Learning how to play your role on your sports team is very important for not only being a good team player but also learning to focus on things you can control. Everyone wants to be the star player, the one to make the big save, or score the big goal, or be out in dying seconds of a crucial game. However, even the best players will at one time or another find themselves playing more supporting roles, how one handles the change in what role they play will become not only a better athlete but person. To shed more light on this topic I want to refer to an article written by colleague of mine who runs a female hockey school up in Canada. While she talks specifically about playoffs and hockey, the information can be used across sports and situations.
[ posted by Kim on 9th of March, 2016 ]
Every player wants to be the one the coach calls upon to win the big game in the playoffs.
Every goalie wants to be in for the games that “matter”. Every forward wants to score the game-winner and every defenseman wants to be out there in the last minute blocking shots to preserve the one goal lead.
But not every player on the team is going to get that chance. That might not be your role.
Sometimes you’re having the game of your life and you get to go out every other shift. And sometimes you can’t make a pass on the tape, you’re giving off huge rebounds or you can’t hit the net with your shot, and you end up on the bench.
No one wants to be on the bench when it matters.
But that’s not something that’s in your control. And focusing on things that you can’t control gets you nowhere fast.
Success in the playoffs is all about TEAM.
And on any given team, every player has a different role. Those roles may change from game-to-game or shift-to-shift. In order to win when it matters, every player must play their role to the best of their ability.
And the reality is – you might not like the role you play. You may not get the opportunity you think you deserve during those big games.
Kate
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Kate Allgood Masters Sport Psychology (with distinction) Masters General Psychology (with distinction) Sports Hypnosis Certification Mindfulness Certification
TAIS Assessment Certified
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