Keeping the Momentum going through play offs

Momentum is defined as “strength or force gained by motion or by a series of events” according to Merriam-Webster and our good friend Google.

It’s like when you take a small snowball and roll it down the hill. Eventually it attracts more snow, creating a bigger snowball, and begins traveling at a faster rate.

This is momentum.

In sports, it can start with a great mindset, add in a great play, resulting in a great win. It is the result of one action building upon another and then another and as an athlete, man it feels great. When you have a great streak in the game, it’s like nothing can stop you, and you’ll do anything to keep that going right?

Maybe you’ve been having this momentum since your practices kicked back up in August, maybe you’re feeling that speed and the effects of your own snowball you’ve been building. You’ve got a few tournaments under your belt now, and you want to keep that momentum going.

The season still has plenty of time to build that momentum, maintain, or even grow it. If you are off to a strong start, recognize that & identify how you can keep it going. Ask yourself what is going well, and how you can build off it.  

Struggling to gain momentum? Think of every shot, every play, every practice as an opportunity to kick start it. Dive in a little on why you think you’ve been struggling, assessing any gaps in skills/practice, or maybe even your mindset. Evaluate what you can do to kickstart that momentum, and consider each moment as a fresh start.

Momentum can be the result of many things, but mindset is a huge one. If you’ve been following my blogs or emails the last few months, you’ll know that I’m a huge advocate for taking breaks from sports. As a former DI athlete, I know the stress of sports and the absolute NEED for breaks for the mental health of athletes.

And taking that break before the season gets underway can be the difference between a positive mindset with momentum, and a slow start or low energy heading into a season.

So right now, your athlete might be in 1 of 2 places. Either a, they’re on a great momentum ride and want to keep it going, or b, looking for how to create and build some momentum.

Here are 2 quick tips for athletes to build and maintain that momentum (and no, they have nothing to do with extra practices!): 

1. Take it week by week or month by month. Parents, sit down with your athletes, figure out their schedule & find the pockets of time. Pockets of time should be used for down time, social time and just time to zone out. Athletes need this EVERY week.  
2. Get “orange zone” moments where you can “just be”. Relax to music, do some gratitude journaling, coloring, zoning out, daydreaming (5-10 min at a time). Try to incorporate these moments daily, either right in the morning or right after school and right before bed at night. Just turn the mind off and just let it relax.

If you need a refresh on why breaks are so important, head over to my blog & read up on why they are so needed for athletes. Ensuring this break happens is a great way to ensure they don’t burn out midway through the season.

I took my own advice into action this last week when I found my own space to find pockets of time to refresh & renew. I’ve been grinding away as I finish up my book, and while it has been stressful at times, the momentum has continued and grown. But deliberately putting in the time to “just be” was really needed as I get ready to cross the finish line.

If nothing else, penciling in that time into the calendar can really make the difference on your athlete getting close to that finish line. 

Head over the The Empowered Athlete Facebook Community where this month I’m talking all about momentum & mindset. I’ll see you there!