THE MONDAY LEADOFF

Hi my friend 🫡

The source of all bad decisions is blind spots

This quote by Shane Perrish has me thinking about the importance of anticipation, positioning, and preparation. Many athletes believe they give their best effort during a competition or game.... but in reality, they don't due to blind spots and poor positioning.

For example, a player strikes out with the bases loaded. Yes, in the moment he tried his hardest to hit the ball. But did he truly give his best effort?

• What time did he go to sleep last night?
• Is he keeping the reflection journal recommended by the coaches?
• What adjustment has he made since the last time he struck out?
• Was he paying attention to the pitcher's patterns with the other batters?
• Was he intentional or reactive pitch-by-pitch?

Does he realize that every decision leading up to that moment leads to a greater position/probability of success or failure?

As a coach, I haven't figured out the perfect system for helping my athletes see their blind spots, but I do have two things that have been working (See the WHAT'S BEEN WORKING section below).

GRAPHIC OF THE WEEK:

(Credit: Adam Grant)

RULE OF THUMB:

(Credit: Reed Hastings, former CEO of Netflix)

Keeper test: If someone was thinking about quitting, would I fight to keep them? If I wouldn't fight to keep them, try to find a way to move on or cut ties sooner.

WHAT'S BEEN WORKING

1.

What? Better? How?

This is something I gleaned from Zach Sorensen, mental performance coach for the Atlanta Braves. After each practice and game, I encourage my athletes to keep a journal and self-reflect on these questions:

• What am I doing well?
• What can I be doing better?
• How can I improve on the things that need to be better?

2.

Sending recaps the next day

Post-game team meetings are commonplace after a competition. I've pondered whether this is the most beneficial way to debrief after games. This past winter, I connected with Blue Jays minor league coach, Joel Bonnett, about this. He mentioned that they don't talk to the team much after games. Instead, they send out a recap the following day. I've been implementing this and it's been effective. The morning after games, I'll send individual player feedback as well as team feedback.

QUOTE I'M PONDERING

"You don't need more time. You just need to decide." -Seth Godin

Nothing but the best,

Matt 🎯

P.S. If you find this email insightful, forward it to a coach who would enjoy reading it.