It’s the day of the championship game. You’ve just woken up and are already thinking about the game. You have butterflies in your stomach, and you can’t eat anything. You are too busy worrying about the game in the morning, when it’s at night. Your younger brother is trying to tell you something, but you can’t hear him. He was asking you if you wanted to go outside and practice for a little bit. When you have gotten over it in the morning, it starts to creep back in your mind at lunch. You start to wonder about the people. The people in the stands for your team how you don’t want them to look down on you, your opponents fans how you don’t want them to make fun of you, your parents how you don’t want to let them down, your teammates who have been with you through the start of the season, or the scouts how you don’t want to lose the scholarship. Your brother tried to ask you if you wanted to practice again, but you couldn’t hear him. Instead of practicing and taking your mind off the game, you are getting stressed out.  

Well here’s some advice for you...get your head out of the clouds.

Don’t worry about what other think, not even your parents. The fans, they will still root for you, your parents will still love you, the scouts will still have your eye on you, and if not, there are other colleges. Don’t worry about others, just worry about yourself. Focus on your game. Do your job to help your team win. Once you put your dreams in front of others, it becomes a one man show. That’s how people know you for the wrong thing. If you do your job, and play as a teammate, then your teammates play with you. Then you start playing as a TEAM. That’s how you win games. When you play as a team, then you win games, and when you win games, then you get to play in championships. Now that you have cleared your mind and figured out your gameplan, it’s time for YOU to ask your brother if he wants to go outside and practice. Help him practice to get better with you, teach him some tricks, and bond for some time.  After all, you won’t be able to practice with him forever.