Factors of Influence: Before the Game Begins
Dear Durable Minds,
I know I am an emotional athlete. Because of that, I find myself hyped up before my game even starts and it certainly doesn't help my performance. Why do I let these things bother me? -Easily Influenced.
“You can’t be an influencer if you are always being influenced.” - unknown
Dear Easily Influenced,
It seems like you're getting distracted by what we call Factors of Influence [FOI]. These factors are bombarding you during all stages of the game – before, during, and after.
As a co-captain of my high school soccer team, we boarded the bus to play a very talented team within our conference. We had yet to face this team on their home turf. They played a high-skill touch game, and we played a physical and aggressive game.
Upon arrival, I led the team off the bus and walked over to the pitch. Let's just say there was everything but turf. The field was 80% dirt with patches of grass, bottle caps, shards of broken glass, and a shallow trench that paralleled just inside the sideline.
As you can imagine, the first thing out of my mouth was, "You've got to be kidding… we have to play on that?". The truth was, if we played the same skilled game, it would not be an issue, but as a physical team, it took away part of our tactics. Nobody was willing to open up their leg by sliding on a large shard of glass that might be hiding under loose dirt. My coach looked at me with disappointment, and I realized my comments were fueled by negative emotion, allowing for the introduction of additional drama.
Instantly, I accelerated a negative factor of influence to permeate throughout our team. Before the game even started, we had entered the Red Zone, a destructive realm where poor performance can fester. Luckily, this loss was so painful and the conversation from my coach so productive that I didn't allow it to happen again. So, Easily Influenced, you are not alone.
Self-awareness is like a superpower. It's not just about thinking; it's understanding your thoughts, feelings, and actions. This superpower brings positive changes such as:
Performance Improvement: Continual growth in your game.
Better Communication: Strengthening connections with others.
Inner Well-being: Feeling better inside.
Smart Choices: Making decisions that align with your values.
Resilience: Bouncing back from tough times.
Leadership: Leading even without a title.
In Durable Minds, we talk about Green Zone (productive) and Red Zone (destructive) communication or behavior.
Here are a few additional examples of factors that maybe influencing your Pre-Game mentality either positively or negatively.
High energy school pep rally before a big game
Receiving a bad grade on a test earlier in the day or week
A great "Pump Up" playlist
Damaging or upsetting social media posts
As you begin to think about all the things that can influence you before the game the list actually becomes quite extensive. Imagine feeling the need to manage all of them, it can be quite overwhelming and not necessary.
To ensure a sense of calm from your parents, follow these ideas:
Find a resource to document some of your thoughts for each step of this exercise. You can experience this exercise by yourself or with a fellow teammate or coach. Here are the 5 simple steps:
List in a column, the factors that may influence your performance, both positively and negatively, BEFORE you start the game/event: Think about factors from the time you leave your class or house until the whistle blows signaling the start of your event. That may include prepping your gear, getting to the event on time or the realities in the locker room/sidelines.
Identify if each factor of influence using a "+" symbol to the left of the green zone factor and a "-" symbol indicating a red zone factor.
Identify the emotion you are experiencing with each Factor of Influence and use an emoji or word to identify that factor: This is different for every athlete. For example, one athlete may be frustrated by the comments from their coach before a game, while another may be confused and yet another maybe motivated.
Embrace the Green Zone Factor of Influence [GZ FOI] and dismiss Red Zone factors of influence [RZ FOI]! Figure out how the top three GZ FOI will support or even enhance your upcoming performance. If faced with RZ FOI do not feed into it, It only leads you down a trail or drama and away from your super power of durability.
In a one-on-one meeting with your coach, share this exercise….I DARE YOU. It should open up quality dialog between you and your coach[es],