Game days are the culmination of a lot of hard work…for days, weeks, months, even years. Game days are also incredibly fun. So here with post number four of the month “I love coaching”, let’s talk about the five things that are great about game day.
- Preparation. I love watching videos and figuring out the puzzle that opposing teams represent. I enjoy putting together practice plans to prepare for competition. The other puzzle that is fun to solve is my team. What should I tell them to make sure they have the right mindset for the game? Is there a story or anecdote you can tell to turn them on/calm them down/show them I believe in them/keep them focused…whatever the situation calls for?
- Following. Okay, I don’t actually wear suits to workouts, but I love that show How I Met Your Mother and Barney says that all the time. As coaches, we don’t have to wear a uniform (except for baseball, for whatever reason), so our game day attire is how we can signal our brain that it’s time to bring it. Quirky alert: I wear new jerseys for each of our conference games…I won’t wear an old one. Those tops are harshly judged as winners or losers based on the team’s performance. Winners are used in non-conference competition at a later date…losers never see the light of the competition again. This confession leads us nicely to the next topic.
- Superstitions. Obviously, my tops (although they are super cute) have no bearing on whether my team wins or loses a game…however, that little nugget really doesn’t stop me from doing it year after year! My assistant fist bumps some of the girls before every game. I have no idea how she chooses which players to connect with that way, but if she forgets, they yell at her to come and perform the superstitious act. To add to the madness, certain players just wanted to fist bump when we were on certain sides of the court. It doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to be consistent.
- Getting nervous. I still get butterflies in my stomach on game day. I’m not talking about crazy, like when I directed my first game, nerves. But the healthy ones, this is not a normal day (but a game day!) of nerves. I worry about things I can’t control (like whether or not my team is properly prepared) as well as things that are completely within my control (like whether I should eat the same lunch I ate when we won the last game). However, everything calms down for me, in…
- …the first beep. It’s magical, let me tell you! After the warm-up music fades, the rosters are announced, and the teams say good luck to each other…it’s time to see if it all worked out. If the preparation was adequate, if my team is a winner or a loser, if we can respond to the movements that our opponent makes. I love watching my team execute the game plan and seeing their faces when things are going well and their strength when they aren’t.
I’d love for you to email me what you like about game day… I’m sure it’s interesting. Then I can put together a post collecting everyone’s thoughts. Just let me know in your email if you mind me using your name.
