Your season, your why
Before any skills — what do you want this season to be about? Not a goal like "get recruited." Something you control. How you want to show up.
For example: Compete without fear of messing up · Be the teammate people count on · Get better every week, not perfect every day · Bring energy even on off days · Keep competing when the game gets tight
That's your why.
When a practice or a match gets hard, this is what you come back to — not the scoreboard.
Know your states
Pressure shows up in your body and head in a few predictable ways. The skill isn't never feeling it — it's naming it fast, because the name tells you the response. Which one hits you most when the match gets tight and you start to feel the pressure?
Build your reset
Every player shanks one, misses a serve, gets blocked. What separates people isn't the mistake — it's how fast they let it go and lock onto the next ball. That's a reset, and yours has three parts. Build it now.
For example: Wipe hands on shorts · Two claps · Touch the line · Spin the ball · Tap my chest
Breathe in through your nose for about 4 seconds.
Breathe out slowly for about 6 seconds. One is enough.
A long breath out is the off-switch. One is enough between points.
For example: Next ball · Let's go · This point · Right now · Ready
Make it an external cue — the target, the ball flight, the effect you want. Not body parts or mechanics.
Anchor → breath → cue word.
A few seconds, same every time. That's your reset. You'll run it between points all season.
Your pre-serve routine
The serve is the one moment that's all yours — no one can rush you. Same routine every time makes it automatic when it counts. Build yours.
Use the arrows to put your steps in order.
Quiet eye.
Last thing before you serve — hold your eyes on that target for a couple seconds. Not your toss, not your arm. The target. That one habit is one of the most proven things in all of sport.
For example: Deep corner · Back line · The seam between two players · Back-left line
Make it an external cue — the target, the ball flight, the effect you want. Not body parts or mechanics.
Steps → breath → target → quiet eye.
Run the exact same thing every serve.
One process goal
One goal for the season — but a process goal, something you control every practice, not an outcome you don't. "Win districts" is an outcome. "Full commit on every serve" is a process goal. Which is yours?
For example: Run my reset after every mistake · Full commit on every serve · First one talking on defense · Best energy on the team every practice
That's yours to control every single day — win or lose. Track it, not the scoreboard.
Your Season Profile
Here it is, all in one card — your season plan, built by you.
My Season
Your card builds itself as you go.
- My why
- My most common state + response
- My reset
- My pre-serve routine
- My process goal
Copy it, save it as a PDF, or screenshot it. It saves on this device either way — but a copy travels with you.
Everything on this card is yours, because you made it. You're ready.