Another
great newsletter from the Texas A&M men's basketball staff and Coach Mitch
Cole. If you have already, you need to sign up for it -- each edition is
outstanding. Simply email Coach Cole at Mitch Cole mcole@athletics.tamu.edu and ask him to put you on
the list. Here are the Aggie thoughts on peak performance as we head down
This time of year, everyone is searching for the best ways to get their teams
to play at peak performance in February/March. Every staff asks the
questions:
What is the best way to prepare our
players for a late season run? What is our strategy if our team is favored and
playing well?…Or what if our team is the overwhelming underdog? What approach
is best when our team is inconsistent, good one game and poor the next?
The following are a few concepts that
are some helpful reminders to stress to our players in February, regardless of
where our teams rank in the standings:
1.EMBRACE "THE MOMENT"
This month is the reason you (the
player) work so hard in the off-season. Don't have a mindset of "I can't
wait for the off-season." You are working for February (and March)
when you spend countless hours in an empty gym the other 10 months of the
year. Stay in the moment. The time is now!
2."TRUST" THE PROCESS
Regardless
of the final outcomes of games, ask the question, "Are we improving in
certain areas?" For good teams, "are we eliminating mistakes that
could cost us when the competition gets tighter?" For struggling
teams, "are we seeing improvement and building toward a successful
culture/program?"
3.
HOW DO YOU MEASURE ON THE "GRIT" SCALE?
Some
educational researchers have defined GRIT as "passion and perseverance to
achieve long term goals". When struggles come, do you get more
DEJECTED or more DETERMINED?
Studies
have shown that the attribute of GRIT, is one of the most powerful
indicators of success. The most GRITTY people usually succeed on and off the
court.
4. STAY TOGETHER, PRACTICE
"TOGETHERNESS"
-Teams
can become selfish during good times and turn on each other during tough times.
Teams that stay together can resist the temptation to be
selfish, can withstand tough times, and even conquer insurmountable
odds. I love this clip of the movie Gladiator. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWRfWr65rlg
Is it possible that a more "together"
team could be worth 1 point in a game? Have you ever won or lost a game by just
1 point?
5. KEEP FIGHTING, BE
"RESILIENT"
Most people can appreciate a team or
athletes that refuse to give up no matter what the circumstance. Resilience is
the ability to bounce back from difficulty and in some cases, be better
than before. This can happen when the other team goes on a run and things look
most bleak, or even within a season. Teams that "Fight" and show
tremendous Resilience over and over again have the best chance for sustained
success.
