Overview
Have you ever heard the phrase “rise to the occasion?”
It’s a nice thought: the idea that our circumstances will light a fire in us that will propel us to perform at a previously unattainable level.
As nice as it sounds, most teams you see succeeding at competitions aren’t rising to anything, strange though it may seem. We’re here to debunk the popular myth of “bringing it on game day.” And once we’re done, we hope we’ve made a convincing argument for better practice AND a strong team culture!
Rising Up vs. Falling Down
Most groups do not rise to the occasion. Statistically, it’s unlikely. To find a hidden skill hereto un-practiced, unlock it under duress, and perform it without error is a very tall order.
Instead, most groups fall to the highest level of their preparation.
What does this mean? It means that a drill team will perform at the level they’ve most consistently prepared for. If this is a high level, all is well. If that level is inconsistent or less than desired, things may be tough.
This is actually an argument for stronger preparation. The goal of any competitive drill team should be to out-prepare their competition. This way, when the pressure is on, there will be no doubt that the unit will execute with excellence.
What does this look like? Preparing to fall to the highest level of preparation includes:
- Being as physically fit as possible to include diet. A team incorporating consistent physical activity into their practices AND eating healthy will more consistently out-perform a unit not focusing on such things.
- Performing more under duress. A team performing full run-throughs under physical duress is more accurately simulating performance conditions compared to a team executing run-through while fresh or without an element of physical duress.
- Performing in public consistently. A team used to drilling with eyes on them has prepared for the environment of a high-pressure competition far more so than a group relying on practices and the occasional drill meet alone. Finding opportunities to perform will raise the level to which the team will fall exponentially.
When we use strategies such as these, we are preparing BEYOND a level that will be asked of us in competition. This means that even if we under-perform compared to how we know we can, that level of under-performance is hopefully far more developed than other groups’ best efforts.
Wouldn’t it be a stress releiver to know that you’ve prepared thoroughly enough that you could have a medium day and STILL come out ahead?
We’re here to tell you that if you raise the level of your preparation, you’re setting yourself up for success in a far more meaningful way than trying to hype out a great performance on game day using motivation alone!