1.Have a Positive Attitude

Being positive helps with a better attitude towards the game, a more effective mentality, and an increase of upbeat energy. Your overall mindset towards the game will be more constructive and will also have a positive effect on the physical aspect to the game. By focusing on the practical outlook of the game will increase your chances of playing better and feeling more confident. 

2.Take Responsibility

Blaming others for personal mistakes is not only wrong, but will not benefit anyone in the situation. Not taking responsibility for your actions will cause you to make more excuses in the future and believe that you are never the problem. A part of growing as a player is taking responsibility and fixing the negatives that have occurred. In addition, responsibility will allow an individual to become a better player because they will learn to rely on themselves to improve and build the confidence to not make similar errors.

3. Control the Controllables

A main part of any game is a players’ mentality. Letting uncontrollable matters bother you is not the right way to play the game. You can only allow yourself to focus on the factors you can control. By doing this, an individual can focus their attention on more important matters, have a more productive outlook on the game, and end up having a better end result. Putting your attention and effort into the matters you are a part of will only create more effective changes and results. 

4.Block Out the Noise

Another major part of any game is politics. People have the tendencies to say anything to put someone in the direction of where they want them to go. The noise other people make can have damaging effects. By blocking out this unnecessary noise, a person can prevent future mistakes, protect themself from getting in their head, and stop them from overthinking to meet the approval of someone else. Taking the time to focus on yourself will benefit you in the long run and guide you to focus on the factors that will put yourself in the best position.

5.Show Your Motivation

Making it clear to the coaches that you want to be there and are motivated to improve is a main component of what it takes to be a great player. Those who are hungry for the ball, and always want to be involved, display their passion and determination. When walking up to play that sport, make it clear that you are there for yourself and will continue to work hard to achieve your goals.

6.Learn from Mistakes

In most sports, a person will end up failing more than they end up succeeding. With these non-ideal circumstances, mistakes and errors will be made. Allowing those mistakes to throw your game off and letting the negatives control you is not the right way to go about it. Learning from mistakes will allow the individual to grow as a player, prevent themselves from making the same mistake twice, and encourage someone to improve their overall skill set.

7.Work Hard

In any sport, working hard to improve your skill set, performance level, endurance, and mindset is a given. Without working hard, you can not achieve your fullest potential in that sport. Those who have natural talent will only go so far, but those who work hard and build on that talent will go further than expected.

8.Have a Short Memory

Making minor mistakes in the field, getting down on yourself during a game, and having a disagreement with someone else are just some factors during a sport that can happen. Having a short memory and not focusing on the negatives will only benefit you as a player. Getting hung up on unnecessary factors is not something that is going to help you make the next play. So, forget about the minor inconveniences during a sports game, and put all of your focus and attention on the next play.

9.Express Contagious Energy

The energy of one player easily spreads to the rest of the team. This energy can be good or bad depending on various factors of the game. However, when one person starts to have contagious positive energy, it spreads like wildfire. Keeping this continuous, positive energy will spark something in the team that will urge them to play harder, be more focused, have stronger confidence, and allow them to play to the best of their abilities.

10.Have Good Sportsmanship

A player should not only be skilled in what they do, but also should have good sportsmanship. Being kind and considerate to others goes a long way in any sport you play. An athlete may have the best skillset on the field, but may not be the person with the best sportsmanship. The person that does have good sportsmanship is going to be remembered more because of their benevolent ways.