Lady Vikings Basketball
Winning is not the point
Wanting to win is the point
Not giving up is the point
Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point
Never letting up is the point
Never letting anyone down is the point
Make Each Day Your Masterpiece – John Wooden:
Too often we get distracted by what is outside our control. You can’t do anything about yesterday. The
door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to
come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a
masterpiece. You have control over that.
This rule is even more important in life than basketball. You have to apply yourself each day to become a
little better. By applying yourself to the task of becoming a little better each and every day over a period
of time, will become a lot better. Only then will you be able to approach being the best you can be. It
begins by trying to make each day count and knowing you can never make up for a lost day.
“Don’t think you can make up for taking a practice easy by working twice as hard tomorrow. If you have
it within your power to work twice as hard, why aren’t you doing it now?”
“Perfection is what you are striving for, but perfection is an impossibility. However, striving for
perfection is not an impossibility. Do the best you can under the conditions that exists. That is what
counts.”
MENTAL TOUGHNESS
The most important attribute a player must have is mental toughness. –Mia Hamm
Competitive toughness is an acquired skill and not an inherited gift. –Chris Evert
A person who is mentally tough looks at competition as a challenge to rise up to rather
than a threat to back down from. Like physical skills, mental toughness can be learned
through quality instruction and practice. There are seven characteristics of mental
toughness.
Competitive. A Competitor will find a way to win. Competitors take bad breaks and use
them to drive themselves just that much harder. Quitters take bad breaks and use them
as reasons to give up. Michael Jordan’s flirtation with a major-league baseball career is
testimony to his competitive fire. Why would the greatest basketball player in history
attempt to play another sport? Because he couldn’t’ accept not trying.
Confident. Tiger Woods said, “Every time I play, in my own mind I’m the favorite.”
Confident athletes have a can-do attitude, a belief they can handle whatever comes
their way. They almost never fall victim to self-defeating thoughts. Jordan went into
every game believing he was the best and in return few proved him wrong.
Committed. Mentally tough athletes focus their time and energy on their goals and
dreams. They are self-directed and highly motivated.
Composure. Mentally tough athletes know how to stay focused and deal with adversity.
How you manage your emotions can determine whether you win or lose. A mentally
tough player will say to herself, “OK, if I’ve got to beat the other team and the referees,
then fine—bring it I’ll do just that.” Keep your cool when the heat is on.
Courage. A mentally tough athlete must be willing to take a risk. That’s what peak
performers do. Only climbers get to the top of the mountain. Campers get part of the
way up and decide to stay where they are, will never feel as alive or as proud as the
climber.
Consistency. Mentally tough athletes possess an inner strength. They often play their
best when they’re feeling their worst. They don’t make excuses.
Competition is won or lost on the six-inch playing field between your ears. Practice the
seven C’s of mental toughness. Learn to love competition.
GETTING OVER YOURSELF
I worked very hard. I felt I could play the game. The only thing that could stop me was myself.
-Jim Abbot, one-handed major league pitcher
This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows on us. –
Olga Korbut
Self-consistency theory—means we act consistent to our self-concept---our self-image.
If you don’t see yourself as successful, then your chances of succeeding are diminished.
We all have self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that undermine performance. I call
them gremlins, the little invisible creatures that prevent athletes from performing their best.
Fear. We all have the fight or flight mechanism built in us for survival purposes. As we have
learned the body treats all vivid images as if they are real and happening now---which is why
mental imagery is effective. In reality, most dangers are not a threat to life or limb. They are a
psychological threat to self-esteem and ego.
Anger. We have to learn to control our emotions or they will control us. Anger is born out of
frustration and expectations. Our minds and bodies don’t always work together.
Anxiety. This is generalized feeling of uncertainty or dread. A sense that something bad is
going to happen. In basketball, some players look great warming up on during warm ups but
once they step on the floor they fall apart. We all become anxious, but people plagued by this
gremlin get anxious about being anxious. This only leads to trouble.
