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It's All On The Line Tonight For Cleveland
If you’ve been following the Eastern conference finals this year he witnessed team that was 8-0 in the playoffs going up against a team that had to battle to make it to the Eastern conference finals. As we enter game five tonight the 8-0 team, Cleveland, is facing elimination being down three games to one. Besides the obvious of some of the strategic and physical play that may need to change for tonight’s game must look at some of the mental aspects that the players need to be aware of.
If you are Cleveland there needs to be a sense of urgency and a renewed focus on what the individuals have to do in order to be successful as a team. Between games Cleveland players have been very vocal about their confidence to be successful and that they are the better team. Yet based on their play will only really seen that in one game and in that one went it’s arguable whether they were clearly that much better of a team. While you may hear the cliché of “take it one game at a time”, it truly fits in the situation. As soon as you feel like you have to win multiple games in a row your focus is no longer in the present. Teams had to make a comeback in a best-of-seven series of the ones who recognize the importance of having to focus on smaller outcomes. For example, trying to just win a quarter and then winning the next quarter and so on and so forth. Also as an individual team sport not trying to do more than is asked of you for simply doing your job is a better approach in these type of pressure situations. All season long in practice usually asked to perform certain duties and play at a certain level. So starting to try to do more when you are three series into the playoffs is not the right approach. If somebody from Cleveland to step up and becomes the unlikely hero that’s fantastic for the team but nobody should be expected to do that.
Even if we look at what may be expected of Lebron James, his focus should be the same as it was all season. To do his job, to facilitate his offense, exploit mismatches, and score when he has the opportunity. If he tries to take the whole team on his back and win by himself to be a seen time and time again in the NBA that he will be unsuccessful. Great teams need role players and great players need that support as well. Any championship team throughout history have had multiple stars along with role players or many players who fill the role as part of a team perfectly.
Lastly, from Orlando’s viewpoint this is a situation where ending the series is important. Despite the troubles Cleveland has had they were a great team during the regular season and has done some great things in the playoffs. It is not entirely impossible to think that they can’t get their act together and play to their potential. While Orlando only has to win one of the next three games the more chances they need to complete this, the more pressure is then on them. Orlando has the momentum and the lead in the series and similar to Cleveland having to make sure that everybody is filling the role and doing their part will then also need to make sure that they do not get away from one’s got them to where they are and continue to use strategies, situations, and players that have helped them win so far.
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
I know it’s been a little while since my last post. I’ve been really busy but I wanted to share some thoughts on a common theme I am seeing with many of the athletes I work with. Preparation before competition is a difficult thing to figure out. Having a routine that allows you to feel comfortable, ready, focused, and confident is not as simple as just doing what your coach says or reading up on a routine in a book. In an earlier post I wrote about what your expectations should be of a pre-competition routine and now I want remind you of the pitfalls of not doing your routine or having one that does not help you.
Many of my athletes discuss how it is easy to do their routines and feel ready during “home” competitions but then either forget to or rush through their routine when they are “away”. The common cause for this falls under a few different reasons: complexity, time, reminders, and usefulness. (*The following causes are not exclusive being at away events; the key is that not doing your pre-competition routines can lead to a lack of focus, higher stress, and not being physically ready.)
- If your routine is too complex then you run the risk of either worrying too much about completing it or in some situations you will not be able to complete it.
- The time you give yourself before a competition is also critical to completing your routines. Too much time and you may get cold or find yourself standing around. Too little time you won’t be able to get ready and be prepared.
- Reminders are also important because under pressure it becomes difficult to remember our routines. Even if you go through your routine, if you feel pressured or stressed you may skip over important steps.
- Lastly, is your routine useful? So many times I talk with athletes who have no idea if there routine actually gets them ready. You should feel physical and mentally ready, focused, confident, and comfortable.
Take time to review your routine and make sure you are getting the most out of it and feeling prepared.
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
Get Focused
- One way to maintain focus is to set process goals for each practice or competition.
- The athlete will have an overall goal for which the athlete will identify a number of process goals which help focus on specific aspects of the task.
- For each of these goals the athlete can use a trigger word (a word which instantly refocuses the athlete’s concentration to the goal) e.g. sprinting technique requires the athlete to focus on being tall, relaxed, smooth and to drive with the elbows – trigger word could be “technique”
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
Flow is easiest to achieve when:
- You perceive that your skills are good enough to match the perceived difficulty of the contest.
- The competition is not so easy that you become bored and do not concentrate.
- You have distraction under control
- You are paying full attention to the performance, with no analysis of errors or technique
- You are relaxed and alert
- You are thinking positively, and have eliminated all negative thoughts
- It is allowed to develop, and not forced
- You have practiced and trained attention
The following things in particular are avoided:
- Wanting to win
- Show off
- Wanting to frighten or terrify the opponent
- The desire to be reactive and not take the initiative
- Trying so hard to achieve the correct state of mind that you distract yourself.
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.
Year after year as sport fans we see teams/players in the playoffs or championship of their sport trying too hard. Initially it seems like an unlikely thing to do, how could an athlete try too hard? Don’t we expect our favorite athletes to give it everything they have. Of course we do, but it’s not that simple. There is a difference between trying too hard and giving 100% of their effort.
Think back to the 2007 NLDS playoff series this year between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies. As soon as the Phillies fell behind to the Rockies you could see the players trying to hit almost every ball out of the ballpark and pitch every ball perfectly. They strayed from their “let loose” approach that got them into the playoffs and instead panicked. Meanwhile, the Rockies were just playing baseball without trying to do something different. The Rockies players were never seen trying to do more than they had to.
Another example in baseball is game 4 of the 2007 ALCS between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox. The Indians had a lead of 2-1 in the series so in game 4 they played loose, took chances and never pressed despite being shutdown in the first four innings. On the other side the Red Sox played like a frustrated and flat team. Consistently batters were swinging too hard, changing their approach or simply not performing. Yes, Cleveland’s pitching staff has done well but by trying to do too much and play a different way than normal the Red Sox continue to struggle in this series. It is easy to argue that getting a lead early helps but the Indians lost the first game badly behind their ace pitcher and did not change their approach in game 2, showing that they had confidence in their abilities.
The simple lesson is that when you find yourself in a tough situation try to stay calm and focus on doing what you normally do. That is what got you there in the first place. So make sure you have clear and consistent routines and your strategy is planned out ahead of time because no matter what sport you play you never want to be caught trying too hard.
For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the left of the page.
