Mental Game - Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization

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Plainfield Havoc. 2011-2012 9U. Mental Game (parents and players). You will fail 7/10 times at bat - and that will be doing a great job! You will fail nearly half of ...
Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

Mental Game (parents and players) You will fail 7/10 times at bat - and that will be doing a great job! You will fail nearly half of the time trying to throw a strike - and that will be a great job! You will fail over half the time trying to steal a base - and that will be a great job! There is NO ROOM for losing control of our emotions this year. You’re older, you’re more mature. The game is different this year - you will fail at your job way more than you did last year. For instance, we had several people bat over .600 last year. We will be doing an AMAZING job if we have 4-5 of you hitting over just .300 next year! The game is going to get harder, can you handle that? Will you let your team down because you can’t handle your emotions? If you get upset because you’re afraid of letting your teammates down, understand that there will be plenty of other times for you to pick up your teammates - but at that moment your teammates need you to settle down and prepare yourself for the next pitch. YOU CAN control your emotions!

Our Goal: Confidence Confidence is described by… ● Strong, Positive thoughts and images running through your head ● Seeing yourself playing well in your head ● The way you move- spilling over confidence, no rushed or awkward movements, gestures or speech

This results in positive expectations that keep you feeling confident and looking forward to their next performance. When you are playing well you are free of… ● Fear ● Tension ● Worry ● Doubt ● Stress

These are negative emotions that slow progress toward your goal!

Take responsibility for your Mental game!

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

How do I do that?? 1 Remove the things you put in your way, things that keep you from becoming confident. ● Most athletes leave their thinking to chance ● Most athlete’s thinking is result oriented ● Negative emotions seem natural when struggling, but remember, they block your path to performance.

All of these emotions are a result of your own thinking. You can learn to control your thoughts (see number 5). Good Quotes: “You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control your reaction to it” “Attitude is a decision” 2 Have a clearly defined mission Why do you play the game? What type of player do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish?

Why is it important to define your mission? ● It fuels intensity ● Provides direction and purpose to practices and games ● It helps you deal with adversity

3 Play the game one pitch at a time ● Be in control of yourself ● Be aware of what’s going on inside ● Have a plan or purpose with each pitch and commit to it ● Trust yourself– let yourself perform

4 Focus on the process rather than the outcome Control and focus on the things you can control: 1 Your attitude - don’t let anyone or any play change your positive attitude (that shows weakness, only weak minded players can’t control themselves) 2 Your effort - the only way to immediately be better in anything you do is to give more effort, more hustle. Look for ways to help your team! 5 Develop your mental skills; your ‘go to’ when the pressure is on

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

This includes: ● Deep Breath ● Mental Imagery ● Self talk ● Pre-performance routines ● Daily goal setting

When you have control of your mental game, your physical game (your true instincts) takes over and you compete at your highest possible level! What would you like to Accomplish? 1. ● ● ●

Have a dream Use it as motivation What you spend your time thinking about usually happens Dream it often

2. ● ● ●

Make your goals specific and measurable A goal motivates you to play at a higher level Specific goals create clearer images of what you want to accomplish When you set a goal, ask yourself how you know when you have reached it

ex. I want to hit above .350 this year, I want to have a fielding percentage over .700, etc. 3. Make your goals difficult but reachable ● Make them realistic, push yourself, but avoid unrealistic goals which don’t motivate and dampen enthusiasm

4. State your goals in a positive way ● Goals should reflect what you want to achieve rather than what you’re trying to avoid.

5. Adjust your goals when necessary ● Change a goal if you achieve it or it becomes clear you can’t reach it. For example, if your goal is to hit 15 home runs and you miss 1 month of the season, re-adjust your goal to keep motivated and pushing forward.

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

Exercise (answer these questions) 1. What is/are your dreams and goals for your career?

2. What is/are more realistic goals for your career?

3. What are your off-season goals?

4. What are your goals for this week?

5. If you don’t accomplish the goals, would you still be a confident person? Why?

To Accomplish your Goals: Be Present To achieve quality at bats in which you feel confident, are in control of yourself, see the ball and take good swings on good pitches you need to be totally focused on one pitch at a time. What does that mean? It means you forget about the last pitch you forget about the pitch coming after this next one. Your total concentration is on what you need to do with the next pitch. Staying one pitch at a time and your mind on the next play is the only way you can maintain control. What you want to accomplish for the season is the sum of all your present moments, strive to get 1% better every day you practice and play the game. Your Career= 1%+1%+1%+1%+1%+1%+1%+1%+1%+1%+1% Each day is a choice to: A. Get better B. Stay the same C. Take a step back You can’t retire having got the most out of your ability if you don’t get the most out of it today! A clear mission gives you perspective, direction, intensity and meaning and opens the door to you learning as much as possible. In essence, your mission becomes your attitude, it’s a decision you make on a daily basis.

