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Softball Smarts Tips #136:
 Happy Birthday America!
The Freedom from Doubt on Game Day
<<First Name>>
If there is a single trait that is an absolute predictor of Game Day failure it would be self "doubt." In fastpitch softball the game moves far too fast to hesitate; whether as a pitcher, a hitter, a fielder or base runner.
Furthermore an athlete's or team's fate will hinge on successful "game task" execution during the most pivotal moments of the game, as the outcome of any game is the cumulative effect of singular acts of performance by both teams.
It's common sense that the player or team that commits the fewest mistakes will win. However, the root cause of these mistakes is almost always doubt.
Doubt rears its ugly head when:
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An athlete is not well prepared physically or mentally to play on Game Day.
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An athlete does not believe themselves (or their team) to be "successful."
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An athlete fears impending doom and failure, and the consequences of it (being benched, being criticized, being embarrassed).
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An athlete or team expects failure because of previous failures.
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An athlete expects too much of themselves in a game where no player is perfect.
The bottom line is that doubt is a state of mind that will prevent any athlete or team from performing anywhere near their full potential.
Freedom from doubt occurs when:
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An athlete is super prepared and shows up to Game Day with a clearly defined plan.
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An athlete plays relaxed, focused and confident.
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An athlete understands the game may knock them down, but they bounce back up expecting success for them and their team, viewing any failure as a learning opportunity.
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An athlete and team trust themselves enough to makes plays, swing the bat, throw the pitch, and take the extra base with no hesitation.
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An athlete enjoys playing the game, free from excessive expectations.
When your athlete and her team can move beyond doubting success and into a place of expecting success their Game Day performances will skyrocket as will their love for playing the game.
As Henry Ford so aptly said, "Either you think you can or think you can't...and either way you are right."
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***If you haven't already done so, please visit my new FREE video training series, "Secret Strategies to Skyrocket Game Day Performance" at: http://GameDayDomination.com.
This video and the course that follows was designed to benefit younger athletes from every sport, not just softball. So if you have sons or daughters that play sports be sure to check the FREE performance video training series out!
You can now buy all my books on Amazon by clicking here!
**You can now access the Softball Smarts Tips Archives of all previous issues by clicking here.
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Remember, thoughts are things...so choose them wisely!
Thanks for reading,
John Kelly
Softball Smarts
Winner's Edge Softball
Winner's Edge Kids
Game Day Domination
softballsmarts101@gmail.com
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