Sink to the Level of Your Training!

One characteristic that I have observed in 25 years of coaching is that one thing all great athletes, teams, students, and high achievers in any field seem to have in common is their commitment to operate at consistently high levels in their daily routines and training.

NOTE: When I refer to routine throughout this resource, I am referring to all the things outside of training that impact performance…rest, fueling, sleep, hydration, mental preparation, study, etc.

Now I know that observation doesn’t take anyone by surprise. You’ve most likely observed that yourself even if you are new to this coaching thing. The observation itself is not important, but how we help our student athletes understand that and evaluate their own daily routines is!

So this month I’d like to share with you how I do that with the athletes I work with on my own teams or 1-on-1 through FREE2COMPETE. I’ve also had led this conversation many times in a team setting.

STEP 1: Introduction  

My wife and I enjoy the old television sitcom “King of Queens.” One of my favorite episodes serves as the perfect introduction to making sure your daily habits (training) are actually preparing you for the occasion (competition) that is to come!

Check out these two short clips of Doug Heffernen and his return to football from “King of Queens”. In the first clip he is helping “coach” a youth football team and feeling pretty good about himself. In the second he is trying out for a semi-pro team, and let’s just say it doesn’t go so well for him.

In the first clip, Doug is definitely feeling pretty good about himself and the “work” he is putting into his training. But as we watch the second clip it is very clear that his “work” wasn’t up to the level that it needed to be.

REFLECTION QUESTION: 

Have you had a time where your training looked like Doug’s — you are having a good time, you feel better about yourself, but you really haven’t gotten better?

Has our team had a time where our training looked like Doug’s — we are having a good time, we feel better about ourselves, but we really haven’t gotten better as a team?

STEP 2: Reflection

A common quote used when it comes to competition is “GO BIG OR GO HOME.” The reality is that most of us “go home” in these settings far more often that we “go big” in the situations where we use this quote. The best don’t need to “go big” because their daily preparation is big, so they just do their thing. Those who aren’t prepared at the proper level are the ones who find themselves needing to “go big,” and like Doug, often find themselves “going home.”

The Navy SEALS live by the following quote when it comes to their elite preparation (practice) for the missions (competitions) that they will be sent on and it is a great statement to use with your athletes.

REFLECTION QUESTION: 

Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why?

I regularly share this quote with the athletes I coach or work with 1-on-1 and the students that I teach. It is great reminder of the focus we need to put into our preparation. I also share with them that if you reflect on the truth in this quote it should do one of two things:

1. GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE because you know you have prepared at a high level on a regular basis.

2. GIVE YOU CONCERN because you know you haven’t prepared at the level that your competition will demand of you.

REFLECTION QUESTION: 

Does this quote give you CONFIDENCE or CONCERN when you think about your current preparation for your most important competitions of the season?

Does this quote give you CONFIDENCE or CONCERN when you think about our team’s current preparation for our most important competitions of the season?

If this quote currently gives you CONFIDENCE, identify 2-3 areas of your routine/training that you are most likely to let slide to a lower level when things are going well for you.

If this quote currently gives you CONCERN, identify 2-3 areas of your routine/training that you need to adjust right now.

 STEP 3: Understanding the TALENT TRAP

Watch this short video as Mental Performance Coach Brain Cain shares an important thought regarding this quote and how there is a trap for high school athletes.

If you’ve coached long enough, you’ve had an athlete that grew complacent in their training because they were the best on your team and they could get away with less than their best at practice. However, when they met someone with equal talent or a better work ethic in competition, they were often beat! This is what was illustrated in the “King of Queens” clips at the beginning of this resource.

The unfortunate reality is that for many athletes to fully understand the truth of the Navy SEALS quote and the core of this lesson, they need to be exposed in a moment that matters to them. If that happens to one of your athletes, I hope you pick them up and challenge them to evaluate their training.

DID YOU KNOW…

Our FREE2COMPETE team sends a weekly journal prompt designed to challenge athletes to reflect on lessons like today’s resource? Check it out at the link below. If your athletes would benefit from this resource please consider sharing it with them!

PASS IT ON!

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