When in Trouble go Back to the Basics

When I was competing as a little girl I remember my Dad on the sidelines. My Dad would do three things when my head was spinning off of my shoulders and things were looking really bad. The first one was to remember to “keep your eye on the ball!” I would look over and my Dad would be pointing to his eyeball. That meant “keep your eye on the ball!” The second hand gesture was moving his index and middle finger up and down as fast as he could go, that meant “keep your feet moving!” The third was moving both of his open hands up and down with his palms facing down, that meant, “you are freaking out, stop rushing, just calm down and relax!” The three things my Dad was trying to convey are really smart and important for your young athlete to remember. They are the basics – keep your eye on the ball, keep your feet moving, and remember to breathe. I would venture to say that these three things apply to all sports. Go back to the basics and once you are settled down, then you can change up your strategy to come out on top! If you are losing do not keep doing the same thing the entire match. Change your game up so your opponent sees something different.