SELF CONTROL Check in on yourself before each snap, pitch, serve, etc. to give you awareness. This allows you to determine Am I in control of myself? Checking to see if you are relaxed as you want to be, if you are thinking confident thoughts, if your focus is where it needs to be, and if you are clear about your plan.
The Big 3 1. Body Language 2. Focus 3. Self-Talk
AWARENESS IS AN INTERNAL TRAFFIC LIGHT When you are driving, a traffic light tells you what to do as you approach a potentially dangerous intersection. Identify-Predict-Execute GREEN=GO! Continue what you are doing. YELLOW=CAUTION! RED=STOP!
GREEN LIGHT When you are playing well, your traffic light is green. You re not thinking, your just doing it. You re in the flow or the zone. Calm and focused. You re playing in rhythm. Cruise right on through any intersections you encounter. Washington Blvd: Have you ever hit all the lights when they were green?
YELLOW LIGHT Your Yellow light comes on when you start to have trouble. EX: swinging at a bad pitch, making a turnover, missing shots, drop a pass, got burned, coach yelling at you, someone is at the game you want to impress, etc. 1989 final high school baseball game/1986 football season/jv high school basketball coach You re tense, nervous, unfocused and not quite on your game. You re in the early stages of losing control.
PROBLEM WITH YELLOW LIGHT? Unfortunately, when players sense a yellow light they react the same way most drivers would-they speed up to get through it. Players and coaches perceive the game going faster and faster, so they go faster and faster to keep up which leads to trouble.
RED LIGHT You re really struggling when you hit your red light. You ve lost control!! You re tense, shaken, mind is racing, looking forward to the game being over, temper tantrums, do something stupid, etc. 2015 football @ MC
AWARENESS Learn to recognize when you have a green light and when you don t. Regaining control isn t difficult at the yellow light stage, but when you hit a red light, it becomes much tougher.
DISOBEYING THE TRAFFIC LIGHT You can get away with disobeying or not seeing your internal traffic light sometimes, but before long you ll end up a major wreck. Crashing and burning isn t much fun. To avoid accidents, see the traffic light as you approach it. If it changes to yellow, keep your composure and make a sound decision about how to react.
RED LIGHT EXAMPLE I get a red light when: I have 2 yellow lights in a row. I m in a hitting slump. (5 game hitless streak) I give up a home run. I make a stupid error or mistake that was costly. Refs/Bad calls Poor effort by teammates or players.
RED LIGHT EXAMPLE When I have a red light, I feel: Tightness in chest. My jaw clench tightly Headache Pissed Swearing Throw equipment, water bottles and stuff (full bucket of baseballs).
RED LIGHT EXAMPLES When I have a red light, I say to myself: %&*&@!#$ Why do I play this stupid game? I suck! What s the use?!
https://briancain.com/blog/pillar1 1-recognize-your-signal-lights.html (Video-5 Minutes) Body Language Focus Self-Talk
1) RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU AREN T IN CONTROL Recognizing that you are spiraling out of control and that your not relaxed or focused is often enough to get back to where you want to be. Watch for intersections in the game where a yellow light could pop up.
2) BREATH Remember to breath (inhale through the nose, exhale out the mouth). Naturally relaxes the body. Notice the location of your tenseness. That will be the first place to look when you have a yellow light in a game.
3) TAKE SOME TIME Use a delay tactic and take some time to breath, relax, and refocus. How many timeouts are called by a coach for the purpose of calming the team down and/or changing momentum? (According to Coach Melaney at least 75% of his timeouts have nothing to do with X s and O s.) What will you do?
4) USE A RELEASE Develop a routine or gesture to symbolically release or let go of negative thoughts and feelings. Pick up an object, squeeze it, throw it away (Flushing). Tell yourself that you are throwing away the last play. Wiping of the pitching rubber or batters box, picking grass, turning your back to the field of play or opponents fans. What will be your release?
GREG MADDUX: WON 4 STRAIGHT CY YOUNG AWARDS (354 CAREER WINS) If I give up a home run I wipe my feet across the rubber and clean it off. Now the slate is clean. It s a new batter, a new situation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =ech4zelzfnk (Evan Longoria: 11 minutes) Imagery
Evan Longoria: Imagery
5) PICK A FOCAL POINT Many professional athletes pick a focal point in the ball park or arena before a game begins that help them gain control during the game. It needs to be a permanent object like a sign, flag, banner, picture, etc. Tip: Pick an object that is present in every field/gym you ll play. Example: goal post, foul pole, backboard, etc. May also wear something that reminds you stay focused. Maybe something green? Pick your focal point now.
6) CARRY YOURSELF TO CONFIDENCE You can tell when a person has lost confidence or control of himself by the way he carries himself. The term I m in a slump comes from the body language of a person with no confidence. Shoulders are hunched, head is down, and chest is sunken. Fake it until you make it!! POSTIVE BODY LANGUAGE!
DENNIS ECKERSLEY: ALL TIME SAVES RECORD IN MLB (390) You fake it. You do. The next thing you know, it works. You can t let on that you re not throwing well. There s a body language; I really believe it. You ve still got to act like you re the man. You can t fake a good fastball. I m not saying that, but you have to give the impression that your stuff is on time.
TONI LARUSSA He taught me something about fear. Eck tells me he spends the whole game, being afraid. Fear makes some guys call in sick, or be tentative. He uses fear to get him ready for every stinking time he pitches. Tony La Russa
Individual Assignment: Body Language, Focus, Self Talk 1) List your performance green lights? (What cause it AND how do you feel physically?) 2) List your performance yellow lights? (What cause it AND how do you feel physically?) 3) List your performance red lights? (What cause it AND how do you feel physically?)