HOW TO consistently see GREAT events happen?
By knowing what it takes to start winning!
Eyes on the prize
By Alan Brizee © Dec 2024 Author of The Path to Excellence and
From Excellence to Success
This article could be called Book of Sports D.R.E.A.M.s. A list of GREAT memories for me and I’ll tell you HOW TO go after your own D.R.E.A.M. goals in my summary of each event. Each of these are MAGNIFICENT events because of these three criteria: A. What I LEARNED from this experience. B. How much this accomplishment MEANT TO ME. C. How this experience showed others WHO I AM.
Earlier in my bowling career, I entered tournaments because I did have handicap and wanted to compete with friends while having fun. Once I became a scratch bowler, which was about 10 years after bowling adults leagues, I wanted to expand my comfort level as bowling was going through several changes (synthetic lanes and short oil to name two). I started to dream, set some goals and then saw several goals come to life, before I knew how valuable the mental game was. My bowling career has been filled with lots of GREAT events! Only a couple of times in my bowling career, were results below average. I am proud of all these accomplishments because of what I learned along the way, and was able to show others WHO I AM! For a bowler who has a slight handicap, to see results like these are truly amazing. As far as golf, I hardly ever played until I turned 50 and then played about twice a month. My golf championship is because of my golf handicap, as I’m not a scratch golfer. I give insight as to why these super events stand out. Several happened because of putting the work in to make them happen, while a few others were because of having a GREAT mental game and or scoring well at the time!
Here are my top events where I or my team were successful or gained knowledge when going after a title or major championship. All but two are from my bowling career while those two are golf related. Participating in sports is like living another life, except that there are no life-or-death situations as some athletes seem to think. Every situation involves: working as an individual, setting goals for yourself, problem solving, working as a team, having team goals, following through to get the job done, analysis the results and developed a plan to create more GREAT memories! The one REMARKABLE thing about sports now is, there is help online, like my HOW TO website and also my HOW TO books. Remember that websites with valuable information may be just a quick fix and then other problems could pop up. Not everything you read will quickly make you a world class athlete. Changing anything in your game takes time, many repetitions and a good mental game with focus being the top factor for improvement. Like changing jobs, your comfort level is attacked by outside influences (factors listed in my first book). How you manage situations by making correct decisions will expand your comfort level. Life and sports have thinking involved and not making correct decisions at the correct time can demoralize, paralyze, and make you second guess your decisions. Your sports experiences can determine how you rebound after previous events, so you will see positive results! But going after titles and championships is what makes competing in sports unique and more enjoyable. Life is not about yearly championships, but you have to work to pay for the sport you compete in. As an athlete and competitor, I want to justify why I compete and that just having a chance to win it all, was worth the work and practice I put in for my chance. I may only get several chances now to show others WHO I AM! Over 75% of teams and athletes will not experience competing in the playoffs for several reasons. Some athletes may only get one chance at the glory in their sport. If you had at least once chance to compete and did not win, you will have a better chance the second time around. Too many athletes overthink their situation and will not search for quality help when needed. Many lack knowledge of not realizing what a GREAT mantal game can do when you need to perform.
Why I decided to write about my most memorable events, is that it set the tone for more GREAT events to happen. This should tell you why improvement should be your top priority. Many of you want your own shot at creating a MAGNIFICENT event, but some of you don’t want to work for it, or you don’t have a good plan to make it happen. Many of my MAGNIFICENT events happened because I’ve experienced defeats and I have learned from them, don’t want to repeat them and I learned HOW TO make GREAT results happen. Reading about how another athlete with several GREAT results, can inspire others to claim their share! This can help you learn HOW TO be better prepared when you compete. IT SHOULD make you want to ELEVATE YOUR GAME, so learning HOW TO acquire a GREAT mental game SHOULD BE your first priority!
HOW TO keep You or your team’s Eye on the Prize:
You won’t win any game or title, if you don’t compete.
You SHOULD HAVE FUN when you do compete.
You can’t FOCUS on any result before it happens.
You should see better results because of your experiences.
You may win if you FOCUS only on what matters the most.
You can win if you keep trying and improving.
You’ll double your chances of winning when you make the correct
decisions at the correct time!
The first 22 on my list are GREAT events in my sports career in the order of occurrence. The last two are my major accomplishments and are listed last based on their importance of what it meant to win a championship. As a note, every event was because my eye was on having fun FIRST, before any prize! Remember that WINNING CAN ONLY HAPPEN, when you put yourself or your team in a position late in the match or tournament, at a realistic possibility of winning! These events show how SUCCESS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED when YOU SEIZE THE SITUATION!
A. ’78: City Doubles title (A & B). This is the first time my friend Dan asked me to bowl with
him in the City tournament.
I was averaging in the 160’s back then and my only success until this tournament was winning two league championships. This isn’t about me taking control to win, even though I did shoot over my average with 555. It was because Dan was in a hot streak as he shot 706 for our 1261 total and the 2nd highest total ever in Class B. Winning a tournament title before I turned 25 is something I never expected. Just winning any title can be considered lucky if you’re on the right team. This shows why I NEVER give up and shows that I can achieve GREAT things to prepare me for more GREAT EVENTS in the future. Before I even knew how valuable the mental game is, this is my first example of HOW TO respond to the situation, by not making any situation bigger than other situations, so you can MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Substance Summary: My first title should show you that JUST HAVING FUN eliminated the pressure most athletes feel!
B. ’78: State Team event (A & B). After winning City Doubles, having a GREAT State team
finish shouldn’t be a surprise.
Being on a team that has potential shows that climbing the final standings is possible when everyone chips in to create good scores. After a slow start of just shooting our average, the team was ready to roll and Focused for Fun! After a 904 scratch opener, we had a 1059 and 1102 to finish in 4th place shooting 3384 with handicap. Winning $150 each was huge back then. I was the leadoff bowler and the only team member that shot 200 every game for a 630 series and 128 pins over my average. We didn’t have any great individual scores for our incredible event. It was just a good team pulling together after a slow start to be proud of finishing in the top five in the state. We averaged 23 pins per bowler over our averages for the three games. Dan, who was my doubles partner in city doubles, left a big four (4-6-7-10) in the first game, and missed them all. Had he got just one pin, we would have tied for 3rd place. It’s magical when teammates bond to create moments like this. This shows that any event you participate in, the participants can respond to the situation and not worried about where they finished. At least our team had a GREAT time competing because of having lots of fun!
Substance Summary: Even with a slow start, teammates can motivate each other to show WHAT CAN HAPPEN!
C. ’79: APA title (A, B & C). This was a different way to show others that I competed and
was worth the work of showing I was the best that weekend.
The Amateur Putter’s Association held tournaments every two weeks and practicing helped me to record a GREAT win! This was at the PuttPutt course just before it closed. This was my third tournament ever and shooting 24 under par for 54 holes showed that I could compete as a single and handle pressure situations. The ten under par in my final round secured the hardware you’ll see in one of my pics!
Substance Summary: There’s nothing finer than finally winning an event on your own. Winning in another sport made it more enjoyable 😊!
D. ’80: Singles Classic victory (A, B & C). Wins are nice, but I learned HOW TO win, which
made it even sweeter.
No competitor will take away my will to win. It comes down to my ability to win and HOW TO make it happen. Learning was fun and worth the work I put in when cashing my 1st place prize fund check! Shooting the tournament’s second highest score in Division B showed my potential in all my upcoming competitions. My winning 899 that I shot, was 35 pins over my average per game. Winning on my own was fun and justified why I compete.
Substance Summary: The results speak louder when you step up and secure your first singles tournament win!
E. “82: Golden Pins No-tap hot streak (A & C). The fun can continue to happen when you
see positive results and winning good money!
