*Important note* This is only for players who are at or moving towards an elite level and have been playing for a while. Most of what in this post does not apply to nearly all youth players and even most college players.
I'm a big fan of mental toughness preparation for games, especially from sources like Tiina Booth or Alan Goldberg. I love the idea that you should only think of what you can do to help your team rather than uncontrollables. I have fought tooth and nail to focus only on myself and my teammates in game and practice situations. But at a certain point in most great ultimate players' (or any athletes') career, they realize that the idea that each game is the same is a myth. When you are winning nearly every game and/or on top, it is sometimes possible to say that you go in with no expectations; however, everyone else has expectations and needs to acknowledge them to get to the next level. Simply put, there are big games and there are not big games, and you should acknowledge that there is a difference.
No one can give 100% all of the time. As much as people hate to admit it, everyone needs to know when to conserve and when to sprint. This leads to the fallacy of people always being into a game - if everyone was 100% focused on the game at all times, the team would be tremendously better, but since that's 100% impossible, it's a moot point. So the questions become: 1. how does a team improve its collective effort and focus? 2. how can players increase their effort and focus? and 3. how can players recognize that it is the time to utilize that increased effort and focus?
Interesting questions that I will try to (theoretically) answer in a future post.
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