One Simple Way To Intimidate The Competition

I have three daughters who play volleyball, so I watch a lot of volleyball. A typical ritual I’ve observed across all teams occurs between points. After every point the players huddle in the middle of the court, do a ritual or dance, and say something to each other. The ritual varies depending on what just happened. For example, an ace precipitates a different ritual than a block. Losing a point has a little different ritual than winning a point.

I’ve noticed that when a team is winning or on a roll, the ritual is quite enthusiastic. When the team is losing, the ritual loses enthusiasm, sometimes even disintegrates. Why is this?

Why would a team reduce the enthusiasm of their rituals when things aren’t going in their favor? It’s one of very few things over which they have control. Why would their coach even allow this?

If I was a coach, I’d require my players to amp up the enthusiasm of their rituals when they were losing. Send a strong message to the other team that they can’t control our attitude.

Whether on the court or in life, the easiest way to intimidate the competition is to focus on what you can control, and do it with gusto. No matter what.

The preparation

The warmup

The check-in

The huddle

The debrief

The effort

The strategy

The celebration

What are your rituals? What daily disciplines do you compromise when the going gets tough or external factors are threatening your progress? In my next post I will share a few rituals that any team or individual can practice to reinforce their control over what they can influence, and let go of the rest.

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