“I can’t do it.” “That team’s too good. We’ll never beat them!” Does this kind of talk sound familiar? It could be in your head or actually coming out of your mouth or a fellow teammate’s. Those two quotes sounded pretty negative, huh? Saying those kinds of things might not seem like a big deal but in the long run they could be. It could mess up your attitude in not just sports, but life. Here are five thoughts about having the right attitude in sports.
- First off, what is the right attitude? Well, being optimistic in low times or moments when your team is down and having that competitive, classy, and fiery personality is the right attitude. Thinking smart about your options and the future is also having a good attitude in sports. Respecting your opponents, teammates, coaches, refs, parents, fans, even yourself, and so on contributes to this as well.
- Losing is something that a lot of athletes take harshly. Some take it seriously, calmly, and some don’t even care. When you lose, you shouldn’t take it as the end of the world or the end of your athletic career. You also shouldn’t just brush it off of your shoulders like you could care less as to what just happened. When you lose, you need to take it as a learning experience, forget about it for that day, and then briefly reflect on it the next day at practice or whenever you can. Use losing to make you stronger, not bring you down.
- Some sports like volleyball, for instance, require a team. Team is a part of the word teamwork. Now when girls on a team start up drama and turn their backs on each other, that’s not teamwork or a team at all is it?! This goes back to respecting everyone and everything around you. You might have issues with a girl on your team and you might not have very nice things to say to her but the second you step in that gym or step on the court, you are friends. You guys are teammates. You love each other and work together as if you are best friends. You win and lose and work together as a team. Your attitudes towards each other are caring and respectful and you are willing to help them. And then the second practice is over and you are out of the gym, you don’t have to be friends. You don’t have to hang out or even talk to each other. You still have to respect that teammate as person and you can go your separate ways. Your attitude can go back to whatever it was before you stepped on the court but you still have to respect them.
- Believe! When you believe in your training and your skills, you can almost do anything! I had some friends that went to a sand tournament to qualify for a bigger tournament and they were playing two girls from one of the top clubs in the state. They put their minds to it, believed in their skills, and went out and beat that team, getting third in the tournament, and qualified to go to the bigger tournament. They believed in what they could do and got pretty far!
- Lastly, before you go out to compete. Prepare yourself mentally, and physically. Let yourself visualize yourself having a good game or time or shot. Warm up by stretching or jumping or getting some last minutes reps in so you can get yourself into a positive, confident, ready-to-go mindset.
I really hope that all of you athletes can use some of these ideas to better yourselves and teammates so that you all can have a good or better attitude in sports.
