2. Try not to think of winning as the only acceptable outcome of the game. Winning is not everything! Let’s say you’re playing a team and you finally got your goal, or you finally worked out the kinks in your pinch and pop, that is exciting milestones for you. But, let’s say your team didn’t win the game. Does that mean your milestones and achievements in that game don’t matter? No, you still played well despite the outcome of the game. So, don’t focus only on winning.
3. The next thing to avoid is blaming the ref for a call you don’t agree with. You can’t control what the ref decides to call, but you can control your reaction and your attitude towards them. Also, you shouldn’t put so much emphasis on one point anyway. If the ref says you stepped into the crease and you don’t agree – shake it off, and snipe a G the next time out.
4. Also avoid thinking about just not losing. Going into a game thinking “We better not lose” is just as bad as thinking “We better win this game.” It puts a lot of pressure on you and your team. Instead, just focus on doing the skills and techniques you need to do. If you focus on the small things, you’ll get the outcome you want.
5. The fifth thing to avoid is not controlling the things that you actually can control. There’s a lot of stuff that you can’t control like: who your coach is, a bad pass from your teammates teammates, what injuries might happen, how much practice time you get before a game, etc. But, there are things you can control like how much sleep you get before a game, what you eat on game days, the attitude you have for practice and games, the effort you put into practice and games, the pre-game routine that you do, etc. It is in your best interest to control the things you can and don’t stress about the things that you can’t.
6. The sixth thing to avoid is giving good opponents too much respect. If you approach a game with the attitude that the other team is better than you, then it won’t be a successful game. Instead, focus on making all your small skills come together seamlessly, work together with your team, and maintain a positive attitude and you might beat that team – or at least put up a good fight. Don’t forget that being the “underdog” is not a bad thing and use it to your advantage by catching the other team off guard.
7. The final thing to avoid is anything that is not going to help you be a better athlete, student, and person. This includes substances and alcohol. However, it also refers to things like avoiding eating three cupcakes before a game or chugging a Pepsi before practice. Just be smart about what you put in and around your body. Don’t let these things get in the way of you and your goals.