Seeing The Game To The End
More than physical factors, mental factors affect the outcome of close games. Back-and-forth games are often a game of attrition or who can wear down their opponent.
Some athletes feel more comfortable during close competitions than other athletes.
For example, some basketball players are better able to focus when the lead changes hands several times.
Some golfers remain confident when they rise or fall on the leaderboard.
Young athletes can battle until the end of a competition when they are mentally prepared for tough competitions.
We recently received an email from an experienced tennis player who asked, “How can I stay confident, calm and focused during a close, long tennis match? The longer the match goes, the more I become nervous, which throws off my game.”
For many athletes, as highly-contested competitions go on, the fear of mistakes and losing becomes the focal point.
Instead of trying to score, kids try to avoid making mistakes.
They play it safe during critical moments of the competition, but the stress causes their bodies to tighten, increasing the likelihood of mistakes and bad decisions.
The player with a mentally tougher mindset during competitive contests often wins by physically and mentally wearing down their opponents.
Here’s how athletes can wear down opponents during close games:
- Fully Prepare – When young athletes are prepared for battle, they will feel comfortable even as competitions drag on.
- Work on Confidence – Confidence doesn’t appear out of the clear blue sky. It is a skill that requires attention and effort.
- Embrace Determination – Playing each point with resolve wears down opponents and helps kids grind out the victory.
- Remain Patient – One play doesn’t determine the outcome of a contest. If athletes lose a point, they need to reset, refocus, maintain their poise and battle for the next point.
For example, Daniil Medvedev saved two match points and beat Alexander Zverev 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) at the 2023 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters for a third-round victory. The match was back-and-forth in both the second and third sets.
However, Medvedev continued to battle, outlasted Zverev, and won the deciding set tie-break.
“That was a crazy match,” Medvedev said. “He served two times for the match…I tried to watch a lot of tennis before playing in this tournament, and one thing that I saw is you can come back at any moment…That’s what I managed to do.”
In all sports, victory doesn’t always go to the most skilled player, the more talented athlete or the team with a better record. The player who often wins has strong mental skills and is mentally tough enough to wear down opponents.
Adding mental training to young athletes regimen increases their chances of winning the battle of attrition during close competitions.
In other words, mental training gives young athletes a distinct advantage over their opponents, especially in the closing minutes of a competition.
It’s essential to remind your young athletes that the player or team that wins a competition is better able to battle under pressure.
Winning the war of attrition is a matter of winning the small battles. When young athletes win the majority of the small battles, they are more likely to be successful.
Related Articles on Youth Sports:
- Help Your Athletes Close out Competitions
- A Sports Dad’s 9-Year Coaching Experience
- The Confidence-Expectation Connection for Your Athletes
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The Composed Sports Kid
“The Composed Sports Kid” audio and workbook digital download program for young athletes and their parents or coach helps kids cope with frustration and anger in sports. Help your sports kids learn how to manage expectations and let go of mistakes so they can keep their head in the game.
The Composed Sports Kid system is really two programs in one–one program to train parents and coaches how to help their kids practice composure, and one program that teaches young athletes–ages 6 to 13–how to improve composure, let go of mistakes quickly, have more self-acceptance, and thus enjoy sports more!