One common problem that transcends every single sport is the occurrence of players performing better in practice than in games. The majority of athletes have experienced this in one way or another. Either they themselves have had issues, or have witnessed a teammate struggle to convert their skills from practice to a game. Parents and coaches are no different. Maybe not every parent has seen their child athlete go through this hardship, but a good amount definitely have. Coaches should be aware of every one of their players’ strengths and weaknesses, including performance in games. It doesn’t matter how good an athlete is either. Players who have trouble converting abilities in games can be seen from youth leagues all the way to professional sports. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “player with great potential,” that’s essentially a nicer way of saying that the athlete isn’t playing to his or her capability come game time.

There is a host of factors that come into play when working to solve the problem of lackluster game performance, most of which are mental. The responsibility of this task shouldn’t squarely fall on the shoulders of the athlete struggling. Coaches should do their part to get involved. If the player in question is a kid, parents can also play an integral role in getting their kid back on track.

Keep in mind that the specific issue that’s holding a player back is unique to each player, but the following suggestions could help pull an athlete out of a slump.

Change the inner narrative

Whether you like it or not, everyone has that little voice in their head. That voice isn’t inherently bad, but a lot of the time, you are your biggest critic. If that inner voice keeps saying, “I stink in games,” your confidence is going to be stinted. The problem won’t be solved overnight. You won’t wake up the next day after a tough game and notice the voice saying, “I play awesome in games.” You need to work at it.

It’s easy to get sucked into listening to that inner monologue, but taking steps to refute it is one way how you can change your outlook from negative to positive. As you steadily improve your performance in games, you will develop the confidence for your inner narrative to say something else. Instead of saying, “I stink in games,” you might improve to “I’m getting better.” Hopefully, you’ll keep working at it, and the narrative might switch to something along the lines of, “I’m confident in what I need to do in this game.” Remember, the sooner you are aware of the voice, the quicker you can work on what it says.

Another way to look at this is you are taking steps to reduce the level of anxiety games have on you. Practicing is one thing. Fewer eyes are watching, the environment is typically a bit more relaxed, and you are more caught up with working on specific aspects of your game instead of incorporating everything into a game. There’s no denying that practice and games are different. However, working hard on your skills can greatly diminish any anxiety you might be feeling on game day.

Treat games like practice & practice like games

That heading may seem a little convoluted, but it’s a solid piece of advice. Approaching each and every practice with the intensity of a game gives players more opportunities to play in that type of atmosphere. Give every practice drill 100 percent effort. Lay it all out there just as much as you would for a game. Try not to give into the thought that practice isn’t as high stakes as a game. Treating them both equally can do wonders to alter how you perceive them. If you’re someone who feels like they try less in practice, but perform better, well, then, try less in games. Trying too hard can lead to stretching your mind and body too thin. Obviously, you aren’t going to drag your feet, but actively fighting the mental urge to do too much can yield some very desirable results.

Focus on yourself

Too often do people compare themselves to others. It’s human nature. But this behavior is something you need to rid yourself of. While warming up for a game, don’t pay attention to the other team. How they prepared for the game is out of your control. The only thing you CAN control is your own performance. Focus on your strengths. Don’t dwell on the competition. This one tactic can help you maintain a confident mentality before and during the game.

Shift the concentration from outcome to technique

Emphasizing outcome is a big reason why players have a challenging time translating their performance from practice to games. So much tends to run through a person’s head while they consider the outcome. “What if we lose this game? Will the coach pull me if I walk this batter?” These concerns don’t help performance, only hurt it. You know what isn’t usually a concern in practice? The outcome. Athletes are much more focused perfecting skills and techniques during practice than games. Maintain that attentiveness to your skills and techniques during the game and you won’t have time to get distracted by outcomes.

Coaches & Parents play your roles carefully

There isn’t a single player who doesn’t get frustrated by a lack of performance in a game. It can be irritating for a coach to watch on the sidelines as well. Especially since the coach has seen what the player can do in practice. One of the best things a coach can do to help an athlete improve game performance and mentality is to sit down with them and have a discussion. Give the player an opportunity to voice his or her feelings on the subject matter. Be understanding during the conversation and work with that player to find a way to solve the issue. Coaches can play a huge part in shifting a player’s outlook from outcomes. That’s a step in the right direction for the player’s mentality.

The number one thing parents needs to remember whether their child is doing great in games or not is that they need to be parents first, not coaches. This advice is much more crucial though when the child isn’t able to be consistent in games. Being reassuring and showing understanding will go an immensely long way to comfort a struggling young athlete. Yelling at a kid during the game isn’t going to help them. To truly succeed as a parent of a struggling athlete, show them that the concern for them as a person far outweighs the desire to see them improve as an athlete.

Develop confidence & performance will fall in line

The well-known saying, “practice makes perfect” isn’t always accurate. Maybe a player can perfect skills and techniques in practice, but once the whistle blows, the imperfections begin to reveal themselves. It’s true that continuing to practice can alleviate some of the situation, but adopting a more positive, healthy mental approach to the game is equally as important.