Post-Game Reflection
Brandon Guyer
Former MLB player turned Mental Strength Coach and founder of Major League Mindset. Doing my best to empower others to be their best, ON and OFF the field.
After a game, what you do (or more importantly what you don’t do) will undoubtedly have an effect on your next performance.
Post-game is an important time to get feedback on your performance. You must take advantage of all learning experiences! Take the time to reflect on the good and the bad, so you can continue to grow as a player and person.
When reflecting on your performance, make sure that you approach it with a clear mind. The worst thing to do is try and reflect when your emotions are high, which will result in a poor review.
The best method I’ve found to be effective is writing in a journal or notebook (Always Grind makes a great one). Being honest with yourself is imperative as you write three or more things that you did well in the game and one or more things you could improve on for next time.
Additionally, think about various situations in the game that stand out to you, and identify how you handled yourself in them. During this reflection, go back as far as you want. Ask yourself, were you as prepared as possible heading into competition? Have I been getting good quality sleep lately?
Maybe you went 2-4 with 2 doubles, but one of the at-bats, bases loaded in the 6th inning, you didn’t come through. Learn from it. Did you control the at-bat and use a routine between every pitch? Did the game and your mind speed up on you?
Maybe you went 0-4 with 4 strikeouts (been there a couple times). You may think it’s hard to pick out positives from the game but do your best to find some. Did you make a great play on defense? Did you have a great battle in one of the at-bats? Did you play hard the whole game? Were you a great teammate?
Making reflection part of your post-game routine will put you in a much better position to succeed in the future. Think of it as you’re writing success notes for your future self so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes!
Just be sure not to over think it and spend too much time on it. Once completed, it’s time to shift into recovery mode and focus on the next task at hand in your life.
Mindfulness and Mental Performance Coach, Speaker, Author, Athlete.
3 年Brandon Guyer I have one of my main mantras listed on my business card. It reads, reflection builds brilliance. I've used a journal for years, just wish I did while I was a student athlete! Great post!