RESPONSE QUESTION(S):
- How does the following quote about tennis apply to softball? "The worst hit shot to the right spot is better than the best hit shot to the wrong place" (139).
- So many great quotes in each of these sections! :) Choose your favorite quote from the Decision Making Experiences section. Write the quote and explain how it applies to you and why you like it.
- Think about your strengths and weaknesses as a softball player. How can you "leverage" these strengths and weaknesses to help you improve as a softball player and in life in general? Explain.
Decision Making Experiences
"The worst hit shot to the right spot is better than the best hit shot to the wrong place" (139).
"I realized this guy looked like a million dollars in practice but didn't know how to keep more than two or three balls in the court under pressure" (140).
"It wasn't losing the match that bothered me, but rather how we lost it. Our efforts and attitudes were appalling" (141).
"The players needed to take responsibility for their state of mind and not blame others or make lame excuses or try to sugarcoat things" (141).
"Overarousal can lead to poor concentration, making good decision making difficult" (142).
"The key to maintaining high levels of performance is maintaining self-discipline, staying focused on good decision making, and not letting our egos get in the way" (143).
"The choice to take the quick and easy path appears on the surface to make life easier, but really it only exposes us to more problems than we realize. The choice to take the sure road appears tough and a lot of work but doesn't expose us to unnecessary challenges" (144).
"Refocus on what to do instead of focusing on what not to do" (144).
"At high levels of performance, we may only get one chance, and if we are not ready for these moments, they may pass us by" (144).
"The greater the sacrifice, the greater the joy" (146).
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT: How can we learn from the experiences of others? Why is it important to focus on the things that we can do?
Leveraging Strengths and Weaknesses
"As we become confident and competent at executing fundamentals, the next level of performance involves molding our strengths and weaknesses into our strategic plan. This involves tweaking our plan of action around our greatest strengths while minimizing (hiding) our weaknesses. As has been mentioned, growth is accelerated when we learn from the things we do well. While it is important to learn from our weaknesses and make them stronger, it is not always wise to think that our weaknesses will become our greatest strengths" (149).
"Find ways to fine-tune the engine to get every last bit of efficiency from it.... Find [your] greatest strengths, tweaking [your] strategic plan around [your] strengths and taking [your] level of performance to greater heights.... Most would think that such an adjustment would be trivial, but at high levels of performance, a small tweak can mean the difference between good and great" (149-150).
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT: Why is it important to always have a plan? How can you use the goals and objectives you set each day with your Mental Skills Journal to help leverage your strengths and weaknesses as an athlete?
- You could hit the softest hit to the right part on the field, and have it be an amazing hit because of the placement. A hard hit ball to the field, while a good hit could get caught or played well off of because of where it was hit.
ReplyDelete- " refocusing on what to do instead of focusing on what not to do" (144) i know that was an example Jill gave, but i love it. I feel like it really applies to me. I get down on myself sometimes but i am really focusing on letting it go and working on the next play.
- I feel like you can never stop improving. Even when that guy was top 25 in the world he was tweaking his game and improving. When we know what our weaknesses are, we can concur them and help our game that much more.
The quote relates to softball because you can hit an amazing hit but it sucks when you get robbed. It sucks with all of the little things that can happen if you hit an amazing hit where it probably wasn't the best place to hit the ball. It is even better when you hit not the best or the hardest hit but it is to the right spot where there are all of the good little things that can happen like scoring runs or just moving base runners into scoring position that could be the game changing thing.
ReplyDeleteThe one quote that stood out to me the most would be "staying focused on good decision making, and not letting our egos get in the way." I can't really explain why it did. Teams will usually underestimate other teams I know I did at a point in softball or any sport. When that happens you don't try as hard or you aren't as focused. It happened in summer ball a couple times but we came back and I feel like if we would not let our egos get in the way we can make the better decisions in games and it would just build the team even more.
I can leverage my strengths and weaknesses by keep working hard on my strengths but work that much harder on my weaknesses and make those my strengths too. If I just keep practicing that will help me that much more in games and it will make me a better softball player that much more.
