I have coached for 13 years by the motto: “you are only as good as your last session”.
In my mind, this attitude helped me to avoid being complacent, and keep working hard. I pride myself on being relentless.
It took a training course last year, and a comment from the assessor, to make me realise what should have been obvious (and what several people have told me a thousand times).
“You put a lot of pressure on yourself, don’t you”.
I started to consider the consequences: What does my “motto” really say?
- Never slip up.
- Never pat yourself on the back.
- You CANNOT have a bad session….
I have tended to put too much pressure on myself to deliver. And this is often exactly the same for players too.
What experience has taught me:
- Pressure is way more complicated than we often make out, or plan for: You don’t just experience it when you are losing, or in big games.
Pressure comes in many forms and can be triggered by different factors (or at different levels of the same factors). - External factors come into play: Remember that your sessions don’t exist in a vacuum. There are family, school, cultural and personal factors that come into play.
Knowing each individual can help you to understand pressure they put on themselves. - Pressure might not even affect your performance…but attacks your wellbeing or mental health: Which, I suppose, will eventually affect your performance! Help everyone find ways to process and minimise it, so they stay in the game for longer.
- Looks can be deceiving: That child who talks him/herself up constantly. That is frequently a front. Look past the façade, to see if there is more to it.
Recently, I’ve been thinking hard about how I can be a better coach of the mental side of the game. I want my players to be themselves in all situations. I have split pressure into a few common categories.
Match pressure
Can you think of any players who bat with total freedom in nets, but tighten up in the match? Who can play a range of shots…but never get them out when in the middle ?
Matches are harder than training. There’s no getting around this. But we can make the transition smoother.
- Make training more “representative”: Net training can get tedious fast. Players “go through the motions”.
See if you can add scenarios. And make these realistic to the role this player. Add some consequences for “failing” – and this doesn’t have to mean “out-and-you’re-out”.
I quite enjoy setting pair goals in net practice. This helps a) replicate the tactics in the middle – where between you and your partner you must find a way, and b) give a sense of teamwork – helping each other through. - Embrace failure: And be humble! You’ve certainly panicked in the middle before, once or twice. Give players a chance to grapple with new techniques and new ideas in training.
If…when…it goes wrong, try to look forwards not back. - Match the conditions: Nets tend to be bouncy and even. Pitches are soft and uneven.
Some shots in nets “look” great…until you remember that fielders exist. Coaches often forget to praise the deflections and deft touches that are vital to an innings. Make sure you demonstrate that they haven’t gone unnoticed. - Crank up the pressure: I really like setting progressive targets. Include consequences for errors.
Some examples:
Scenarios: 5-6 overs is a good amount of time. For example, “score as many runs as you can in the powerplay, with 2 wickets in hand”.
Batting in pairs: This both makes practice more realistic, and gives you a teammate to help you through. Encourage players to spot the “signs” (that their partner is feeling the pressure), and help in a positive way.
3-Strikes Game: I use this game as a middle ground, between “out-and-you’re-out”, and just letting them bat without consequences.
Strikes can be lost by
– losing a wicket
– having a wild swing (remember to emphasise that a “slog” is different from a big shot)
– ignoring a specific point you have given them
Award an extra strike if they do something exceptional, or show signs of learning from mistakes. See if they can survive their innings with a strike.
Scoreboard pressure
We tell players to bat sensibly a lot. But I’ve often found the opposite: several of my teams are overly cautious, until the target spirals out of control.
How can we encourage our players to get ahead of the game, to manage a climbing run rate?
- It’s not just about practicing attacking shots: Don’t think that you can just throw in a power hitting session and solve the problem. Just because they “can” play these shots, doesn’t mean that they will.
If you are aiming for your players to become bolder, make sure this attitude is woven into everything you do: sessions, activities and feedback. - Beware of inconsistent feedback: If you have been telling players to value their wicket, then suddenly switch to “express yourself”, or “put the bad ball away”…they will feel conflicted.
- Find your own way: Scoring quickly isn’t all about hitting over the bowler’s head. Remind them that you can score all around the wicket. One player’s “go-to shots” won’t necessarily be the same as others’
- Understand risk: Sometimes you have to sacrifice your personal chance of a big score, for the good of the team. And they need to feel secure they can do this, without fear of criticism.
- Have a plan: Encourage players to communicate, and have a really specific plan
a) Opportunities: Most likely bad ball or scoring area
b) Risks: What is the bowler trying to do?
c) Personal match-ups: Treat each bowler as an individual.
Some good examples
Super overs: Set target per over. Treat each over as an individual match.
Clocks cricket: This is my game to encourage innovative thinking, and work towards a “360 degree game”. Teach them to “open up” different scoring areas…so they don’t just have to slog to release the pressure.
Boundaries per over: A good way to encourage your players to have “intent” to hit boundaries. Use cones to establish who is on the boundary (or the gaps).
Intimidation
We all know players who let comments get under their skin. How can we help them cope with this?
- Talk to players: Honest conversations are best. Try to find out what makes them feel vulnerable. Does the “chat” get to them? Are they overly conscious of the scoreboard?
Looks can be deceiving. Sometimes a player looks in control. But then you find out it’s all a façade…and they have 1000 thoughts running through their head. - Find your persona: Body language really makes a difference! Are you going to block it all out. Keep looking on, knowing the bowler “has to turn away first”. Or are you a more combative personality? Can you use the intimidation as motivation?
Some good activities
“Noise” or “silent treatment”: If a player naturally likes loud environments, I sometimes take that stimulus away from them. If they prefer peace and quite (eg/ being in their own “bubble”) I sometimes try to add distractions.
If you feel your group is responsible enough to do this, try allowing some light distraction between balls. I wouldn’t recommend this with all groups (it can get out of hand!). But it is important to bridge the gap between training and matches.
“Pressure of expectation”
What if you are favourites to win, and everyone know it?
Fear of failure can be crippling. “What happens if I throw this away?”. “I can’t let down my teammates”.
It’s strange, but some players actually play their best in adversity. Free of the expectation to succeed, they find their best performances. It is the pressure to convert winning positions hinders them.
Coping with this kind of pressure is important too – and often overlooked.
Set scenarios
EXAMPLE: “We have taken 7 wickets, and need 3 more for the win. The batting team need 150 runs and there is an hour left in the game. We need to bowl them out to win”.
- Bowler sets the field
- Batters looking to block out for a draw
- Add obstacles on the pitch (for variable bounce)
- Use a ball that helps the bowler – rough for a spinner, shiny for a seamer
Observe/Ask
- “Stick or twist: Do your bowlers look to use the pitch and build up pressure? or do they resort to variations straight away?
- Tempo: Does the bowler start rushing? Or do they take the same amount of time for each ball?
- “Forcing it”: Do they act in a different way to normal? Do they abandon good habits?
Summary:
- ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR PLAYER:
Conversations are really helpful, when talking about pressure. Open questions such as “what do you reckon”?, or “how’s it going so far”?, might sound wishy-washy…but it will prompt players to express their thought process. - TECHNIQUE ISN’T EVERYTHING:
All mistakes look technical at first glance. But remember the tactical and mental side. If you are running scenarios, you might want to focus on decision making, and leave that technical point for another week. - THEY WILL STILL FAIL:
And that’s OK! You can’t immunise players from ever losing again. You can help them to brush them off, and come back stronger next time round.
Mazza Cricket Coach 