Self-Consciousness. Some athletes are afraid of looking bad or embarrassing themselves. They
focus on how they look instead of the task at hand. You can’t perform well if you’re afraid of
embarrassing yourself.
Perfectionism. Their mind-set often is fueled by fear of failure. Perfectionists often have a very
critical, self condemning voice.
Stubbornness. Some people are stubborn, unwilling to learn. They’re not open to change. They
believe the devil they know is better than the devil they don’t know. They aren’t going to take
risks that will help them reach the next level. This is unfortunate because in sports you must
learn how to fail successfully.
Lack of motivation. Some athletes simply lack the drive to become the best they can be. You
can’t buy motivation. You can’t obtain it from someone else. Motivation is something nobody
else can give you, others can help motivate you, but basically it must come from you, and it
must be a constant desire to do your very best at all times and under any circumstances.
Competitiveness. Lazy people aren’t willing to do the work. Every year there are athletes who
have plenty of natural talent but weren’t willing to put in the time and work to reach their full
potential. They thought they could get by on talent alone but later admit to themselves that
they couldn’t.
Distractions. Boys can be distractions, drugs can be distractions, and girl drama can be a
distraction. Anything that is going to pull you away from being the best you can be can fall in
the distraction category. Your very own friends can be a distraction.
Persistence. Remaining optimistic during difficult times isn’t easy. But the most successful
people are those who look at setbacks as opportunities for comebacks. They are persistent.
They refuse to lose. Look at Jim Abbott: born without a right hand, he played ten years in the
major leagues and threw a no-hitter. Look at Lance Armstong: the American cyclist overcame
cancer and won the Tour de France two years in a row. Look at Kurt Warner, who went from
working in a grocery store to quarterbacking the St. Louis Rams to victory in the Super Bowl.
It’s important to look at yourself and identify your gremlins. In sports, as in life, the first steps to
success is getting out of your own way.
4 Ways to Fight Through Fatigue
1. Visualize
The first two ways to fight through fatigue are for people whose minds tend to dwell slightly on the
darker side. The second two ways are for those who prefer to look on the brighter side of life.
Spite can be a great motivator. Classic fiction books tell us how a will for revenge can pull people through
the direst circumstances.
You are exercising, but just want to quit. You have that high school reunion in just a few months. Do you
want to look better than the former cheerleader or jock? You could be going on vacation with friends and
want to look the best in a bathing suit. Find that one person you want to look better than, and visualize the
satisfaction you will feel when the time comes. The hard work will pay dividends.
2. Use Hormones to Your Advantage
We have all heard the stories about mothers pulling cars off their babies. These amazing stories may be
urban legends, maybe not. The fact is that it is possible. The medical community does not give nearly
lifeless people adrenaline shots for nothing.
Think of something that excites or elicits fear. The adrenal fight or flight response will take away the
fatigue. Former athletes who have to compete in something may be afraid of embarrassment. Work hard
now so you do not get embarrassed later. Even think about a big, hairy spider. Just get the fear going.
If competition or fear is not your thing, think of something exciting. Relive it in your head. Relive how
you felt on that roller coaster or bungee cord. Replay an exciting event in your life and the fatigue will
vanish.
3. Think Light
You are tired when you say you are tired. You are defeated when you think you are defeated. When
fatigue sets in, do not think of anything depressing or defeating. Discouraging thoughts actually cause
fatigue.
Think about achieving a goal. Imagine hearing the doctor tell you that you are in perfect health. Think of
something nice someone said to you or did for you.
Also, stay in brightly lit areas as much as possible. Bright light causes the body to release hormones that
rouse you in the morning. Darkness causes the release of Melatonin, which puts you to sleep.
4. Distract Your Mind
As the miles begin to add up, you must distract your mind from the fatigue. Count your steps. Think of
funny jokes. Quote Chuck Norris facts. Say the alphabet forward and then backward. Do not sing aloud,
as it shortens your breath, but sing inside your head. Smile. Try these and see if one helps.