This should prove that me being capable of recording good results, I could start a string of GREAT events. Bowlers saw some of the best bowlers in town win No-taps in past summers for the $150 guaranteed first place money. To start this summer off, I made the final round and shot 278 to win! The following week, I shot 300 the final game for back-to-back wins. The third week was a second place finish shooting 288. I ran into trouble the next week missing the first cut. It must have lit a fire in me as I got back to the winner’s circle with another 300! And then another back-to-back win, shooting my 3rd 300 of the four wins out of six weeks. $720 in prize money in the first six weeks of this summer event. In the plastic ball era, No-tap 300’s didn’t happen as often as some may think. Hitting the pocket to get nine or better is what makes No-tap a GREAT event, because you don’t need to carry all ten pins. And I’ll tell you about another top No-tap event later in my career. The $630 profit showed others that I CAN BE HARD TO BEAT when bowling No-tap events!
Substance Summary: History won’t reward you just because you compete and win one event. History will reward you when your results show you were the best over a period of time with multiple victories or GREAT scores! (This will come up again, later in my career.)
F. ’84: 48 team league championship Playoffs (A & B). What could be better than being
one of the top two teams in the biggest league in town?
I never know how my season will unfold because of what opponents my team will meet and the timing of when we meet. We started beating teams with higher averages as they might have trouble scoring that week. Then we beat up on teams that were close to us in average. And then we didn’t give any team with more handicap a realistic chance of getting the best of us. I knew we had a decent team, but we had to show other teams why we were better that week. We finished having the 3rd most points in the league because we didn’t beat ourselves. Everyone on the team stepped up during MUST HAVE moments and won the 3rd quarter with 25 wins and 11 losses. This was more because of our team bonding together to help win points. I averaged five pins better than my highest book average for this quarter.
And now the REST OF THE STORY. When we showed up for the Playoffs with the other seven teams winning quarters from both divisions, they informed the teams, each would bowl on their own pair. It would be six games today with a break after 3 games for lunch. Then the high totals from each division would come back on Sunday for the league championship match. I didn’t expect this type of format to happen, and it was a gift for our team as I drew the highest pair of the eight. With no one to the right of us, we made a little noise as we in second place before the break and just 40 pins from first place. I NOW HAD A GAME PLAN for the dramatic three game finish. I told my team to make more noise, no matter what the results were. The noise on strikes and spares was louder than on the opens. It was GREAT to see a PLAN COME TOGETHER! We noticed other teams coming over to see why we were making so much noise. It was one way to throw them off their game! They were more worried about how we were bowling than on their own results. We won our division by 11 pins to qualify for the league championship. We were up against a very good team, and they showed why they were better as we lost by around 100 pins. But to win our division the way we did was magical and unbelievable at the same time! With the team winning $9699.38 for the season, made our incredible season the GREATEST season in my career. $1939.87 for the season per teammate for a profit of $540 per bowler. Only a few bowlers may see this in their lifetime!
There are two things to note, I had weekly side bets and my team helped me pay the entry into the High Roller tournament. The side bets were with a Hall of Famer, John Menche. My team never bowled directly against his team that season because they bowled in the other division. These side bets were close most weeks, and I’d lose one or two games by less than ten pins most weeks. I also made the mistake of checking his scores in the middle of the game, giving new meaning to JUST BOWL MY OWN GAME. It totaled up to $600 I owed him for the season. After a season of many single match losses to John, who would have thought that it would be our team’s game plan for the Playoffs. It helped my team win our division in the playoffs and help me have a GREAT mental game later in my career! I told my team I was going to bowl in the High Roller tournament in Las Vegas and asked if anyone wanted to help sponsor me and the other four teammates gave me $100 each and would each get a 13% share of prize money I would win. It’s a single elimination MEGABUCK tournament and lasted just one game. I missed a 4 pin in the 8th frame to cost us a chance to cash. So, what do I do after a disappointed game and I’m in Vegas, I went downtown to play craps. A half hour later after someone had a hot roll, I had eight black chips in front of me and satisfied that my biggest single day win would make the trip home more enjoyable.
Substance Summary: When you have a GREAT PLAN OF ATTACK TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL and SUCCESSFULLY execute it, it will show that your experiences PAID DIVIDENDS on the GREAT results!
G. ’85: Mexican Independence Team champion (A). Having two GREAT bowlers on the
team motivated the rest of the team.
This was my third time competing in this tournament. Larry Laub and John V. Cook bowled like the Hall of Famers they are, this year. I just helped the team by shooting 50 pins above my average to take home another dust collector. I may have not won much in my career as of yet, but somehow being on this team was about being on the right team at the right place. Team events will show that contributions from teammates no matter how small, can be the deciding factor in the championship you’re chasing!
Substance Summary: LEARNING FROM OTHER CHAMPIONS and Hall of Famers is now a lifetime memory and I’m glad I experienced it!
H. ’86: Citizen Classic League High for the Week (A, B & C). Beating a teammate out of the
weekly high series for the week showed determination.
I wouldn’t say that a 909 series is anything special. Unless it’s bowled in a GREAT league and beating out some GREAT bowlers to do it. Most of the best bowlers in the city bowl this league on a Sunday afternoon. The league gets an article every week in the Tucson Citizen, our afternoon local paper. I shot games of 278, 227, 201 and 203 beating my teammate who had an even 900. This was the first week of the second half and the best way to start!
Substance Summary: Your determination to have a GREAT week can be rewarded by making headlines in the local paper’s sports section.
I. ’86: My third ABC Nationals with fireworks (A, B & C). When you are close, fireworks can
still be possible.
Bowling Nationals which is a scratch event and traveling to different cities, made bowling in it special. Shooting my average to cash is what made it fun! I enjoyed the last two years of Nationals even though I didn’t bowl well enough to get my entry fees back. But THIS IS VEGAS BABY! The city of lights where I could light my own sign to show how proud I was of what I did! Shooting a score that tied for 102nd place wasn’t planned. But I’m still around to tell others they can also accomplish GREAT results if they want to work to see those results. After 628 and 543, I shot a 249, 207 and 234 for 690 to win $390 in Singles and $568 for the tournament. As a note, had we bowled Singles first, Tom, my Doubles partner who shot 650 when I shot my super 690, would have put us in 4th place for doubles. This was the hook for me to continue bowling Nationals. In Nationals, I averaged over 190 and cashed in two of the four events in 16 of my first 24 tournaments. After seeing more and even more oil in my last two tournaments and cashing once, and that now most tournaments are in Nevada, I decided I had enough because the Fun wasn’t happening. Nationals for me was about traveling around the U.S. and seeing the sights and misc. Hall of Fames. Nationals is an experience that all bowlers should be a part of at least once and I now have many GREAT memories!
Substance Summary: Can you say GREAT SCORE? Being near the top should be special when it’s early in your career!
J. ’90: Regional No-tap tournament (C). Since No-tap tournaments are right up my alley
😊, Germany would become a GREAT place to bowl some GREAT tournaments!
My choice of 1st duty station, to go to Germany in the Army was the right choice. Seeing old castles, history, a relative and making extra money bowling was a SUPER way to serve while off duty. While stationed there, the Stars and Stripes paper had an ad for several No-tap tournaments. What caught my eye for one tournament was the top spots paying $2000 for first and $1000 for 2nd GUARANTEED regardless of entries! This tourney was only open for DOD or military. The only problem was I didn’t have a car, so I would be limited to tournaments close to Pirmasens. It is about 10 Kilometers from France to the west and 30 KM’s from Switzerland to the south. As it turned out, another soldier rented a car that same weekend but wasn’t going to need it on Saturday and the first day of the tournament. He would drive me there and I would pay him 10% of my winnings or give him gas money, if I didn’t cash. You probably won’t believe that I shot 278, 278 and 280 for an 836 and was in first place. I decided to bowl again and would cash for a second time. My 836 was 6 pins from winning and would earn me second place and $1000 while my other score also cashed for $45. When I got my check and cashed it, I went to him to pay him $150 and thanked him for getting me there. With a $800 profit, I could now rent a car myself or find someone who was going to bowl tournaments!