1. It applies to softball because sometimes everything can be going right and you hit line drives straight into the other teams glove. Then occasionally there are those at bats where you can hit the ball wrong but it hits a hole. That's just part of the game.
ReplyDelete2. "...a small tweak can mean the difference between good and great." (150) I really like this quote because in pitching there are so many important factors going into it, and when even a minor adjustment is made all of the other factors connect to make something greater. It can also apply to slapping because it is so meticulous with your bat angle and placement that could be difference between being safe.
3. I like what he said about going to your strengths majority of the time, then switching it up for a surprise. This can also apply to slapping. Power hitting has been a strength this summer, but slapping is such a great tool to use against teams that we know so well. And also it comes down to confidence. Focusing on your strengths can always boost confidence.
when you get a base hit and it was an infield hit but it was just a slow roller thats better than hitting a hard hit to the outfield and having it get caught because you got on base. the players need to take responsibility for their state of mind instead of blaming others and making lame excuses or try to sugarcoat it. I like this because it shows that everyone made a mistake but you have to realize that you also made a mistake in that you need to try harder. I can try and use my strengths like being loud and always happy and all I can use this by cheering for my teammates and keeping them up and then we will stay up and play harder and have more fun then I can use this in life by always being happy and having a good attitude about everything so that everything becomes easier and I'm not fighting with anyone and everyone can just get along.
ReplyDeleteWith the tennis analogy is saying that mistakes aren't alaways a bad thing.. That sometimes they are exactly what you need!! Like in a championship game that I was playing in this past summer al we need was on run and the runner was on third and all I need to do was get a hit in the gap instead I hit a pop up.. But the infield was in so far that they couldn't get to it.. It was the worst hit but the best hit for that situation. For me my weaknesses help to motivate me to be better and to humble myself.. And I use my strengths to help me when my weaknesses are coming through and I need a little bit of help.
ReplyDeleteI think it means that placement is a key part in the sport. If you get a bad hit between 2 outfielders you'll still get on base rather than hitting it far straight to the center fielder and them catching it for an out.
ReplyDelete"Refocus on what to do instead of focusing on what not to do" (144). I like this quote because when we think about the what we are doing wrong and what not to do, it makes us do worse. A negative mindset is not a good one. We need to focus on what to do right.
I think it means focusing more on our strengths and less on our weaknesses. Our strengths make us feel like we're good about ourselves and keep us positive. I think that's part of the reason we list 3 strengths and 1 weakness in our mental skills journal. This can help us in lyfe by being more positive people.
I think that the quote means that you want to get the best hit. so getting a very good hit to the wrong spot is okay, because it was a good hit and you did your best and tried your hardest to get a good hit. a quote I saw was " the key to maintaining high levels of performance is maintaining self discipline and staying focused on good decision making and not letting our egos get in the way. " I like this quote because it's so true. when I get focused and set my mind to it I try my hardest to achieve the goal. when I am smart and think about what I need to do I am so much better at playing then when I'm goofing around.
ReplyDeleteI keep leverage with strengths and weaknesses by aknowledging my strengths but really focusing on changing my weaknesses and making them strengths.
It applies to softball because it carries the exact same meaning. You can get a soft dinky hit up the foul line that gets you a stand up double. On the other hand, you can get a solid line drive right to the shortstop. See how the worst hit to the right spot can be better than a solid hit right to someone.
ReplyDelete"The physical side of performance is important, but the mental side-decision making-is everything" (141). I like this because I am obviously not the strongest person on the team but if I can keep up on decision making and getting not the best hits to the right place then I can keep up the slack.
I have many weaknesses and a couple strengths. Every few days it's really easy to come up with lots of strengths and only a couple weaknesses. Where as, most days it's really hard to come up with more than one strength to all 500 weaknesses. Regardless, we need to focus more on the strengths in order to improve. (Even though it's hard.) just like in our MSJ where we have 3:1.
