the upcoming 2010 season, I would like to share with you some thoughts on how we can maximize our chances for success and overcome the game day jitters that all athletes face and must learn to conquer. 

As you prepare for the big game and your game face is on, anxiety suddenly comes in many shapes or forms.  The pre game butterflies begin to roll and the more you think about the anxiety you are feeling, the more it begins to haunt you.  Butterflies are a good thing for all athletes, but the ability to control the moment is the difference between performing at a high level and falling on your face.  Let’s take a look at some key thoughts that will allow you to be in control and use the butterflies to your advantage.

Staying Calm

Athletes that perform under pressure are very good at knowing their own body.  Your ability as an athlete to stay in the present moment and control one of the basic skills we all need is breathing.  Count up to four or five as you inhale and out to five or six as you exhale.  This will help you relax and stay in your body

Peak Training

The most important part of preparation is our ability to trust our training.  Once an athlete understands the effect of quality practice on their performance, they will begin to trust their skills and decision making on game day.  You cannot expect to play well if you do not practice well!   By training well, you can go into competition knowing that you have earned the right to celebrate your skills on game day.  Don’t try something different at the last minute. Trust that your body and mind are ready to compete.  Game time is the moment that we celebrate and enjoy our training sessions.

Player Focus

Great athletes understand that a big part of performing is the ability to handle distractions.  These may come in different forms like weather, conditions of the field, who the opponent might be and what the team record is. Control the things you have control over and do not worry about anything else.  Distractions take energy away from you. Conserve that energy for the game and stay on task by visualizing yourself playing a great game.  Play the game one pitch at a time.

Mental Preparation

Our ability to move on during performance lapses is another important skill to acquire.  Great athletes do not predict their next move or action based on their last failure.  They stop, do a little positive self talk, replay a great play in their head and then perform to their peak level.  Hanging on to a bad at bat or defensive mistake will not only affect your performance, it will affect the team as well.  Along with this thought is to rehearse in practice your recovery plan when mistakes happen.  Part of preparation is to not only prepare for success but also to have a plan to handle failure. Your ability as an athlete to see yourself recover quickly can become a powerful trait to consistency in your overall performance. Check out what Responsible Sports calls "Mistake Rituals" and see a youth softball coach use "brush it off" as a way to help her players move on from a play and re-focus.

A favorite quote of mine from a former New York Yankee outfielder:

“Ain’t no sense worrying: If you have no control over something, ain't no sense worrying about it - you have no control over it anyway. If you do have control, why worry? So either way, there ain't no sense worrying!” - Mickey Rivers

Until next month,

Coach Candrea