Substance Summary: When “on the road”, you never know what tournaments might be happening and better suited for you. Cash ratio should be considered along with the entry fee. Now tournaments can dictate scores as you deal with lane patterns. Read the rules, compete having fun and See you in the Zone!
K. ’90: PZBA Bowler of the year (B & C). My winning the Bowler of the Month qualified me
for the biggest tournament of the Year!
Bowling a 691 on a “reverse block” in league would earn me an ABC award of Merit for the highest series in the Association, and to think that I shot it twice that season. It would also earn me a spot in the Bowlers of the Year tournament. Bowling on a “reverse block” isn’t my favorite condition to bowl on. More oil on the outside of the lane and drier in the middle. Bowling here was definitely a test to see how good of a bowler you are. The conditions would show if you’re smarter than what you’re working with! The adjustments for good scores are the exact opposite of what I’ve always done. With a small bowling Association with four centers, there won’t be the quality competition like in bigger Associations, but I’d still have to bowl good as the other 11 bowlers also want to win. With tougher lane conditions and only bowling four games, I took on this challenge and opened with an incredible 259 to have a 52 pin lead. I finished with three 200’s, 213, 202 and 220 for a super 894 with 2nd being 805. Since I’m good at adjusting, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I had four deuces and defeated the lanes to win!
Substance Summary: In bowling, adjusting is a must and I accepted the challenge for my biggest Singles win in Germany!
L. ’90: European championships (A, B & C). When competing, you will Earn or Learn from
your results. It’s not about, go big or go home!
If you Earn titles with GREAT scores, you will be able to walk on water or it will seem like it. Participating in these big events will help obtain more knowledge. Certain experiences help you to access how your game stacks up to others at these tournaments. When you inscribe numbers that qualify you for an entry into other tournament, you shouldn’t be focused on the end result until after you finish. Why worry about something that may never happen? You can only do your best and if it’s good enough, that’s GREAT! They told us that the top two All-events totals, win an entry to Fort Huachuca for the All-Army trials and possibly the All-Military team. WOW!! I had to bowl good enough to win a FREE trip back home and I’d get a week’s break from being a soldier. The incentive is now known, but I had to bowl well enough to make the top two. The format for this tournament is six games for each event, which makes All-events an 18 game total pinfall. The first event was team where my team won by 47. I was not only high on the team with 1340, I was leading All-Events as well. In Doubles I shot 1235 and we finished in 2ndplace. I’m still in front for All-Events leading by 39 and have a 217 pin lead over 3rd. I set the stage and almost locked in a trip home. The last day was Singles and I shot 1220 which didn’t make the top 5. I totaled out All-Events at 3795 for second place averaging over 210. I did get my trip home and didn’t come close to the top 4 who averaged 200. The bowler who won All-Events finished in 3rd. They messed up my orders to go home and by the time they fixed it, I saw my unit on the autobahn going to the field for a week. I had to do one day of CQ as there wasn’t anyone at the barracks. I got to see my mom and she watched be bowl a few games before I left for Germany, so it was worth learning a few things at the All-Army trials!
Substance Summary: Incentives to qualify for an even bigger event can motivate you to focus on what matters.
M. ’91: European Masters tournament (A). Doing what you do best could reward you. Pick
up your spares and stay clean.
In my first of two European Masters, I averaged 193 for 18 games to make the cut to the top 32 bowlers, then averaged 201 for six games in the semi-finals to claim the 2nd spot and a guaranteed 3rd place finish. I have not been in this position ever of just two bowling and everyone watching. I have to admit, I was nervous and not actually bowling good at the time. I shot 178 to lose by 18 and took home $600. Another GREAT event while in the service and I’m glad I went to Germany to find that bowling was the sport to participate in. To get another big check for a singles tournament and not bowling well in the finals, still made this tournament special!
Substance Summary: When scores are a little lower, don’t beat yourself up but GRIND IT OUT and maybe a good check will reward you!
My eye was on the many prizes you see!
These dust collectors recreate many GREAT
memories!
N. ’93: Recorded season’s highest series at Tucson Bowl (B). My historic history making
week still made me happy.
Missing a honor score wasn’t a honor for my game but I did learn several things for my future. What you learn to gain more knowledge should Elevate your game, if you understand how to correct past failures you may start to see better than average results. Shooting 257, 266 and 276 would make most bowlers jump for joy. Well, a 799 to miss an 800 series won’t make many good bowlers happy. In hindsight, I really had two opportunities to shoot an 800. The second game I threw a 7 count in the 11th frame and the final game I left an 8-10 split also in the 11th frame and missed both. I was satisfied it was the highest set at Tucson Bowl for the season. Many bowlers couldn’t believe I went for the 10 pin and missed it, when I should have gone after the 8 pin. Even though I have kept stats over the years, I was just having so much fun that night, that I didn’t realize I only needed one pin to shoot an 800. After a 250 plus and a 260 plus, I was thinking I needed 280 plus for 800. Well as it turned out, I did shoot an 800 later, shortly after taking lessons from a mental coach. Now for the good but not the really good moment of setting an ABC record. Three years later, I would shoot a 297 game in a summer league for my dreadful ABC record of having the highest sanctioned scores without an honor award (300 and 800). A little over three years later, I bowled my first 300 in league. My little known ABC world record gave me chance to talk about it, to write about it on my HOW TO website as your reading about it now and it gave me motivation to beat both scores later in my career.
Substance Summary: Just missing a goal even if you set a record, can motivate you into achieving even GREATER results!
O. ’96: Challenge tournament win (B & C). This would prove that I’m not just a team
bowler, because I SHOWED THEM WHO I WAS!
Bowling is a GREAT sport as you’ll bowl both team and singles events almost every season. There have been several singles events that shaped my career to inform others of how competitive I am. But this was a scratch 12 game event with no finals during the heat of the summer. It was not a wire to wire win, because I didn’t stay on top all 12 games. I did, however, win the first side pot with a 257 which kept me in the top 3 the entire tournament. I then backed up my opening game with a higher 266 missing winning the 2ndgame side pot by three pins. But to be 123 over two games kept me focused on keeping the 200 games coming. My low game was the 5th game with 163 and dropped me to third place. After 10 with two games left, I was back on top by 25 pins. The scoring pace is lower as 10 games can take a toll of shooting higher scores. I felt that if I finished with 420, I would at least take 2nd. I shot 405 and won by 15 pins for $500 and the 3rd most money I won in a singles tournament.
Substance Summary: You might have only yourself to motivate you in a singles event. Post some GREAT scores early to let others know you’re around to take on challengers. Hold your head high to finish strong and GET THE JOB DONE!
P. ’02: Back-to-back 270’s for back-to-back 750’s (A, B & C): Doing it in a traveling
league made this event more significant.
I believe that two bowlers in the Traveling Masters league accomplished what I did this season. Two consecutive weeks of 750’s at two different centers. A 758 at Lucky Strike and a 751 at Santa Cruz (now Cactus Bowl). I also threw back-to-back 270’s in the 2nd game, with 277 followed by a 278 to make it GREAT! Doing something special is why I compete and makes it more satisfying! As they say, when you’re hot, you’re hot!
