Have you ever played a team that not only beat you physically but beat you mentally as well? Have you ever had to play that team again? How did you bounce back? How do you bounce back?
Every superhero needs a supervillain. In every superhero movie, the superhero faces a villain who is bigger, stronger, and meaner than them, and often, that supervillain doesn't play by the rules. They lie, cheat, and steal their way to victory. But by the end of every superhero movie, what happens? The superhero figures it out and overcomes and defeats the supervillain.
When you play a team that is bigger, stronger, faster, and tougher, you have to make sure that you are clear-headed and prepared for anything that might come your way so that you can be your own superhero and takeout the supervillain.
Here are three things that can help you overcome that supervillain!
1 - BELIEVE
First, you have to believe in your ability to get better. Having a Growth Mindset means you believe in your ability to learn, grow, and improve over time and with practice. I'll never forget a story that I saw about Kobe Bryant and his daughter. Before passing away, Kobe coached his daughter Gianna's basketball team. On Instagram, Kobe posted a picture of them celebrating a 115-27 victor. The caption said, "Two years ago we lost to the same team 22-21."
It took them 2 years of hard work, but look at what they accomplished. It might take time for you to overcome that tough team, but you can do it if you have a plan if you have grit, and if you just don't quit.
2 - BODY LANGUAGE
When you play against rough, physical teams, they try to take your spirit away. They know when they have beaten you down by your body language. Make sure you go into every competition aware of what your body language is saying. Kentucky basketball coach Jon Calipari says, "Your body language SCREAMS. It SCREAMS for everybody to hear."
Make sure your body language is screaming the right things.
Damian Lillard is an NBA all-star. Watch the video below to see what he says about body language.
- What do you want your body language to scream to your teammates, your coaches, your opponents, and your fans?
3 - Failure is a Part of the Learning Process
Dawn Staley is the head coach for USC women's basketball. They have one of the most dominant programs in the country! She says failure is a part of the learning process. She also says she loves her athletes enough to allow them to fail.
When you fail, you learn. Don't look at failure as the end. Look at failure like it is the next step in your journey. All superheroes fail at some point; they just never quit. They come back smarter and stronger, and they keep coming back until they find a way to win.
Keep showing up, keep fighting, and keep learning. If you do that, you might not win now, but you will win eventually!