What is the “Next-Man-Up” Mentality?
The “next-man-up” mentality is a mindset that emphasizes preparedness, adaptability, and resilience, where every team member is ready to step in and perform at their best whenever called upon.
The next-man-up approach is essential for long-term team success, especially when injuries, slumps, and unexpected circumstances can affect the lineup at any time.
However, being a backup player is not an easy role on a team.
Bench players face several challenges:
- Motivation is difficult to sustain. If you rarely compete in games, you may see the purpose in preparation, “Why should I practice hard if I am going to sit on the bench.” The problem is that when you are called to sub in, you will feel overwhelmed and not confident due to a lack of preparation.
- Staying engaged on the sidelines can feel challenging. Often, bench players feel more like spectators than part of the team.
- Backups often lack the necessary practice reps to hone their craft. Again, this lack of preparation can lower your confidence.
- Many role players called upon in a pinch experience more anxiety due to a lack of playing time, the weight of expectations from teammates and coaches, or the unfamiliarity with the game plan.
Knowing how to meet these challenges helps you play better when needed, improves your value to the team, and likely earns you more playing time in the future.
Preparation is the essence of the “next-man-up” mentality.
To put it in school terms, it’s a matter of mastering the material throughout the semester rather than cramming for the final.
What is the best way to prepare for competitions when you are a bench or role-player?
- Practice and train as if you were going to start. Since you cannot predict when your opportunity will come, prepare as if it were to happen tomorrow.
- Know the details of the team’s game plan. Understanding the game plan and how to implement the plan will help you feel more comfortable and confident in game situations.
- Stay mentally engaged on the sidelines. Keeping your head in the game will help you smoothly transition into the flow of the game.
- VISUALIZE! If you are not getting many physical reps in practice, use visualization after practice to catch up on some mental reps.
Entering the 2025 NFL post-season, the Philadelphia Eagles were statistically one of the best defenses in the league. However, during the 2025 Wildcard playoff game, key linebacker Nakobe Dean was injured and ruled out for the rest of the postseason.
For the Eagles to remain in the hunt for a championship, role players Oren Burks and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. were tasked to fill the void.
Despite the heightened pressure of playoffs, Burks and Trotter welcomed the challenge ahead of them. Both players felt confident in their abilities because they had prepared throughout the season as if they would start every game.
BURKS: “Even though we haven’t played a lot this season, we’ve taken mental reps. We’ve stayed sharp. The mentality you have to have is that it’s next man up, and we’re the next men.”
TROTTER: “I think I’m definitely ready for this. I’ve prepared every single week like I was going to start. I always make sure I’m on top of what I need to do as far as mentally and preparation wise. I look up to the veterans and see how they prepare. I’m ready, and I’m excited.”
The next-man-up mentality means stepping in and stepping up when called upon, and it requires a great deal of commitment and preparation.
When teams adopt the next-man-up mentality, the entirety of the team is lifted as a whole, drastically increasing the odds of team success.
Since the next-man-up mentality embodies a team mindset, fostering healthy competition in practice is vital.
In addition, it is crucial to acknowledge and celebrate the efforts of those players grinding behind the scenes. This helps build team unity and fuel further efforts.
Related Sports Psychology Article
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- Improve Self-Talk to Reach Your Peak Performance
- Mental Training For Peak Performance in Golf
The Focused Athlete (Digital Download)
“The Focused Athlete” audio and workbook program helps you or your athletes overcome distractions and sharpen your concentration during competition. You learn how to get locked in during practice and competition so you can improve and perform better.
“First, I would like to thank you for the help given to me through your programs, ‘The Confident Athlete’ and ‘The Focused Athlete.’ I have made tremendous sacrifices though all these years to become a top Olympic Trap shooter but something was missing. This missing part was with my mental game. My scores increased tremendously in record time and others said that I was a different shooter.“
~Marios Kapodistria