Substance Summary: When success starts to happen, accept it, learn from it and set goals so it keeps happening!
Q. ’03: Securing my 800 series (A, B & C). It’s not about what I did, but how I made this
event special!
Success will be defined by certain events in my career. After back-to-back 750’s last season, I felt that 800 was around the corner. I’ve had eight 780 series or better. But this night happened, because I TOOK CONTROL OF MY SITUATION the month before. I needed to take the “hope” out of hoping it would happen and focus on “MAKING” IT HAPPEN. I searched and found what most athletes won’t do. That is getting qualified help to start seeing more GREAT events happen. Last month, I started seeing my mental game coach, Beth and she was so happy to see GREAT results occur after just one session. In JUST TWO SESSIONS, she taught me about Commitment to Excellence and I achieved one of bowling’s GREATEST result, my 800. Her coaching would create all of the Memorable Moments that would happen in the future. But tonight was about why I NEEDED TO COMPETE with a GREAT mental game as she just started to teach me HOW TO COMPETE IN THE ZONE to be Successful! I opened the evening with a 268 and backed that up with 269. This would be about my 9th opportunity to do something GREAT that only a handful of bowlers have done before, the ultimate 800 series! 800’s normally doesn’t happen because of getting “lucky”. It happens because of the skill to hit the pocket and carry enough strikes for this GREAT SCORE! The last game saw me leave a 10 pin for a spare, a strike and another 10 pin spare. I was now thinking I would miss another 800 as I needed the next 8 strikes in a row to do it. Now I got back to throwing GREAT shots and stopped worrying about results. When I had the next 5 strikes with the 9th frame coming, I told myself that the 3 strikes in a row I needed was something I have done a thousand times before. After all, I have shot three 300’s already! See my 13th 300 game video which has my last shot in 2021. I went off the sheet for 270 and obtained my first 8, an 807. GREAT events happened because of my experiences and the work I put into my game. Your expectations without putting in the work won’t achieve many goals. Prepare for the future so your future competitors will be prepared to see you accomplish GREAT results!
Substance Summary: Do what most pros do when results are below average. Seeking qualified help shows your smart enough to learn HOW TO MAKE GREAT EVENTS happen more often!
R. ’03: My 12th ABC Nationals (B & C). The 100th event was special but bowling with a new
team made it even more special.
When a team captain contacted me about bowling with his team, I said yes, I want to bowl regularly every year. They always bowled in late May after leagues were done, which is how I wanted it. The captain and another teammate were PBA members, so I felt I would be a good fit for this team. My first game with my new team was 225 with an open in the 10 by missing a 10 pin. My second game I had a 9 spare, turkey, 9 spare, then a 5 bagger for 257. My only other open of the night was during the 3rdgame in the 10th frame, was as you probably guessed, was another 10 pin for 190. A 672 series with a team medal for our 1105 2nd game. Why is this event is so special? It sticks out because of the side events that all Nationals have every year. I entered 40 brackets spending $200 for team event. That open in the first game of 225 could have cost me several brackets. It turned out I made it through all my brackets. I also didn’t lose any in the 2ndgame as you would guess with a 257. And that second open the last game would make me lose ONLY ONE BRACKET! I didn’t expect a $785 profit, but amazing things can happen with a little luck of the computer draw for 1st game opponents. In Doubles I had 562 and Singles with open for 623 and another medal with 1800 for All-Events, and won $350 ($140 profit), in brackets on my last day. A new team and great money, it can’t get much better than that!
Substance Summary: Bowling at Nationals will be hit and miss. Nationals in ’02 was more about the BJ tournament. I shot 233, 210, 186, 244 and 238 for four aces, 1111 and my entry fee was returned for instant cash! But to win $985 in brackets this year made the side events one reason I entered them. Entering side events has some risks and don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. This shows side events can be rewarding!
S. ’03: Sport Bowling’s rolling Record reward (B). I rolled another Record with a Varipapa
300 trying something new.
A.B.C. was trying out their sport pattern program and Tucson’s first sport league would be at Brunswick Bowl. It gave me a chance to exam first-hand, the new sport conditions (SC). I’m bowling ABC Nationals every year which is on a SC, so bowling this league is like practicing for Nationals. This SC league showed me that I had VERY LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR. There were a few other good bowlers in the league and the planets aligned for me that first week on October 😊. The opening game I left the fence, 1-2-4-7, and picked it up. I was then on cruise control throwing 12 in a row for a “Varipapa 300” and a 290. The 290 was the first ever Sport bowling award handed out and a TBA record for several seasons. Would you believe that my next shot was the same fence I left in the first frame that night. If I missed right, it missed the headpin. Later that night, I missed left twice and missed didn’t hit the head pin. Because of my lower rev rate and more oil, sport bowling will be a hit and miss situation. I did learn that SC could make you feel like you never bowled before. For an added note, my 290 tied for 21st in the nation that season!
Substance Summary: Bowling good on sport patterns is more of getting the ball drilled to match the lanes condition. Being smarter than what you’re working with can also boost your scores. Good shots may not be so good, because you now need to throw GREAT shots just to see good scores!
T: ’05: Triple State Challenge win (C). Who says the last entry doesn’t have the best shot
at winning?
This is a case of going after the win! This would be the last squad of a side tournament while the state tournament was happening, and I was the very last entry. A friend of mine, Joey was leading with the only 700 for Singles at 730. I already bowled four times with 688 being my high. I could only cash once and felt that shooting 700 could happen. No pressure on me, I’m guaranteed a check because of being tied for 4th place. I opened with a 236, and ahead of the quest to place 2nd. My GREAT mental game kicked in and I shot 268 for 504 and needed 227 the final game to win. Joey was watching me and knew I was probably going to beat his score. I finished almost the way I started, with a 240 to record a total of 744 and win by 14. My mom 45 years ago taught me NEVER TO QUIT and HAVE FUN, which has always been my best lessons about competing. When I told my mom about my win, so was so happy that what see instilled in me stayed with me all these years and made a difference to capture a victory!
Substance Summary: I normally like to record a score before the scores start flooding the standings, as scoreboard watching takes away what needs to get done. Psyching yourself up because of lower scores can help you focus on what matters. Never quit and have fun are the two biggest attributes any athlete can have when competing! But knowing what you need to cash can be to your advantage in certain situations!
U. ’09: Perfection happens when you least expect it (B). One shot on Memorial Day made
it memorable! I didn't need my putter on the first hole!
I was playing in a golf club when I lived in Las Vegas and held a blind draw Doubles scramble tournament on the holiday. A scramble is where you take the best shot of the two golfers, and both will play from that spot. The par 3 course sets up nice for this type of tournament. Everyone drew for partners after warming up, and my partner and I had the ones and started on hole one. My partner told me to get it rolling and that’s what I did. Hole one is 129 yards and I took my 9 iron from my bag and hit my ball to the left which actually missed the green. Then my partner hit and then the other team hit. Walking towards the hill my ball landed on and looked around a few bushes without finding it, but there is a fence, but I didn’t believe it was on the other side. Because of the hill, I looked to the right and behind the green as the hill could have made it roll over there. I didn’t see it there either. The other team had one ball on the green so his partner picked up his ball and had to wait for us to hit. My partner was just off the green and always putts when the flag isn’t in the cup. He went over to take out the stick and guess where my ball was? It was the one place where nobody looked for it😊. But who would have thought I had a hole in one on the very first shot of the tournament? The shot of the day?!! An ace has some call them. A GREAT WAY to start a tournament on the very first hole! We played the course twice to get in 18 holes. But with my ace, we finished to grab the last cash spot and 3rd place. My partner also helped us claim more cash with the closest to the hole on the 95 yard 8th hole the second time we played it. I guess the first time we played it was practice for him 😊. We didn’t get rich that day, but the memories will live forever! The course gave me a certificate for my ace and it’s with my plaque and the ball I hit. And now for the “ugly” side of golf. My hole in one forced me to buy drinks at the clubhouse. Lucky for me, half of the golfers decided to go home so I only had to buy for the ten that were still around. Otherwise, I would have lost money on my “perfectly” positioned first shot of the day!
