Have a Champion Mindset for every Competition
There are no guarantees in sports. Being the top-seed does not guarantee victory…
Being ranked higher than your opponent doesn’t guarantee winning…
Having a faster seed time entering a competition doesn’t mean you are assured winning a title…
Being the defending champion does not guarantee a repeat.
Yet so many top-seeds suffer upsets and miss out on opportunities for playoff runs, accomplishing their goals or achieving their potential.
One reason top-seeds fall short is that they look past their current opponents and are focused on some match-up in the future.
Some top-seeds expect easy victories when facing lower-ranked opponents, so they are lax in their preparation and approach to the competition.
Top-seeds that take their opponents lightly are prime candidates for upsets because their focus is in the wrong place and they often hold back in their effort.
Championship teams and elite athletes have a specific mindset that contributes to their athletic success.
This mindset revolves around being consistent in their preparation, focus and effort.
Since you can never predict what may happen in a competition or even the level of preparation and motivation of your opponents, you can benefit from maintaining a consistent approach to EVERY competition.
Instead of viewing your opponents as easy or hard, see them for what they are… COMPETITION!
The top-seed Calgary Flames entered the 2019 NHL playoffs favored by many to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flames ended the regular season with the second best record in the league. Calgary started Round One by beating the Colorado Avalanche, 4-0, in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.
The Flames proceeded to lose the next four games by a combined total of 17-7 and were knocked out of the playoffs.
In a post-game interview, Flames goaltender Mike Smith highlighted what happens when the top-seed plays “average” in a playoff series.
SMITH: “I don’t think we played our best consistently through this series, and you have to be your best if you want to move on. You can’t move on just being average, and they were the better team. They deserve some credit. They snuffed us out offensively and did a good job to shut down our top guys. You always got to remember that there are two teams on the ice, so you have to give a lot of credit to the way that they contained us.”
If you play average, you are at risk for an upset.
There is a saying in football, “On any given Sunday.” This saying refers to the fact that if you don’t have the right mindset, are out-prepared, out-hustled or out-focused, you may be out-played and lose.
Being Focused As the Top-Seed:
There are three essential elements for any athlete or team to play at its peak: (1) preparation, (2) effort and (3) focus.
You can’t just expect to win when you’re the top seed. You must work to bring. your A-game every competition.
Ask yourself: How do I need to mentally and physically prepare for THIS competition to perform at my peak?
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Develop a Champion Mindset in Volleyball
- Shiffrin: The Mindset of an Olympic Champion
- Lessons from National Championship Games: The Dangers of Protecting Your Lead
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