Can you guess what the #1 response is when I ask my lesson students what's going through their head during an at-bat or when they're on the mound in a game? "PRESSURE."

Not, "This is fun!"

Not, "I want to get a hit."

But, "I feel pressure."

There's a fine line between having game goals, working hard to achieve them, and being emotionally invested in the outcome (a good thing!), and feeling so much pressure to perform that the mental stress becomes debilitating (a bad thing), and far too often young athletes are experiencing the latter.

So, with playoffs coming up and even the least competitive Little Leaguers becoming more aware of the score and the Championship Trophy waiting for the 1st place squad, let's spend a few minutes giving our players mental tools to help them perform their best, without putting so much pressure on themselves that they struggle on the field (and worse, stop having fun).

1. Encourage them to focus on what they can control. This includes: 

• Their effort (running on and off the field, being down and ready, sprinting as hard as they can through 1st base, etc)
• Their support for teammates (cheering from the dugout when batting and talking to their pitcher when on defense) 
• Their mental hustle (being down and ready and knowing where the play is on every pitch)
• Their sportsmanship (not being disrespectful in victory or sore losers in defeat)

2. Have them focus on the process during the action. Every player wants to get a hit when batting and every player individually has mechanical things they can focus on to help achieve that goal. So, as a coach, rather than say, "Let's get a lot of hits and runs (the result,) have them focus on ONE thing during the at-bat (the process). For some players it might be "watch the ball until it hits the bat." For others it might be "keep your feet still while you swing" or "find a pitch below your hands." This very specific task-oriented mindset accomplishes 2 goals: 

• First, it gives them something they have control over to focus on which increases their chances of success. 
• Secondly, and possibly more importantly, by focusing intently on "watching the ball," or "step towards the Catcher" their brains won't have any other bandwidth available for thinking about the score, or who is on base, or what inning it is. Hyper-focusing on the immediate action will help distract them from the "pressure" of the game.

3. As coaches and parents, treat the playoffs just like any other game. If your anxiety, intensity, and overall temperature rises, so will the player's. Most often, a team's general attitude will mirror that of their coaches. If the coaches and parents are loose and relaxed and having fun, the players will be too.

If the coaches and parents are wound up balls of nerves treating every pitch like the 9th inning of the World Series (complaining to the ump about every single call, showing disappointment at leaving runners on base, etc) the players will pick up on that and put more pressure on themselves. If you asked every manager at the MLB level before a playoff game what their goals are for their team, every single one of them would answer, "I just want to make sure our guys stay relaxed and play their game."

4. Celebrate the way they played above all else. Let your ballplayers know before the game that if they play hard, support each other, and are good sports not only will they have a better chance of winning, but that you'll be proud of them no matter what the scoreboard says at the end. One team is going to win and one team is going to lose. That's a fact. But how each team approaches the game is very much in question, so let's frame success on the field in terms of what can be controlled.

5.Enjoy the experience! Never lose sight of the fact that Little League is literally the best baseball will ever be. Just ask any parent who had their kid go on to play in High School, College, or beyond and they'll agree, so enjoy every moment. If we're doing it right as coaches and parents, the playoffs should be the most fun part of the season! Getting to play ball on incredible fields in perfect Southern California weather with a season's worth of improvement under their belts is a gift from the Baseball Gods - don't let the score of a kid's playoff game rob us of the joy our players have playing and the joy we have watching them.

PLAY HARD, HAVE FUN!