Substance Summary: Luck will always play a part of sports, but a GREAT mental game is better!
V. ’22-’23: Wednesday night league championship (A & B). My new league with 32 teams
was motivation to see old results.
One bowler can help a team, but to have two bowlers who motivate the team to see GREAT results is better. I showed up early for the meeting and glad I did. I was able to change to a team with members I knew from another league we all bowl in. The center was able to find Mike for our team. He was what the team needed, a good bowler that could start a string of strikes at any time. In the third week of the season, we had to move to a different pair due to one lane machine breaking down. The next 5 weeks we didn’t win any points. It was one of the worst starts to any league I have ever bowled in. We just missed winning the second quarter and the third wasn’t too bad and finished near the top. The fourth quarter, it seemed like the team started to fire on all 8 cylinders! For the position round, we knew that Mike would be gone as he would be in California. Then our team captain would miss due to having to work. With a two point lead, we had to win 4 of the 8 points to make the Roll-Offs and pull it off with just 3 of the 5 members. We actually got a break as the team we bowled was close to our average instead of the two teams that had some good bowlers on them. We would win two close games to make the Roll-Offs. Then in the Roll-Offs, we didn’t beat ourselves and were in first after two games. We bowled good enough the last game to claim the league championship. This was my 20th league championship and maybe the sweetest of them all. Very few would have thought we would win, but I’ve seen it too many times, the team that wins the final quarter or the third, takes their hot finish and wins the league. It was the third time my team waited until almost the end to bond and bowl as a team. What a GREAT season, unlike the next season, which you can read here. With our backs to the wall with 2 bowlers missing, we faced adversity and stepped up to GET THE JOB DONE!
Substance Summary: Motivation from new teammates, it’s more of a dictated determination designed to digest inspiration for the team!
#2. ’18: FIG Golf championship (B & C). Now, I’m a champion in two sports, along with
having perfection in both!
This year was my first golf championship of the two that I have won! And also, having
performed perfection in both is what makes competing in both enjoyable and rewarding. You may have thought you’d never hear that about golf. I’m not a scratch golfer, so most events will be because handicap will help me a little bit. Also having fun increases my chances of better scores. With me being a boogie golfer, shots that just miss the fairway can add several strokes to the scorecard. Hitting fairways help in shooting in the 80’s and a better chance to win an event. With using two rounds from earlier in the year, I had a two stroke advantage of winning the championship at the start of the day. It was December and 49 degrees, cold and windy. I felt that if I could hit eight fairways of the 14, it could be my first championship. It turned out that I hit ten fairways to win by the two strokes we started the round at. Golf is more about course management and sinking putts. To shoot lower scores, you need to hit more greens in regulation. To shoot in the wind, a lower ball flight can actually reduce the strokes you take. Three years later, I won my second championship!
Substance Summary: Setting goals keeps you focused on achieving them. When your chance arrives, have fun being a Goal Grabber!
#1. ’14: Senior Masters championship (B & C). A GREAT Geezer Gambit after four GREAT
months of bowling.
Coming off a GREAT summer snowballed into my GREATEST SPORTS EVENT! Competing in the Zone show that GREAT EVENTS happen when prepared for them. Remember that I already told you about a period of GREAT scores and this was just another instance. This is my GREATEST EVENT because of how I eliminated past equipment problems and dominated to win with a small claim to fame! With two articles about my huge win on my HOW TO website, there’s no need to rehash what you may have already read. Click on my Persistence Spells Title and my Magical Moment to read about my experiences and why I kept fighting so that it magnified my miraculous magnificent momentum making my Magical Major Moment more Magnetic! Magical moments won’t happen to everyone because some think they know everything, some won’t work to improve their results, and some seem to never learn from their experiences. This moment actually created my GREAT Gateway to share with you that almost everyone can achieve their GREATEST GOAL if thy keep trying!
Substance Summary: Dedicate yourself by Committing to Excellence and it’s NEVER too late in your persistence to win a major Championship! Commit to Excellence so you compete in the Zone and have fun creating your GREATEST EVENTS!
There it is, I covered many different situations that increased my knowledge so I could finally SHOW OTHERS WHO I AM. Learning what’s important to stay competitive is why this article is long and full of GREAT tips to help you reach your potential. Great things can happen when the athlete is ready for risk and fully focused for final finishes! Say that 5 times in a row 😊. This should show why athletes WANT a GREAT MENTAL GAME and my first HOW TO book can help you achieve GREAT results. It was fun reliving many moments from the past to tell you that participating in any sport is one of the GREATEST things people can do. And of course, seeing SUCCESS because I was shown HOW TO compete in the Zone, helped me nail down a major bowling Championship and two golf club Championships to justify the hard work over the years!
As always, See you in the Zone!
My eye was on the many prizes you see!
These dust collectors recreate many GREAT
memories!
HOW TO know your I.I. and why it matters?
Because we're human and will make mistakes!
My Essential I.I. Test / The human element
By Alan Brizee © Dec 2024 Author of The Path to Excellence and
From Excellence to Success
This is my Essential Incident Intelligence Test. Remember that this I.I. test isn’t what you score, it’s about managing certain incidents, so your emotions won’t get in the way of correct decision making. These situations create emotions that could destroy your good mental game, up until you have a GREAT mental game. Sometimes being human can get in the way. This should help make you more aware of the possibilities that can influence results of any match at any time!
This I.I. test will help you know HOW TO “handle” most adversities and better to handle the humun element. It should take no longer than 30 minutes to finish. It will also let others know how competitive you are and that you won’t let your emotions make any decisions. Champions use this knowledge and experience to make correct decisions at the correct time, so they continued to improve their game to become champions. If you think like a champion, you’ll have a better chance of becoming a champion.
Once you obtain a GREAT mental game, you’ll be able to show others HOW TO…
A. HOW TO show that having a GREAT mental game and FOCUSED on the match,
no matter what the situation is, is how you compete.
B. HOW TO solve the problems caused by these situations, because of your
many experiences.
C. HOW TO rebound after these situations happen, because your knowledge tells
you what must happen.
D. HOW TO keep most situations from happening again, so they won’t happen
at an even worst time.
E. HOW TO hold your head high and smile after these situations happen,
because you have a GREAT mental game.
Obviously, you want to be focused when adversity happens. Most problems must be solved right away. Retaining your GREAT mental game is why this test is on my HOW TO website. After the test, you can read my article to have a good understanding of how “disasters” could happen and destroy your chances of winning matches. Your score will show if you’re SMARTER THAN THE SITUATION!
Your answers should be based on your experiences of competing and watching sports on TV for that situation. Answer all questions before checking your scores and viewing the answers. This is just to help you be more aware of many situations that could come up, so you can make those quick decisions that will advance your sports career. Competing in sports will always be a test, with only two grades, passing and try again. My I.I. test will show why correct decisions are needed. It can help you reclaim control of future situations, so you’ll see more positive outcomes, better results and you’ll start winning the mental game! Treat this test like your competing, to have fun, so you can start experiencing some SUCCESS!
1) HOW TO address Delays that will happen? No matter what your sport is, they will
happen at least once. Delays can happen because of the weather, athletes
acting like idiots, human error, penalties, fouls, technology, fights and
equipment malfunction.
