So, I'm having a hard time summing up something. I got whaled on yesterday. I mean, I barely showed up. I got my butt kicked. A fourteen year old wiped the floor with me (on a related note, happy birthday Ryan). There are any number of things I could say, excuses I could offer, but I'll try to do a bit of analysis instead.
I think my technique was pretty solid all day. I could complain about the slippage on the floors (Mira Mesa High School's gym is well maintained, but it apparently doubles as an ice rink), but it wasn't a huge issue. My problem was that I didn't fully get into, or at the very least didn't maintain a competitive mindset. I was treating the bouts like practice and taking my time to get mentally warmed up and engaged. And this didn't just happen early on, it lasted until my elimination bout. I remember an old teammate used to tell me to 'be hungry', and I don't think I accomplished that today. Not even a little bit.
So, proceeding under the assumption that I've found the problem, it's time to find a solution. My physical warm-up works out, now I need a mental one. I could do a decision drill beforehand, or do something to psych myself up. The thing about individual sports is that it's hard to do a rah-rah cheer when it's just you. The UCSD team used to do a couple different cheers, but they were pretty graphic and not really appropriate for the local opens I'm attending, which are all-age events.
I've got another tournament next weekend, so that gives me a week to come up with a plan. 'Til next time!
Updated: Here's a link to the results. I wound up placing fifteenth out of seventeen. So, not dead last! That counts for something, right?
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