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

Putting your mission into action on a daily basis 1. Ask yourself before each practice or game: What is today’s mission? 2. Keep it in mind as you work through the practice or game 3. Ask at the end of the day, “How did I do on today’s mission? Accomplishing a mission builds confidence. It’s like making a bank deposit you can withdraw on anytime. In time you build within yourself a reputation that says, “I’m a guy who does what he sets out to do”. Confidence and mental toughness are built one day at a time - if it were easy, everyone would have it.

Going on a Mission You’re at your own retirement banquet. What would the speaker say about your? What would your want him to say?

“Nothing happens without motivation. No one can motivate you but you” To be the best you can be, the fire and motivation must come from within. You are responsible for your own motivation. Understanding the role of a mission and clarifying your role can heighten your intensity, sharpen your focus and toughen your mental skills. Go back to your answers from last week’s questions. 1. Why do you play baseball? 2. What type of player would you like to be? 3. What would you like to accomplish in baseball? Question 1 examines your motivation for playing. Question 2 focuses on character traits you want to have or the reputation you want to have. Question 3 refers to tangible goals, championships, RBI’s, etc. 1. Your Mission gives direction and defines discipline Defining your mission and thinking about it all the time gives direction to your actions. Most players let physical feelings dictate their performance. If they feel good they feel like they’ll play well. If they don’t feel well, they feel like they won’t.

THIS IS FALSE! Solid players are driven by values and a sense of purpose. Baseball is a grind and takes discipline and commitment to wok hard every day. Remember, discipline and commitment are defined as putting your mission first; before your comfort, before your entertainment, before your fun- the mission must come first.

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

Clarifying your mission keeps you going when you don’t feel like pursuing it or adversity gets in your way. It provides you with the answer to the question, “Why am I doing this”? Making decisions is easier for players who have a mission because their priorities are set. When your mission is clear the question is, “When am I going to work out today?” not “should I work out today?” 2. Your Mission provides meaning Clarifying your mission keeps you focused on the reason you play baseball and the meaning it has for you. What is the meaning of baseball? What do you get out of playing? If there were no purpose in playing, would you do it? To break the will of their prisoners, heads of Nazi concentration camps had them dig holes, carry the dirt to a different location, bring the dirt back to the same hole, refill the hole and do the same thing the next day and every day after. Those who survived the monotony and grind of this were able to create a new purpose every day for digging and then ultimately refilling the same hole. Those who did not survive were burdened by the same task day after day unable to create purpose in this menial task. Baseball starts the same way every day, with the same score and the same rules. Regardless of what happened the day before, the game will start the same the next day. The challenge is to find purpose in what you do every day. What is the meaning of baseball? The meaning comes from you. You decide what you put into it and what you get out of it. You have to fill a lot of “holes” to play the game well, so work to develop a sense that what you are doing is making a difference to you. The more meaning you bring to playing baseball, the more you get out of it. 3. Your mission minimizes stress People say, “You have to keep things in perspective.” What does that mean? It means seeing the big picture and understanding how baseball fits into life. Knowing why you play and what you want to get from competing gives you perspective. Many players tie their feeling of self-worth to their performance. It’s easy to fall into this trap when a lot of time is spent thinking about baseball and much of the attention you receive from others is related to the game. When you feel your value as a person is on the line each time you go to the plate, you’re going to be nervous. If you realize that you as a person are going to be ok regardless of how you perform, you are less likely to feel unhealthy stress and anxiety during games. Less unhealthy stress = better performance. The better

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

you understand the big picture, the more likely you are to free yourself up and play great. 4. Your mission fuels intensity Having a clear sense of being on a mission adds intensity to your game. When present moment to present moment you have intent, it results in you having intensity. That’s where the word come from. You need to have something to focus on and strive for or you will end up going through the motions. Quality practice with a focus is better than quantity practice where you take more reps but have no purpose. When you have a purpose in mind, you add quality to your performance. A clear sense of your mission give you direction, discipline and meaning . It also helps minimize stress and fuels intensity. I want you to take a few days to think about these next few questions. Talk about them with your parents, brothers/sisters, etc. and fill them out the best you can.

Clarifying Your Mission 1. What would you like the speaker at your retirement banquet to talk about? 2. What do you enjoy about the game? 3. If you were told this was your last season, what attitude would you take each day? 4. What attitude displayed by other players impress you the most? 5. Whom do you consider the ideal baseball player? 6. What makes you feel that way about him? 7. What moments have given you the greatest satisfaction in baseball? What made them so satisfying? 8. I’d like to be known as the type of player who: 9. When I’m done playing baseball, I’d like to look back and say: 10. After reviewing you answers, answer you original question: What type of player would you like to be?

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U

Plainfield Havoc 2011-2012 9U

*thanks to the Indiana Bulls for publishing their Mental keys documents which this is based off of: http://www.indianabullsbaseball.org/page/show/163602-mental-keys-to-improving-performance

Plainfield Havoc Baseball Organization 2011-2012 9U