and then in reality. He shared a story about how this habit was
useful when dealing with one of his sons prior to his soccer
game. Before the game he sat down with his son and they began
with the end in mind. In other words, what are the goals? What
do they want to accomplish? They jointly stated the following:
1. Let’s try to win; try your hardest.
2. Let’s have fun; it’s a game.
3. Let’s encourage one another. Be supportive of your
teammates.
4. Let’s take something from the game that we can learn in
order to improve.
After the game, in which his son’s team lost, they sat down
and reviewed the goals. While winning is more fun than losing,
the son still felt he did have fun playing the game. He tried his
hardest and felt good about himself for the effort he put forth.
He encouraged his teammates throughout the game, and he
identified areas of his game he could work on to improve.
These are the same goals that we should openly discuss
BEFORE we take to the pickleball court with our spouse. You
will be amazed, if you visualize, openly verbalize, and mutually
agree upon these goals before you begin your match, how much
better you’ll be in realizing them. In other words, mentally
creating the desired results and then physically creating them.
Now, let’s be truly honest and realistic. Is it the absolute cureall for everything that happens on the court? Will it mean
you’ll win every match? Probably not. But, I can testify that
when I/we verbalize these goals prior to competition, win or
lose, we walk off the court a stronger team. When your spouse
is worried that every mistake made will result in you making a
remark, whether verbally or simply by your body language, she/
he will play tighter, afraid to make another mistake.
As a great role model, watch Wes Gabrielsen the next time
he plays mixed doubles. It’s easy to give your partner a paddle
tap after a good shot, but Wes is always there with a paddle tap
after a missed shot. In other words, he’s telling his partner, “I’m
here for you; let’s get the next point.” So, the next time you take
to the court with your spouse, or any partner for that matter,
Begin With the End in Mind. Try your hardest to win, but have
fun. Encourage one another, and identify what you can do “as
a team” to improve. It might be a series of drills or it could be
as simple as player communication and positioning. But, more
importantly, remember it’s only pickleball!
OK, now I’ve done it. The pressure is on me to walk the
talk. •
C
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BRING COLOR TO YOUR GAME.
WHAT’S YOURS?
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
PICKLEBALLS THAT FLY TRUE.
VISIT US AT
WWW.RIVERSTYKS.COM
Jim Hackenberg
2016 Men’s Nationals Gold Medalist,
Men’s 65+ Singles,
Men’s Doubles 55+,
Mixed Doubles 65+
DECEMBER 2016 |
MAGAZINE
45