Galt Lady Hoop Basketball Club

We came to Arizona to play. Not just play in another tournament but play in the best tournament available in the United States this time of the year. The rumor was that the very best of the best come to Arizona to play in front of the best college scouts and coaches in the country. Girls that play in this tournament are mostly all all-stars from their respective high schools, and are totally dedicated to this sport. If you can play here, you can compete anywhere. Our girls had their hands full from the very first minute of play. Our record here is 1-3. We were able to compete, no excuses, there simply are some excellent teams of dedicated ball players here.

We asked our girls for just one thing here in Arizona. We asked you girls to give us 100% effort out on the floor. You did just that. We were indeed a bit shallow on the bench, and had to ask you girls to play extended minutes without much rest. You gave us everything you had and for that I want to say Thank You.

Lessons in life aren't always learned in victory. Sometimes you have to taste defeat in order to truly relish the victories when they do come. And they will come for you girls because of your proven work ethic and commitment to this sport you love.

Your coaches are proud of you and thank you for the effort you exhibited on the floor this weekend.

The Quiet Mind: It Puts Your Playing into a New Gear

The ideal performance state is characterized by a "quiet mind" that results in less cortical interference with the (subcortical) motor control centers and in consistent and efficient execution on motor performance.

The Quiet Mind has 6 characteristics:

1. Absence of fear- no fear of failure

2. No thinking about or analysis of performance (related to the motor stage of automaticity)

3. A narrow focus of attention concentrated on the activity itself (e.g. catching and holding onto the football without fear that you'll get crunched a split second later.)

4. A sense of effortlessness- an involuntary experience. Your skill and conditioning preparation is so complete that now you just "let it happen"

5. A sense of personal control and confidence

6. A distortion of time and space, in which time seems to slow. You can see the baseball seams rotating, you can anticipate defender's movements, you can see several plays ahead of everyone else.

To perform well, you must be relaxed enough to allow the natural timing and coordination to flow with the movement of the game. When you are in the flow, every movement feels right. Your critical and doubting mind can be bypassed to allow yourself to perform to the fullest potential. Above all, a playful sporting attitude helps you remember that your sport is to be enjoyed.

Sources: Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle. 2nd edition, 2000; also: Applied Sports Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance, J.M. Williams, ed. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.1998. pp. 158-170