Analyzing Self

The only road to success is constant improvement, this much is known to all. What improvement means and how to achieve it seems not to be clear to everyone though. Improvement means change for the better. Please note the word change as it is the most important one in the previous sentence. What I mean is if you find that something works you cannot just rely on it to work forever. No, you must analyze it and try to find ways to improve it. In team sports context it is certain that the opponent will sooner or later figure out what you are doing and will create their own plan to counter it. If you stubbornly keep using the same thing you end up in the losers' corner.

The most important subject for improvement for anyone is their own self. Even if there are coaches and team mates and moms and dads running around trying to give their advice nobody else can actually facilitate change in an individual but said individual. If you yourself don't believe you need to change you are not going to change and if you have been taught to take whatever the coach says at face value and just oblige to his/her every wish you will never rise above the level of your coach. The key to the best improvement is analyzing your own actions and making your own plan of change according to the analysis. Nobody else but you is watching your every move 24 hours a day. If someone is, call the police.

What analyzing yourself means is taking all the information you can have and then filtering it based on the reliability of the information. Major part of this information is feedback from the coach, as he is most likely the most experienced and has a plan for improvement, but your own feelings and your team mates comments should also play a notable role. Mom and dad might have good advice but, unfortunately, more often don't. After filtering the information you must choose plan of action and stick to it until you see results or lack thereof. When you've chosen the plan yourself you know exactly how to implement it in any possible situation. It makes sense to discuss your plan with the coach and whoever else you think is reliable and experienced enough to be able to help and support you.

The importance of analyzing self is not limited to the players. The coach must also pick apart his/her own actions and try to improve them. Starting from behavior in front of the team in different situations to the team tactics to how said tactics are taught to the team everything must be scrutinized and preferably discussed with the coaching staff to find ways to improve and to avoid getting too deep in one's own little hole.

Remember that there are times when change actually results in worse. It might be a temporary slump caused by the disruption or it might actually be a step to the wrong direction. The situation must then simply be assessed again and a possible action needs to be taken. Don't be afraid of making mistakes when trying to improve, be afraid of stagnation and the fallacy that there is nothing to improve.