I try not to be much for superstitions, but I can’t help but think that maybe the Wild West Showdown has it out for me. Last year, I ended up playing all three games with an annihilating migraine.
A lot of the unexpected things that happened during the tournament were strains on my mental toughness.
- I chose to commute instead of stay in a hotel with my team which lead to some horrific traffic jams and interesting nights with the toddler.
- The most epic case of nerves attacked me prior to the first game.
- I ended up having to sit out of the last game.
- My shoulder/arm went numb during game 2 warm-ups.
Since I spent most of the month working hard on keeping my cool, controlling my emotions, and strengthening my mindset, NONE of those things managed to impact how much fun I had at the tournament.
Last year, with my migraine, was utter torture.
And this year, well…check it out for yourself.
For those interested in the scores:
GAME ONE v Rainier Roller Girls = 149-144 (loss)
GAME TWO v Cherry City Derby Girls = 256-111 (loss)
GAME THREE v Anarchy Angels Roller Derby = 235-90 (loss)
Fingers crossed that it’s still a net positive for rankings!
If you’re interested in training your own brain, check out some more resources below:
- 31 Epic Mental Toughness Quotes to get you through each day of the month with a little bit more fortitude.
- 3 Physical Exercises To Boost Your Mental Toughness when you just want to grind yourself down. (Because sometimes that’s just what the doctor ordered.)
- 3 Mental Exercises To Boost Your Mental Toughness for when you need to be able to manage your emotions in tough situations.
- How To Stop Letting Your Brain Ruin Your Game for obvious reasons.
- Tips from TrebleMaker on mental prep during your pre-game and on game day.
- Check out the Roller Derby Book Club where we frequently read books related to mental toughness.
AND…
Join the 5-week solution to getting out of your head, building your confidence, and keeping your focus where you need it.
Here’s how it’s going to shake out:
- #mindsetmonday → I’ll be giving you a mindset focus for the week. Something that you can carry over into your life, your job, your training, and/or your athletic practice.
- #walkthewalkwednesday → On Wednesdays, we wear pink. And put into practice a specific tool to work on the mindset focus for the week.
- #followupfriday → Get ready to reflect on how you did. You won’t ever have to share (unless you want to) but part of improving your mental toughness and mindset will be evaluating how things went.
Grab the Mental Toughness Manual by signing up below!
