The Essence of Team Sports - Simplicity (Print and Save)

Learn from everywhere, across domains, from everyone.

What is the essence of sport? 

• Know and pay attention to the details.
• Work to be great at fundamental skills...as you play "higher" the game speeds up. You must, too. 
• Simplify. "Keep the ball up" and "put the ball down." 
• Strategy works to maximize those two concepts. 
• CARE - concentrate-->anticipate-->react-->execute
• Do well what you do a lot. 
• Do more of what works and less of what doesn't. 
• Athleticism plays. No great players are mediocre athletes. 
• "You don't have to be great to train but you must train to be great."
• Choose to be a great teammate. 
• Excel at scoring - service, blocking, attacking.
• "The quality of the pass determines the quality of the attack." 
• "We are going for it." (What am I adding to the equation?)

 What are your key responsibilities as a player?

• Be a great teammate. Never be a distraction.
• Make everyone around you better. 
• Impact winning. 

Nobody is perfect. Coach Kara Lawson says, "chase perfection." Great players add more value to the team. It's "chase perfection" not "chase numbers." 

Lagniappe. Affirmations from Alan Stein... 

Please share this with every youth athlete you know!

This is my son Jack in the picture, but I've encouraged all 3 of my kids to read these 28 mindsets, approaches, and affirmations as often as possible:

1. I strive to play well, not to avoid mistakes.

2. I focus on the… pic.twitter.com/D8SH7T2P9r

— Alan Stein, Jr. (@AlanSteinJr) January 18, 2025

Here is the full list (if you want, pick your top five)

1. I strive to play well, not to avoid mistakes. 2. I focus on the process (footwork & form), not the outcome (makes & misses). 3. I work on my game during The Unseen Hours. 4. I Play Present and focus on the play right in front me (the one that just happened). 5. I display confident body language, even when I don’t feel confident. 6. I quickly move to the Next Play after a turnover, missed shot, or a bad call. 7. I use encouraging self-talk to coach myself through challenging situations. 8. I focus on what I can control and let everything else go. 9. I trust my abilities, talents, and preparation. 10. I embrace adverse conditions. 11. I am not afraid to fail… it’s part of the process. 12. I acknowledge that how I think affects how I feel and how I perform. 13. I visualize myself playing well before every practice and game. 14. I listen to (and trust) my coaches. 15. I am the teammate I want to play with. 16. I welcome pressure situations because I know I am prepared. 17. I practice (and work out) with the intensity and focus of a game. 18. I am calm when things feel chaotic. 19. I don’t let physical fatigue cause mental fatigue. 20. I am comfortable being uncomfortable. 21. I think like a champion daily. A consistent mind creates consistent performance. 22. I visualize success: I see it, I feel it, and I believe it. 23. I have a consistent pre-practice and pre-game routine. 24. I embrace challenges and obstacles as opportunities. 25. I compete every play and I compete every day. 26. I learn from every mistake and every loss. 27. I work on my mental and physical skills every day. 28. I love hard work and I take pride in doing difficult things well.