Learning to relax.

[rainmaker]

ace --

For me, relaxing meant two things: confidence and control. I have been working for the past four years, to have enough experience to feel that I know what to do in any situation. That's the confidence part -- knowing ahead of time that I am in control. Which is the second thing -- control. The hardest part for me was (is) self-control. Controlling my body, my emotions, and my thinking process all need constant attention. You need a certain amount of excitement and enthusiasm, but not tension or hype. You need to be able to distance yourself at some moments and step into the current at others, and you need to know when to do which. (This starts to sound like a 12-step group!) When I go into a JV girls' game, I have both confidence and control. I've been around the barn a few times, and I know what to expect and how to handle it. Varsity boys' I'm still working on, although I think I could fake my way through if necessary. You'll get there, too, just like we all will, if you work on developing confidence and control.