MLP Finals Breakdown (literally)
And how a little breath didn’t go a long way
In today’s Bite Size Newsletter:
The Power of the Breath
The answer is a definitive YES, breathe, Willy. breathe! And then keep on breathing, the entire match!
I was watching the MLP final last night between the champion Dallas Flash vs the New Jersey 5, when a funny thing happened: The usually competent Anna Leigh Waters, 17-year-old Anna Leigh Waters, started to melt down. One, she is a teenager, so she is entitled to a meltdown. Two, she sure as heck wasn’t used to losing, thusly the meltdown.
But a moment I found really interesting was during a timeout late in the match. On the way to the sideline, Anna Leigh kicked a ball and then immediately flung herself down against the backdrop, closed her eyes, and took a few intentional breaths. However, by this point, it was far too late in the game for her to try and calm herself. The spiral was already in motion. Ah, the downward spiral. Again, something Anna Leigh is not too accustomed to.
This is an amazing teaching moment. I am specifically talking about the breath, which, yeah, I know, I do a lot. For good reason: it keeps us alive, off the court, and it really needs to on the court!
My suggestion is to start your intentional breathing at the very beginning of your game/match, and continue it throughout the entire time you are playing. The best time to sneak breaths in is in between the points.
Why is this so important? Control the breath, control the mind, and thusly, the body. It will keep you grounded and focused. Watch pro athletes and how they do this: NBA players before a free throw, Djokovic between changeovers, Michigan QB JJ McCarthy last year before the title game leaning up against the goal post, the list goes on. There is a reason they are doing this, it works!
I like to take a breath in with my nose, hold it for a couple moments, and let it out, deep into my abdomen. Often, I will add an affirmation to it, “Stay calm.” Because, after all, that’s what our aim should be: to stay calm under fire!
Someone who most certainly stayed calm under fire during the MLP final was Augie Ge! The same Augie Ge you can read about right here in this newsletter. Augie is big into affirmations and visualizing, and, kids, did he sure visualize a brilliant MLP playoff run! No one expected that. Well, except Augie. Kudos to him! Look for Augie in my Pickleball Magazine piece called the “Power of Joy” out Dec. 10.
As Black Friday kicks off this week, please consider shopping for your holiday pickleball gifts at my store. A Happy Thanksgiving to all!