1. You could have an amazing line drive but if it goes straight to one of the defenders, then it doesn't do you any good. Sometimes the best hits are the short bloopers that go right in between the defensive players. Even if it's a really bad hit off the end of the bat or something, it could still be better than a hard hit to the defenders.
ReplyDelete2. My favorite quote from this section is at the bottom of page 146. "It is immensely enjoyable to see individuals who have worked so hard reap the fruits of their labors. I do not think it matters whether it is a tennis match, a business deal, a big sale, or witnessing our children accomplish a specific feat; the greater the sacrifice, the greater the joy." I really like that quote because it makes me think about how much we want to take state and how great the feeling will be to have all of our hard work pay off. I know we have all sacrificed so much to be the best we can be and I can't wait for the day when it all pays off!
3. I think a lot of times people tell you to focus on your weaknesses more than your strengths to improve, but I think the best way to improve is to look at both. That's why I like in our journals at open gym how we write down 3 strengths and only 1 weakness. Personally, I don't improve very well when people yell at me or tell me my weaknesses. I do a lot better when I'm positive and think of my strengths more than my weaknesses.
It relates to softball almost the exact same way as it relates to tennis. If you hit the best hit ever, but to a good defender, what good does that do you? Sometimes, a bad hit can be a great play if you get it to the right spot, right between defenders!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite quote is, “The choice to take the quick and easy path appears on the surface to make life easier, but really it only exposes us to more problems than realize. The choice to take the sure road appears tough and a lot of work but doesn’t expose us to unnecessary challenges.” (Top of page 144) I love this quote because it is almost like a short guide to succeeding at sports, in one paragraph. If you want to succeed in sports, you have to be willing to do the extra, harder, work instead of taking the lazy shortcuts. It really reminds me to stop taking shortcuts, take the harder rout, and it will pay off!
To leverage strength and weaknesses, you can’t forget about one or the other. If you find skills that you have that you are good at, you need to remember to practice it. Make it become an automatic thing you do. But that doesn’t mean to forget about your weaknesses. It’s the same on the opposing side. If you are constantly looking for ways to improve your weaknesses, then you will improve. But, for me, if I focus too much on my weaknesses I either have thought of too much negative about myself or I forget to work on the things I am already good at, going back to bad habits.
It pertains to softball because you could hit a solid hit right to the fielder and get out or you could hit a dinky grounder into a hole and get on. You want to hit the right spots so you can get on.
ReplyDelete"The choice to take the quick and easy path appears on the surface to make life easier, but really it only exposes us to more problems than we realize." I love this quote because once you decide you aren't going to work hard on anything, for a bit you can just breeze through life but then once it starts getting harder you fall behind and life becomes hard. It is easy to just want to take the easy way out but sometimes It is difficult to take the hard way out but in the end it will be worth it because you will gain a lot more.
For myself leveraging my weaknesses means not ignoring them and working hard to improve upon them. That is the only way to improve. My weaknesses humble myself and help me realize I'm not invincible and there is always something I can improve on. Same goes toward my strengths. I can't forget about those. I need to continue improving upon them because they give me the confidence I need and help me in my overall game. I can't focus too much on either of them, I have to find a balance between both.
1. This quote relates perfectly to softball. Having an amazing hit does no good if the defensive gets you out with it. Sometimes having a bad hit that goes to a perfect spot between the defenders, is exactly what you need to get on base. You need to able to find that perfect spot to hit to be able to have a successful play.
ReplyDelete2. I really enjoyed the quote,"I do believe high performance requires risk taking, but only at the right time and usually only when we have put the groundwork in first" (pg. 147) To me the quote is saying that in order to get better and to see improvement you have to put in the work first. You need to be doing your best at all times in order to achieve to your highest performance. I need to put in the work to be able to see my best results. I can do that by trying my best everyday to get better.
3. I can learn from my strengths and weaknesses through softball and especially throughout my life. If I am ever having a rough practice and not doing as well as I would want to be, I can take that weakness and focus on perfecting it the next day at practice until that weak is improved. I can apply that to my everyday life by taking my strengths and using them to make my weaknesses perfect.