I strongly believe that your attitude and what you focus on greatly affects your success (or lack thereof) in any area of life.  Therefore, for this Focus Friday, you are going to practice an attitude of gratitude and focus on the POSITIVE in your world.

So – simple exercise that you will do right here.  Leave a comment and list 5 things that you are thankful for or happy about on this beautiful Friday.

Here are mine:

1. My family and the day I will be spending with them tomorrow
2. Our beautiful weather
3. My  good health
4. The opportunity to blog about something I love (softball!) and have people who actually read it
5. Being able to share information and resources that HELP others!

What are your 5?  Leave a comment below and share!

thank you photo credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/vernhart/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

beach photo credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/januszbc/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

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Not long ago I spoke with a softball mom who’s oldest daughter recently graduated from a DI college. As a freshman in college, this player was named Freshman of the Year for her conference.

What I didn’t know was that, at the very beginning of her college career, this player started off as a pinch runner. That’s all she was doing.

Her mom remembers talking with her after the first few games of that freshman season. She’d call and ask how the games went and if she got to play. Her daughter would say that “all she did” was pinch run. After a few games, the softball mom could hear the increasing frustration and irritation in her daughter’s voice. One day, when her daughter told her that all she did was pinch run, she responded with,

“Well then you better be the best pinch runner your team has ever seen.”

Her daughter later told her that that had been a wake up call for her. It was a turning point in her college career. After that phone call, she made a decision to stop grumbling, work her butt off, and take advantage of every opportunity she did get.

Most softball players, whether they are conscious of it or not, make this same kind of choice every single day. As a player, you can choose to be frustrated and irritated and grumble about your situation; or you can choose to stay away from that negative mindset, work your butt off, stay focused on improving, and take advantage of whatever opportunities come your way. These opportunities do not only come in games. They come in practice as well.

I’ve also heard players grumble about not having as many chances as other players do, and while that may very well be the case, they are more productive ways to spend your time and energy. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, it serves you better to stay positive and make it a point to make the best of any opportunity you do get.  Stop focusing on what you don’t have and start fully appreciating and making the most of what you do have. You’re much more likely to be successful that way.

So how did this player I mentioned earlier go from being “just a pinch runner” to being Conference Freshman of the Year?

Well, one day a player on her team was having a rough day. The coach decided to put her in the game to replace that player.  She had a great day and that was it.  She never looked back.  She became a regular starter and ended up as the Freshman Player of the Year in her conference.  It’s a great example of how having the right mindset and attitude as a player can propel you to great things.

As a parent, are you cultivating the right mindset?  Or do you add to and feed the negativity your daughter sometimes falls into?
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Most sports fans at least heard about the recent UFC fight between Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn. Truthfully, I like GSP as a fighter and competitor, but since BJ is the local boy from Hawaii, of course, we had to root for him.

If you saw or heard about the fight, you know that GSP dominated!

There are reasons why I like and respect GSP and these qualities are also a big part of why he’s so great at what he does.

So here is my list of the Top 5 Lessons to Learn from GSP

5. Never make excuses
Even after losses or disappointing fights, I never heard this guy make excuses like most other fighters (and athletes in general) tend to do. He simply states what he didn’t do or what he needed to have done differently to have had a chance at a better fight. He doesn’t blame other people, outside influences, or his situation. He takes responsibility for his shortcomings (and often apologizes to his fans and supporters) without making excuses as for why he fell short and without acting like a crybaby. He just tells it like it is, takes responsibility for his own performance, and moves forward.

4. No matter how good you are, always push to become better
Even if you’re a champion, don’t just sit back and think you’re hot stuff. Continue to learn and seek improvement. GSP always seems to be open to new training, new techniques, and new strategies. He has a good team of people around him and actually listens to their insights. Many players, especially good ones, tend to have a “I already know everything I need to know” mentality. They shut out what their coaches and trainers are trying to teach them without even giving them a chance. Once you think you know it all or “have it all” you aren’t going to get any better and someone will pass you by. Someone who, like GSP, is eternally seeking to get better no matter how good they already are. That person will eventually fly right past you as if you were standing still because once you think you’re all that, you will stop moving forward.

3. Train hard!
When GSP trains for a fight, he doesn’t mess around. The harder you push yourself in training, the more confidence you’ll have in competition. Leave nothing to chance. Just because you are “supposed” to win doesn’t mean you can afford to slack in practice. It might end up biting you in the butt. The more you push yourself in practice, the more confidence you’ll have in the game because you know you’ve already done everything you could possible do to get ready. Don’t allow lack of preparation to be the difference between you and your opponent. Don’t take the chance that you will be less successful simply because you chose not to prepare. Remember, the harder you train, the easier the game.

2. Get over yourself
So many people, especially those that are getting to a level where they are experiencing success, are so caught up with themselves that they miss out on the opportunity to know their opponent. Players and teams can get caught up with the, “Well, I can do this” and “Our _____ is better than theirs” or “That team doesn’t have the ______ that we do.” Knowing your opponent and what their strengths and weaknesses are and finding a way to be smart in your “attack” on them will go a lot farther than being “into” everything you can do. Yes, it’s good to be confident, but stop focusing on the how “great you are” and prepare. Forget about all those things that you “can” do and figure out what you “need” to do in order to break your opponent down and tear them apart. In other words, even if you have all the physical talent and ability to outplay your opponent, be smart! Don’t just go in and try to match blow for blow, muscle for muscle, when you could be working smarter, not harder and be more successful.

1. Always respect your opponents
After every fight I’ve seen, and maybe I haven’t seen them all, GSP always shows respect to his opponents, win or lose. Even when he loses and talks about what he should have done differently, he still manages to give credit to the other fighter and not lessen what they have done. Often times I’ll see athletes come out on the losing end of a competition and make it all about them. “I didn’t do this” or “I should’ve done that” and things would have been different “if only I…” without giving any credit to the person on the other side…as if that other person just got lucky they had a bad day. While it may be true that you didn’t do what you needed to do to come out on top, your opponent did have the ability to take advantage of the opportunities presented. Most of the time, especially in big games or tough competitions, your opponent trained hard and wanted that prize just as much as you did (or maybe more). Do not belittle their efforts. Give credit where credit is due. It’s getting more and more rare to see athletes with the kind of class GSP often displays. I can’t stand it when I see players or teams win championships and then shove it into their opponents face. It’s one thing to be excited and happy and pumped up and celebrate what you just accomplished. It’s another to rub it in to the opponent you just beat. Respect the game by respecting everyone involved.

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Cindy Bristow has unleashed her brand new website and I will be telling you more about it later as well as giving you my opinion on some of the products there after I’ve had a chance to look at them. However, there is one freebie I took a look at today and like very much.

It’s called How to Maintain a Positive Team Attitude and this is such an important topic. Some years, as a coach, you don’t need to worry about it as much as others, but when you get to that season when attitude is something you really need to work on, or when you know that that will make the difference between your team taking it to the next level or not, this little report just might help you out.

Go get it, it’s free. Visit www.softballexcellence.com and click on the Free Stuff link that is in the left hand margin of the screen. This particular report is on page 6 of the freebies offered at www.softballexcellence.com. Here’s to a positive season!

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