Today’s #3 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. #2 LSU Tigers is the biggest game of this year’s college football season thus far. This is potentially an elimination game for this year’s playoff.
What I find fascinating in big-game environments is how coaches, from a leadership perspective, prepare their assistant coaches and teams for the moment, their opponent, and how to deal with crises in high-pressure situations.
During an interview on the set of ESPN College Gameday, legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban provided his philosophy for big-game preparation. The following are Nick Saban’s 7 Things You Must Do To Perform Well In Big Games And High-Pressure Situations I gleaned from his comments:
- Do Not Focus On The Implications Of The Game – “I tried to get the players to not focus on the implications of the game because that’s where all the noise comes from.”
- Focus Instead On Your Personal Preparation – “Stay focused on the specific things you need to do to prepare for the game so you can go out and do your job well. That’s what going to help you have success and that’s the most important thing from a player’s perspective internally.”
- Performs Tasks You Are Comfortable And Confident In Doing – “Najee (Harris) has gotten a lot more comfortable and confident running the runs the way you need to run them relative to the blocking scheme we have up front.”
- Keep Your Energy Level Up – “Every player gots to challenge himself to keep their energy level up.”
- Focus On The Next Play – “You’re going to make plays. The other team is going to make plays. You’ve got to focus on the next play.”
- Trust Your Preparation – “Trust in your technique and what you’ve been coached to do. When some things go wrong, don’t go rogue.”
- Persevere – “Challenge yourself to persevere the game for 60 minutes.”
Proper Focus, Being Comfortable and Confident, Have High Energy, Trust Your Preparation, and Persevere. Do these things and you will position yourself to be successful in big-game environments and high-pressure situations. What is one thing you learned from Coach Saban which will make you a better.
To receive more leadership insights from Coach Saban, click HERE or on the image to the left for my new ebook The Leadership Of Nick Saban: Timeless Truths From The Incomparable Head Coach Of The Alabama Crimson Tide. This is an invaluable resource for both sports fans or anyone interested in organizational leadership. Enjoy!