Do You Fall Apart After A Game?
Has a coach ever told you, “You need to finish strong?”
Do you feel you fall apart at the end of a game after you held the lead practically the whole game?
Closing out games is a common problem for many teams and athletes… But why?
Athletes that have difficulty closing out games or finishing strong change their mindset mid-competition…
Your mind was focused on pushing the pace, playing with a positive aggressive mindset and working your game plan. Your positive aggressive mindset gained you the lead…
Then you changed your mindset somewhere towards the closing of the game… You switched your focus to how the game might finish… the final score! During the closing minutes of the game, you felt more pressure to win and you developed a case of the “what ifs.” “What if I lose,” “What if I fall apart at the end of the game” or “What if I choke like I did the last game?” Your mindset became negative and defensive…You feared what might happen and played trying not to lose.
Teams that go for the knockout blow maintain their same mindset throughout the game. The positive aggressive mindset focuses on “playing-to-win” and being aggressive each play. Athletes who finish out games play as hard in the final few minutes as they did in the first few minutes.
The No. 2 ranked Michigan State University football team maintained a positive aggressive mindset in their victory over interstate rival Central Michigan to stay undefeated in their quest for a National Championship in 2015.
The Spartans finished strong entering the game knowing what matters most is how you finish.
The Spartans were outscored in the second half of each of their first three games but committed to change that mindset against Central Michigan. The Spartans played with a positive aggressive mindset, setting the tone and outscoring the Chippewas 13-3 in the second half for a 30-10 win.
Spartan quarterback Connor Cook emphasized how important it is to finish strong.
COOK: “We know what kind of players we have and the caliber of talent we have. We’ve been in situations like this before. We’ve played in big games… We’re all about finishing and that’s the one thing that we hadn’t done well this year so far.”
MSU outgained CMU, 116-44, in the fourth quarter and held the Chippewas to 1-of-4 on third downs in final 15 minutes to finish strong and close out the game.
MSU defensive end Shilique Calhoun stated that games don’t always go your way but top teams find a way to close out games.
CALHOUN: “You’re always going to face adversity in a game, but it’s just about having faith in your team and your coaches. It’s basically about getting the job done and we did that today.”
Maintaining a positive aggressive mindset will help you go for the knockout blow and keep you confident through a game.
Try this tip for finishing strong and closing out games:
Ask yourself each play, “What do I need to do to dictate the action on this play?” Just before the start of the play, use a key phrase that will keep you in a positive mindset, “Finish strong,” “Close out” or “Be aggressive.” If you notice you mind drifting to the “what ifs,” repeat your key phrase to yourself with intensity and feeling.
For All Athletes – Learn Confidence-Boosting Techniques!
D you have a negative self-image of yourself as an athlete that stifles confidence?
No matter ow positive you try to be, are you unable to shake the doubt that rushes into your head when you size up your competition?
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If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, check out The Confident Athlete!
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The Confident Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of the products in The Confident Athlete Series!
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“I enjoyed ‘The Confident Athlete’ very much. I particularly liked the format, the ease of the program, and the 2 CDs that accompanied the workbook – 10-20 minutes a day was simple to adhere to and put in my busy schedule. I love the part about confidence with grace, and what I want to portray and feel the minute I step foot into Los Angeles for nationals. I love the affirmations, the relaxation techniques, and just the entire perspective of the program.”
~Sarah, US National Aerobic Gymnastics Team
For Young Athletes and Parents – Learn More About How to Help Kids Improve Confidence Quickly!
We’ve got a great program for you called “The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence.”
The Confident Sports Kid is a 7-day program for sports parents and kids to boost young athlete’s performance, happiness and success… in sports and life!
The Confident Sports Kid is two programs in one. There’s a manual and CD for parents/coaches, and a workbook/CD for young athletes.
Packed with mental strategies that you and your kids can start using immediately, this program teaches your athletes how to identify confidence busters, proactively deal with them, manage expectations that undermine confidence, and mentally prepare to stay confident when faced with adversity.
What’s more, our program teaches you, as sports parents and coaches, how you may be hurting your kids’ confidence and gives you instructions for changing your behavior in ways that will improve your athletes’ performance, confidence and enjoyment.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Sports Kid Series…
The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of our products in The Confident Sports Kid Series!
What are parents and coaches saying about our program?
“I think the material on your web site and the communications I receive are excellent. I find the advice practical and the topics that are discussed, very relevant to my own experiences. I feel very happy with my purchase of the Ultimate Sports Parent Program. Your materials are top class. I will continue to study them.”
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For Mental Coaches – Add More Value To Your Mental Training Programs!
This workbook series was designed for coaches and mental coaches to use with their athletes.
The Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks complement your existing mental training program. Each of the 15 workbooks in the Athlete’s Mental Edge System teaches your athletes a specific mental skill to improve their performance.
For mental coaches, this system is ideal for between session education.
For sports coaches, you’ll be able to conduct 15 team seminars using the workbook system.
In the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbook system, you receive 15 easy-to-read, practical Mental Edge Workbooks on PDF, as well as 16 coaches’ game plan MP3 audio files.
Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook System
What are coaches saying?
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~Bob Simpson, MGCP