Q: Your basketball team is playing in a holiday tournament halfway through the
season that is supposed to start at 3 P.M. The court you’re scheduled to play on
goes into overtime, and now you must wait about 10 minutes for those teams to
finish their game, so your team can warm up. You can’t practice because the
other courts are still being used. Your opponent is a team you already beat once
this season. Your coach tells the team to be back in 10 minutes. You’re excited
about the opportunity to face them again and guess what? A second overtime
creates more waiting, and your teammates are aggravated now, because dinner
will be later than normal. Delays can suck the air out of some athletes in a match.
What’s should your plan be now?
A) Your teammates want some cheese to go with their “whine” as your team had
the advantage before the delay.
B) You realize it happens in sports, so you suck air back in you and watch another
game on a different court.
C) Watch the finish of the game on the court you’re supposed to play on, because
your team may play them in the tournament.
2) HOW TO keep distractions to a minimum during the match when competing? Sports
will have many distractions, and they happen almost every match.
Distractions are different from delays. Most distractions include the fans, the
PA system, but can also be the weather or jet noise if the event is outdoors
and animals that appear on the field or on the court. Eliminating distractions
isn’t realistic, because they will happen in sports. Some fans will cause
distractions because they treat sports like it’s life or death. Because they
have a ticket to the game, they try to disrupt the game in an attempt to help
their team.
Q: In football, the fans will chant to help their team and you’re on the visiting team. It
will get louder in the 4th quarter when it seems to motivate the home team.
If you’re on the visiting team, how do you react?
A) Get your team to wave to the crowd to have them chant louder, as It will show
you’re not affected by the noise.
B) Get your coach to call a trick play to surprise the home team.
C) Continue as if the chant is helping your team, so that the fans will quiet down.
3) HOW TO compete with trash talkers in sports? Some will think trash talk helps them
and that they won’t win without it. They now have penalties for it in some
sports because of the fights it has created.
Q: An opposing player calls you worthless and you’re not good enough to keep up.
Then he starts in on your family to make it personal.
How would you handle this situation?
A) Make gestures to show him you’re better than that.
B) Think of a comeback line for when you win the match.
C) Keep telling him to “Watch this”, keep fighting and shove his trash talking down
his throat.
4) HOW TO “wrestle” with arrogant Opponents? Most of these idiots are out of control
and can be hard to beat when results are on their side. They might say,
“watch what happens next”, over and over and over. They make jesters as if
they’re better than you. They have shown that they can win most matches
against mentally weak opponents.
Q: You do have several options when you face these idiots in a match. They also
change up their game in an attempt to get you off your GREAT mental game. You
MUST show what type of athlete you are when competing.
How do you put these arrogant idiots in their place?
A) Show them that whatever they try, it won’t make any difference.
B) Turn off your emotions and focus on what must happen.
C) Start mocking them to show how stupid they look.
5) HOW TO compete against an “unknown” opponent? They could be the biggest hurdle
in your quest to reach the playoffs. They may already have a GREAT mental
game. You may have seen them before, but you’re not sure of what they’ll
bring to the match against you today.
Q: They have shown they are competitive by keeping the match close. Winning the
match keeps you close for making the playoffs. Losing could eliminate you. The
end is near, and a positive result is needed to keep you in the hunt.
How do you finish the match?
A) Come up with a plan to delay the match and put more pressure on them after
starting back up.
B) Keep going as you have a slight lead and continuing your momentum.
C) Start running good shots out to distract them to show who you are.
6) HOW TO compete against your bitter rival? You MUST stay focused for the chance to
win the match. It’s the battle of the psych-ups and the psych-outs. Do you
really need to psych yourself up against them?
Q: You beat them before and after losing three close matches, it seems they can’t
lose to you. You’ve tried a few things that didn’t work.
How should you turn it around in your favor?
A) Take advantage of every opportunity as you may only get one chance to win.
B) Go through old logbooks to see if you have notes that may be the answer to
your prayers.
C) Show some emotion from the good break you just got to show your will to win.
7) HOW TO shift your opponent’s momentum? To get momentum back on your side, it
could take an act of Congress. This is where being smarter than what you’re
working with will pay you back! A few sports have no defense, so in these
sports, you must maintain your GREAT mental game to continue to see
positive results to keep the pressure on them. Teams can change momentum
with turnovers. Just to keep you on the same page, defenses in most sports
can score points when the offense has turnovers. Individuals can change
momentum with their GREAT mental game.
Q: Your team once had the lead and now your opponent has been scoring and owns
the momentum because your defense didn’t show up on a few plays.
What’s the correct option to change the momentum?
A) Continue as always as you know momentum will shift a few times during the
match.
B) Attack any weaknesses in their defense by aggressive plays that can take them
out of their comfort zone.
C) Change up what your team is doing, so it’s not predictable.
8) HOW TO continue when a Ref’s call favors you? The referees can create an
atmosphere of helping one team over another. The calls they make can
change the momentum of a team and have some fans wondering if it was
the right call. Of course they’re human, and will make some mistakes. But the
instant replay for pros and college won’t help in your city league, when
competing for the City championship. Some athletes may think the refs are
against them because the refs flag them too much.
Q: You’re playing tennis in the semi-finals before the City Singles championship. Your
opponent returned a ball, and you could have returned it. You believe it will be out
and let it bounce next to you. You know it was out because it was right in front of
you on the court. The ref on the other side called it out and the head ref gave the
point to you. Your opponent argues the ball was in and keeps it going for several
minutes.
How should you handle an athlete who’s a bad sport?
A) You act like you knew what the ref’s call would be, to focus on the next serve.
B) You laugh at your opponent for the way he’s acting, as it won’t change the call.
C) You jump around and add a fist pump as the point gets you one point closer
to winning the set and the match.
9) HOW TO Hold your head high when a Ref’s call goes against you? Athletes and fans
can hate refs when calls don’t go their way. You can’t expect every call to go
your way, can you? It’s about winning for some weekend warriors because
they get one day to play and hate losing. Well, tell me how many people you
know that like to lose? But losing is the ugly side to sports and you won’t win
every time. But to have a ref’s bad call go against you, some may feel is
personal.
Q: This happens more and more often these days in basketball. You’re playing a
game with instant replay for this question. Players argue that the ref got the call
wrong on almost every foul. They throw their hands in the air in disgust as some
know they fouled, but won’t admit it. They would rather argue than admit they
made a mistake. You’re standing in bounds behind the three point line waiting for
a pass to shoot a three point shot. Your team passes to you and you drain that
three pointer. The ref calls you out of bounds and your coach doesn’t want to
challenge as he has only one challenge left and there is still five minutes left in a
close game.
How should you (not the team), handle this bad call?
A) You explain to the ref that he was out of position to see where your feet were
as your defender was in his way.
B) You keep yelling at the ref, hoping to delay the game so your opponent gets
ticked off, so he’ll have trouble staying focused for the rest of the game.
C) You know that three points may not be the deciding factor in the match and
shake off the bad call, so you can regain focus for the remainder of the game.
Emotions can get in the way of winning. Take my !.!. Test to see how human you are!
10) HOW TO Face your MUST HAVE shot or play? Bottom of the 9thinning, bases loaded,
down by 3 runs and the count is 3 balls and 2 strikes. It’s you against the
pitcher and a home run wins the game for your team. This is probably the
biggest moment in baseball. One swing could determine the winner or even
continue the game if you don’t hit it out of the park. This isn’t a time you want
to bunt as they need only one out to end the game.
Q: The pitch has been thrown and it will be to the inside of the plate to try to jamb
your swing to make it more difficult to hit it out.
Do you feel lucky and swing?
