Practice like you play

I
t’s a well known adage that we play like we practice. If we practice with a mediocre attitude, we will play with mediocrity. If we practice like a champion, we play like a champion.
For every coach, this mentality is a challenge to instill in their players, but it is one that is essential if a winning program is to be built. 
Anyone who has experienced preseason practice — whether as a player or as a coach — knows that getting into the warrior mind-set can be a challenge, especially if you’ve never been in the trenches of the battle. 
But grasping hold of the urgency of that first contest, and being ready to engage at full capacity is so very imperative. 
I’m reminded, as a history teacher, of the first battle of Bull Run every year when preseason practices get underway. The soldiers for the Confederacy and for the Union were super jacked for the first battle, but neither were in any way prepared for the reality of what would transpire. 
When under fire, neither side made great decisions and both were less than satisfied with how things turned out. 
So, what did each side learn from that disastrous first encounter? Train and strategize if you want to prevail. 
Okay, so high school sports can’t be compared to war when it comes to what is at stake, however there are definite lessons to be learned from those life and death scenarios. 
If you approach each contest with the mentality of do or die, you are likely to put everything you have into prevailing. 
If you go into each practice knowing that it is up to you to push yourself to be the very best if you want to live to play another day, you will find that you refine and perfect your skills. 
If you grasp the concept that it takes a team effort and that every role, no matter the apparent significance, is vital to victory, your odds of coming out victorious increase exponentially. 
The football field, the volleyball or basketball court, the wrestling mat, the swimming pool, the soccer pitch, the track and those cross country trails are the arenas of battle for high school athletes, so every time you venture into that realm you must be at your very best.
The only way to ensure that you are performing at your peak is to do so at every single practice. 
Go full speed during those full-court layup drills. 
Finish those seven-minute drills under
the required time.
Attack those dummies with the same
gusto you would attack the defensive or offensive line.
Test your limits each and every time you dive into the water.
Shoot with precision and strategy when
you drill on the mat.
Push yourself to make you and your teammates better.
Prepare to win, or give everything you
 have trying. 
If you do that, and still come up short, you will have no regrets. If you hold back and don’t give your all until the game, however, you will never know if you reached your full potential, and that will be something you can never get back.
Practice like you play because success can and is measured by your effort, which is something only you can control.