SUCCEEDING UNDER PRESSURE
This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the World Baseball Softball Coaches Convention at the Mohegan Sun Resort Casino in Connecticut. Let me start by saying that if you are a softball parent, coach, or athlete - this is an event that you need to attend. The staff was incredible and presenters are the simply the best and brightest in the game. I have been playing the game for over 20 years and I still learned so much this weekend. I also had the incredible opportunity to be a presenter on a panel discussing "How to Succeed Under Pressure."
If you are a softball player, you know pressure. Being up with the bases loaded and 2 outs, trying to get a hit in your last at bat after going 0 for 3 in your first ones, needing a big strikeout to win the game, getting a pinch hit opportunity, etc all increase our heart rate and let us feel the pressure. So how do you combat it? How do you find a way to find success in those big moments? How can you be clutch?
I believe there are 3 key things to know that can help us succeed under pressure.
Pressure is a privilege. The first thing that we need to understand is that pressure if formed in our mind. Most often, we feel pressure because we are afraid of the outcome. Our first thought is "what if I fail?" Instead of thinking negatively, we need to flip our mindset to gratitude. It's not "I have to get a hit here" - it's "I GET TO get a hit for my team here." Each time you are put in a high pressure situation and you are afraid - remember that you have just as good a chance of getting the job done. All you need to do is believe in yourself. Be grateful for the big moments - they produce great stories!
Preparation offsets pressure. One of my favorite sayings is "preparation breeds confidence." The more prepared you are, the more confident you feel, and the less of a hold that pressure can have on you. We have to trust that the work we put in will allow us to experience great results. Preparation goes farther than just practice and reps though. Yes, by all means get your hours in with your team, but what are you doing that's different from everyone else? Being prepared means sleeping for 8 hours, it means eating clean food, it means getting weight training in 2-3x/week, it means taking a break from social media to make sure you can get your mind right. Preparation is a lifestyle and failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Presence neutralizes pressure. Above we said that pressure is formed in our mind. We feel the most pressure when we are thinking ahead to the future - about the worst case scenario. What if we fail? This point is two-fold. First, the idea of being present will neutralize pressure because you cannot be in two places at once. Be where your feet are. Come into the moment. Take a deep breath, and take your situation one pitch at a time. Slow it all down. Second, your physical presence neutralizes pressure because it flips it to your opponent. Body language is one of the most powerful forces in the game. The more confident you appear, the more pressure you are going to pin back on your opponent. Have some swagger and be an intimidator rather than being timid.
Will you succeed every time you are in a high pressure situation? No. That's not how our game works. Failure is a part of the journey. If you do fail, simply move on to the next pitch, next at bat, next game. Crave another opportunity and go back to your preparation. Then, when that next high pressure opportunity comes - be grateful for it, trust the work you put in, and be present with a presence.