A) Yes. You know it’s over if you hit it out. But hitting the ball doesn’t mean a
home run.
B) Maybe. This is one reason you need a GREAT mental game.
C) No. You see the ball getting close to you, so you back off.
11) HOW TO Celebrate before the match is finished? This is a GREAT situation that many
athletes seem to embrace. Remember the fat lady? Some athletes on teams
seem to be having too much fun before the final result.
Q: You just retook the lead with very little time left in the match. You dance around
and throw your index finger in the air to indicate your existence for being an
athlete. You’re now giving high fives to everyone nearby. You wave to the fans
watching the game. You finish your dance and give another high five.
Is this how you should compete when ahead, before the match is finished?
A) Yes, I definitely want to show them why I compete.
B) Maybe, because showing them that I was able grab a late lead is what makes
sports fun.
C) No, the match isn’t over yet and they still could come back to win.
12) HOW TO Celebrate after winning the match? Finally, a question that makes you want
to compete 😊. This isn’t about winning the championship, just a game or a
series before the championship. There is a term in sports, winning ugly, and it
will happen almost every year. I understand athletes want to win, but at what
cost? Athletes are human and can act like idiots at times. A few may not
realize this and carry the celebration to an extreme. Some have got so far
out of control that they have been suspended for several games, and is this
helping your team when only a few games are left in the season and the
playoffs are in sight? It’s been said that no matter what the result is, act like a
winner.
Q: It was a very close game and always within one score. Your team pulled off the
victory to jump into first place in your division with just two weeks left in the regular
season. Some horseplay in the locker room happens as players are excited about
having an advantage with the playoffs three weeks away. Your head coach comes
in and tells everyone to quit clowning around, because we haven’t won anything
yet. Kids will be kids, but not everyone on year team is a kid or will act like an adult.
Can athletes overdo celebrating after winning the game?
A) Maybe, the age of the athlete will be a factor in the answer. Kids will want to
celebrate while veterans with a GREAT mental game, know there’s still work
to do.
B) Yes, planting your team’s flag in the middle of the field has caused fights to
break out and I know kids want to brag about who’s better for that game.
C) No, you want to remember a GREAT win, so that all celebrating makes it
special and more memorable.
13) HOW TO handle winning the opening game in a match? It’s always nice when things
work out at the start of any match. It’s easy to be complaisant and think
nothing is about to change. Sports is always changing because adjustments
HAVE TO BE MADE and you have to deal with these conditions. They say
winning cures all! But you normally won’t win them all.
Q: In the 2nd game of a 3 game match, your opponent is staying right behind you
and waiting for their good break.
How do you focus on going forward?
A) You still have the lead after two adjustments, so you keep the pressure on
your opponent.
B)You watch for ways to stay in the zone to increase your lead.
C)You relax so you can continue to make great shots and show your opponent
you’re better today.
14) HOW TO deal with Losing the opening game in a match? A great mental game won’t
guarantee you’ll win everything. It will help when you need to adjust during
competition. If your opponent keeps making correct adjustments sooner
than you, you’ll need to climb out of the hole you just dug. Having a great
mental game has many advantages if you rely on your experiences.
Q: You couldn’t close out the win in the opener and are again behind and possibly
eliminated in the middle of the 2nd game.
How do you turn the results upside down?
A) There will be weeks when it will be their time to show up and not look back.
B) As always, just keep your head in the game to take advantage of any
opportunity.
C)Adjust the speed of the match to show you have the better mental game.
15) HOW TO Close the match when performance is needed? Having a GREAT mental
game is a good thing. Competing in the Zone is even better! Your experience
and the knowledge to make correct decisions for most situations makes you
mentally stronger.
Q: Close games can be nail bitters and more fun when you come out on top. That’s
why champions have routines to keep the way they play the same and make
decisions during these moments. After your last close game got away from you,
you tweaked your routine so it’s fresh and you practiced your routine.
Your close game is in front of you and how do you finish it?
A) You use your old routine as it has worked in the past on MUST HAVE SHOTS.
B) Since you’re using your new routine today with no problems, you continue to
use it.
C) You flip a coin as both have worked before and your opponent is wondering
what’s going on.
16) HOW TO offset Opponents that are getting 99% of the good breaks? This happens
more times than most want to admit to. The loss when it happens, can sting
for months depending on the importance of the match. Thinking too much
into this situation can make your head hurt, but until it happens to you or
your team, it can be overwhelming.
Q: In the middle of the second game of a three game match after losing the first
game, The few things you have tried haven’t worked out. Because of what you
have tried, they aren’t getting as many good breaks. Now you’re only slightly
behind in the second game with another game to play.
What’s the new game plan now?
A) Since you are close in the second game, keep your current game plan. Why
change as it seems you’re more focused now.
B) Get out your voodoo doll and wish they now get bad breaks because no one
should get that many breaks against you.
C) Open up that can of whoopass and dictate the rhythm of the match. Slowing
the match down, then speed it up so you remain in control till the match is over.
17) HOW TO deal with teammates who don’t respect you? You’ve probably already
experienced some of this in your sport if you’ve been on a team. Some
athletes don’t respect themselves so how are they going to respect you?
Some teammates may do it as a test to see how you respond, as athletes on
the opposing team will also disrespect you in the hope of gaining an
advantage.
Q: How would you respond to your disrespecting teammate?
A) Explain that you’re trying your best and willing to learn from these situations.
B) Explain that if he works on his mental game, the team will have a better
chance at making the playoffs.
C) Show by example that your great mental game will be a positive for the team.
18) HOW TO continue with players on injury list? Even though you may rotate players on
the roster, any injury will take away from the normal “flow” of the game. Less
experienced players can be overwhelmed because of their size, weight and
wanting to make an impression on the coaching staff to obtain more game
time.
Q: Your city basketball team has qualified for the 8 team city playoffs. You have only
one player taller than 6 foot- four and he was sandwiched in the paint as two
opponents were trying to steal the ball. He twisted his ankle and will have to sit the
remainder of the game. The other team has two taller players and could use both
to disrupt your team.
How should you continue?
A) It’s the next man up situation with more shooting from the perimeter.
B) The coach decides to go small to give bench warmers playing time in case they
may be needed in the playoffs.
C)Your team decides to get more physical so your opponents will foul more often
and one of their big men will be sitting because of foul trouble.
Emotions can get in the way of winning. Take my !.!. Test to see how human you are!
HOW TO take the human element out of sports?
Wait for my next HOW TO article!
The human element of sports experiences
By Alan Brizee © Dec 2024 Author of The Path to Excellence and
From Excellence to Success
Don't get emotional but this is your Essential Experiences vs. Emotions Essay (Face the Facts vs. Forget you Feelings Factors) to Fully Finish Fighting stronger.
Article is coming soon.
Bowling Camp took some of the human element out. It will increase your potential!
HOW TO know why your I.I. score matters?
Because you want to be prepared!
My Essential I.I. Test Answers:
Not all answers to questions have the same value. Scoring a zero on any question will show your mental game COULD BE IMPROVED. Scoring at least 5 points for every situation will show you have a good mental game already. This I.I. Test should show where you need to improve to see more positive results. Your I.I. could be 150 if you’ve been competing for over ten years. To reremind you, some answers are simply better than the other two listed and this is a learning experience that you may not find on any other website or social media post. A low score isn’t to degrade you as they are variables to go with what you scored. BUT NOW that you have a better understanding of the many variables that will happen through your sports career, NOW IT'S YOUR TIME TO SHOW THEM WHO YOU ARE! GO GET ‘EM!!
