Psychology Of Sports

A left handed high school pitcher on Long Island throws 95mph, and he is going to be drafted as a horde of major league scouts follow him around this season. However, in his first start he lost which is not unusual for many drafted players or phenoms. However, everyone thought the other team had no shot. In addition, his team is picked to win the county championship–so how in the world did the other team win? Well–they needed to approach the game believing that they could win and of course look forward to the challenge of facing a future major leaguer. If you are fearful of facing such a pitcher or for that matter what appears to be an unbeatable foe–then you might as well not show up.

The thinking that young children should only play or master one position is not in the child’s best interests –it is also outdated thinking. This also applies to high school and college players as well. First, for the young athlete the idea that they should master one position does not take into account changes in their overall development. It also deprives them of seeing the field from another perspective and getting a better overall view of the game, as well as perhaps finding a position they might like. All you have to do is look at the professional ranks to see players who have changed positions. The best example of course is baseball where changing positions is very common. Most youth won’t go on to play pro sports, might as well let them play where they can and enjoy themselves. For the advanced athlete the more positions he/she can play the more valuable they are to the team. Simple as that.

Performance is primarily based upon off the field preparation. That includes both mental, physical, and skill development. This also includes completely understanding and immediately recognizing what adjustments you need to make during the game. You cannot “work on your game” while you are competing. If you are maximally prepared then onfield performance will be virtually automatic and just click-in. 

As the spring sports season begins there is one major rule of thumb that you should use when choosing a team or a sport you are going to play and that is–go where you are going to play. It makes no sense to be on a team where you get no playing time, unless you enjoy sitting on the bench or hanging out with your teamates. Also while you might decide to “play up”, that is play with older players to improve your skill level, you should only do so if you are going play. Otherwise, go to a team or a sport for that matter where you are going to receive a significant amount of playing time.