post-game reflection

So you’ve just gotten through a game and you’re riding high on a victory or maybe you’re feeling down because your team lost and/or you didn’t perform as well as you’d like.

At this point you may or may not be feeling like you want to start digging into your performance. Regardless of the outcome of the game and your personal performance in it, it’s important to reflect on what went on in the game and what you can learn from it for next time.

Try to make this part of your game day routine, whether it’s on the bus, on the way back home from a road game, or as part of your wind down routine before bed at home, it’s key to reflect upon what happened during game day. 

Again, regardless of the outcome of the game there are going to be positives and negatives to take and learn from, and you’ll need to set aside the emotional aspects of the game in order to evaluate your performance in an objective way.

This post-game reflection process is called Well, Better, Adjustments. I highly recommend finding 2-3 things for each category.

• What went WELL?

  • Whether you went 3-3 with the game winning hit or you went 0-4 with an error in the field, there is *always* going to be something positive you can take from your performance.

    • Here’s an example: I went 0-3 today, but I made solid contact on every at-bat and my approach and process were in line with what I visualized in my pre-game routine. I ran out every play and forced the fielder to make a quick, strong throw. Most importantly, I was a great teammate, pulling for my team the entire game.

    • When you look at it that way, there are a lot of positives even in a tough outing from an “outcome” perspective. If you’re checking all the boxes for a good process, the outcome will be positive more often than not. By going through this reflection, you’ll feel better about your performance and realize it wasn’t as “bad” as you may have thought.

• What could I have done BETTER?

  • On the flip side, no matter how high you might be flying after a big win or a great game when it comes to your personal stat sheet, make sure that you’re reflecting on your performance to check on areas that you may have missed. 

    • As an example, in the outfield I should have thrown to second to cut off the double instead of trying to gun out the lead runner headed to third. It didn’t lead to a run in the game, but next time that situation comes up, I need to and will make a better decision.

• What ADJUSTMENTS should I make for next time?

  • Adjusting and refining your game after each performance is something that every ball player, regardless of level, should be incorporating into their routine. 

    • Based on what you could have done better, that’s where the adjustments come in. This is the key part of this post-game reflection process and this is where you leave success notes for your future self, and turn all negatives/adversity into fuel for your growth.

Post game reflection is another simple, repeatable process that you can incorporate into your routine to help you identify and work on improvements, and help you celebrate the wins that you’ve had in any situation. I encourage everyone to make this part of your game day routine which will help put you on the path to sustainable success!