1) HOW TO handle any Delays in the match A= 0 B= 10 C= 8 Pts = _ _ _ _
Watching another game on a different court will make the time go by faster
and take your mind off the delay. You might learn something to help you in the
future and walking over will ease any nervousness. The sooner you can accept
delays, the sooner you’ll understand that your GREAT mental game will help you
with most situations.
2) HOW TO deal with Distractions A= 5 B= 2 C= 10 Pts = _ _ _ _
The fans will keep up the chant if it’s working. When you start to pull away from
the home team, your fans who traveled to the game will start their own chant.
3) HOW TO stop trash talking idiots A= 2 B= 5 C= 10 Pts = _ _ _ _
Players who “trash talk” normally can dish it out and won’t like it when throw
it back at them. Telling him to “Watch this”, will show that he’s not getting under
your skin and should stop him in his tracks. When he realizes that it won’t work
on you, he might self-destruct.
4) HOW TO minimize Arrogant opponents A= 10 B= 5 C= 2 Pts = _ _ _ _
When these athletes start to realize they can’t keep up with you after half the
match is over, they’ll know that you’re better than they thought and they have to
perform because their win may not happen as planned.
5) HOW TO compete against Unknown opponent A= 2 B= 10 C= 5 Pts = _ _ _ _
Competing like there is no tomorrow should help you focus on what must
happen. After all, it is your focus that can get momentum on your side because
now you’re repea ting GREAT shots.
6) HOW TO benefit from your Bitter rival A= 10 B= 8 C= 5 Pts = _ _ _ _
It’s not a bad thing to show some emotion as long as you don’t overdo it. You
shouldn’t be trash talking as it might help them focus better. Some emotion will
show your will to see more positive results.
7) HOW TO correctly change momentum A= 5 B= 10 C= 8 Pts = _ _ _ _
It shouldn’t matter who your opponent is, momentum can happen to the team
not expected to win the match. Expecting it to change isn’t the way you should
compete. Making it happen because of having a GREAT mental game is the
correct way to approach any match. Making a small change may help until they
make their change, but attacking their weaknesses should create confusion
where you start seeing positive results.
8) HOW TO compete when Refs calls help A= 10 B= 0 C= 2 Pts = _ _ _ _
I played a little tennis without refs around and with so many balls landing near
the inbounds line, most were called out. It didn’t matter as it was a way to
exercise for several hours. But when you compete in a league and want to win
the championship, you have to be smarter than any call made by a ref.
Arguing every call won’t help you either. You can’t let your opponent throw you
under the bus after challenging a call that didn’t help them. Respect all
opponents by not laughing at them, trash talking to them or act like an idiot
jumping around. Keep your head in the game because you most likely have
the better mental game to win the match.
9) HOW TO handle Refs calls against you A= 5 B= 2 C= 10 Pts = _ _ _ _
Since I have worn glasses before ever competing in sports, I know from
playing softball, a little basketball that refs won’t see everything during a game
and have to make quick decisions that could result in who ultimately wins the
game. Treating refs with respect might get you a favorable call once in a while.
Yelling at them usually won’t help the situation or change the call. The sooner
you refocus on the game, the sooner you can help your team when they need
you the most.
Total points in first half= _ _ _ _
10) HOW TO Face those MUST HAVE moments A= 8 B= 10 C= 8 Pts = _ _ _ _
Finally, I asked an easy question, or was it that easy? Having a ball thrown to
you at about 90 miles an hour and about 3 seconds to determine if you swing.
Because your experienced similar situations and have a GREAT mental game,
only you will know on this one pitch. Being fully focused gives you a better
chance to hit it out of the park. A home run hitter will almost always swing.
11) HOW TO Celebrate during any match A= 5 B= 5 C= 10 Pts = _ _ _ _
Watching the pros can lead to having bad habits. Some are making
$100,000 a game and want to show up their opponents. You’re just trying to
have fun, but you need to focus until the match has been completed if
winning is what matters.
12) HOW TO Celebrate after the match A= 10 B= 2 C= 5 Pts = _ _ _ _
If you said yes, I know you want to have fun, but you’re over celebrating, and
it can highly motivate your opponent. Your no answer shows that you might not
be invested in the match enough to see a positive outcome. So maybe you
should “beat your own drum” to show you’re still there and want to win. So, I
feel showing some emotion is really the correct way to compete, when you
have a GREAT mental game!
13) HOW TO have advantage in Opening game A= 5 B= 10 C= 8 Pts = _ _ _ _
When you’re ahead in any match, you need to keep the pressure on your
opponent. Too much relaxing and you might get behind. Staying in the zone
throwing great shots must still happen no matter how the match is going and
the best way to regain control.
14) HOW TO mount a charge after Losing opener A= 10 B= 8 C= 5 Pts= _ _ _ _
Once you get over the fact you lost, there’s still work left to do. Taking
advantage of any opportunity won’t happen every time you compete.
Adjusting the speed so they won’t know what hit them can work at times. But to
be realistic, and for whatever reason, it maybe your opponent’s time to use their
can of whipass.
15) HOW TO treat Close matches A= 5 B= 10 C= 5 Pts = _ _ _ _
If you have a GREAT mental game, you know this answer. If it’s not broken, why
fix it? Since you just tweaked your routine and it works for you, use it and stay
focused on the match and go after the win.
16) HOW TO continue w/ Opponents gets breaks A= 8 B= 0 C= 10 Pts = _ _ _ _
The hard thing in sports is not all corrections and adjustments you make will
be etched in stone. What worked last week may not work this week. Use your
head and refer to some past experiences where it happened before and
tweaked what worked. Thinking too much into this situation can negate your
GREAT mental game while their onslaught continues. The one thing you can’t
do is think this is going to continue to the end. That’s why changing gears is the
correct way and why champions repeat as their opponents couldn’t keep up
with them. You want to hit the repeat button on GREAT shots!
17) HOW TO deal w/ disrespecting teammates A= 8 B= 8 C= 10 Pts= _ _ _ _
The best way to show teammates and opponents who you are is on the field
or on the court. Actions speak louder than words. Explaining anything sports
related isn’t solving any problem. Once they realize your commitment to
excellence will be of value to the team, they should respond and start treating
you as an equal.
18) HOW TO handle injuries A= 10 B= 0 C= 5 Pts= _ _ _ _
The only good thing about this question is that your guaranteed the playoffs.
Being more physical could help some teams compete so they stay within reach
of possibly winning the game. Going small in basketball has worked for some,
but that could be due to their opponents being smaller. So you have to play
with the next man and hope your center can return before the playoffs start.
Total points in second half= _ _ _ _
Total points & your I.I. SCORE: _ _ _ _
It's time to find your total score from each question to find out how you compare to your teammates. Those athletes who score over 100 points won’t need to do as much work to eliminate outside influences as a part of being an athlete having fun competing!
130 – 180, Shows you’re a mental game warrior. = WOW! You don’t let things get to you
while competing. Keep up the good work!
105 – 129, Shows you’ve lived through some situations. = You have a few situations the
learn from before having a GREAT mental game!
75 – 104, Could show you haven’t competed very long. = Don’t quit your day job until
raising your score!
58 – 74, A rookie and at least realizing that competing may not be easy all the time 😊.
= At least you’re smart enough to know where to go for help!
My human element article covers this test in depth to understand the correct answers. I hope some of the valuable info seeps into your brain and helps you compete to win a few titles. The titles are really steppingstones for championships. All of my advice and what’s in my HOW TO books will help you focus on what has to happen. Competing in the Zone will eliminate many of these situations you just read about. With some situations that involve noise, you’ll be ready to ignore the noise, so you’ll be making your own noise by the scores you put up!
As always, See you in the Zone!
Emotions can get in the way of winning. Take my !.!. Test to see how human you are!