A Key Play of the Game

When we watch a sporting event, we normally have a play of the game that stands out in our minds as the turning point, the play that turned the tide and eventually had a strong part of the outcome.  During the 2018 championship series of the NCAA Softball World Series between Washington and Florida State, there are a handful of plays that one could argue was the play of the game or series.  The play for me wasn’t an actual play.  It took place in the top of the 1st on the pitching mound with the entire Florida State starting 9 gathered around their head coach, Lonni Alameda.

Let me set the scene.  Washington came out determined to fight through this elimination game and show that they were going to set the tone for the game.  The first pitch was lined for a single.  Next batter passed ball.  The 3rd batter lays down a bunt that is misplayed by Florida State’s Miss Do Everything, team leader, Jessica Warren.  The unraveling continued, on the next play another error was committed due to poor communication.  As most coaches would, Coach Alameda made her way to the mound to have a team discussion.  Unlike many coaches, she didn’t berate, yell or get upset.  Instead she smiled, told her team to relax, to enjoy the moment.

And from that moment on that is exactly what the Seminoles did.  Down 3-0 before they even had an a bat, they responded by getting 2 runs back in their half of the inning and they never looked back.  Inning by inning they responded by having fun, smiling, chanting, and oh yeah scoring runs while letting their pitching and defense step up to put a halt to any comeback chances Washington may have been trying to muster.

Many might not think this moment was important, but the coach ultimately sets the tone of their team.  I won’t say that a coach should always be loose and make their team relax.  There are moments when coaches have to get on their players in productive ways, but the key is the best coaches know their teams.  They know the right buttons to push when needed.  Coach Alameda knew the exact button to push.

Alameda has been in the game for a while.  I don’t know her and can’t speak for her, but I would assume she has some old school mentality in her (that many of us do)- that athletes should be dialed in and focused for the entire game.  Yet, she has done what long lasting coaches do, adapt to their team.  She obviously took time to learn this team and to learn from her previous team that many felt fell short.  She recognized the importance of this group being relaxed and having fun and even told them she just needed 15 minutes of focused play.

How many of us coaches know our teams to know what buttons to push?  And then if you know the button how many are willing to push it especially if you don’t like it?  Often, I hear the “yeah but that is just not me” or “that’s not how we do it” comments.  My favorite question to ask is “do you want to be right or successful.”  You maybe right in how you feel about your team or how you want them to be or how you respond to them but ask yourself if it will help your team be successful.  Ultimately, that’s the key.  Hats off to Coach Alameda and the Florida State Seminoles.

Tami Matheny is a Mental Game Coach and Author.  For more confidence building advice, check out “The Confident Athlete: 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence” online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. (https://r2lc.com/the-confident-athlete-4-easy-steps-to-build-and-maintain-confidence/) or follow on twitter @tamimatheny.

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