Heard on the sidelines this season: “We need to get the swagger they have.”
As long as “we” exhibit the correction kind of swagger, I’m all for it. There is swagger from just being confident in yourself, your teammates, your talent and the work you all have put in together.
Then there is swagger from just being cocky and out of spite.
Confidence and focus play big parts in performances. Being confident is important not just in sports but in life. If you’ve done the work to prepare yourself, you can go into any task with the confidence you will do your best.
If people aren’t focused on the task at hand, they make mistakes. If players lose confidence in themselves, they make mistakes. Without confidence in overcoming those mistakes, things spiral out of control.
We’re moving into basketball, wrestling, bowling and boys’ swimming seasons. Have the swagger of confidence in yourself and your teammates out on the court, on the mat, in the pool and on the lanes at the bowling alley.
Athletes must focus on things they can control. They can control how hard they play and the effort they give in a game.
Looking at basketball, sometimes the shooting touch is just not there. Shots won’t fall. So don’t lose confidence in the rest of your game — defense, rebounding, hustle, assists, steals, making good decisions at both ends of the court.
Over the years I’ve had coach after coach tell me “defense wins games and championships.” When the offensive production is lacking, defensive pressure needs to increase. It sounds simple. And it is if players maintain focus and confidence.
“Good shooters have short memories.” Don’t know who the first to say that was, but a former girls’ coach back in Kansas drummed it into my head as he talked of scoring slumps by his players. A shot doesn’t go down. Two shots, three shots don’t go down. Keep shooting the good shots.
Again, if you’re not hitting, maybe a pass to an open teammate will get the job done.
For wrestling, every opponent brings a new challenge. Focus on what you know you can do. If you don’t get the first takedown, focus on moving and reversing the situation. In the swimming pool, you’ve put in the laps, dig deep with every stroke you take in the water. Focus on make strong turns.
Bowling is a new sport for me. I just know that you want strikes and spares. If the strikes don’t come, focus on picking up the spares.
Confidence and focus — powerful words if acted upon in a positive manner.