Watching a game in the stands brings nerves not felt on the court
A funny thing happened to me Tuesday that has never occurred before.
As I was watching the closing few minutes of the NeuquaValley/West Aurora game, I got nervous. My heart began to beat fast, and my palms began to sweat. I was not nervous in the sense of being afraid but worried for the players on both teams. One team's season was on the brink. No tomorrow, now or never. I remember thinking, wow, if I were in that situation I would be nervous ... .
But that nervous energy was from a spectator's perspective. As a player you learn to control those emotions and concentrate on the task at hand.
Preparation is a matter of personal preference. Each individual has their own special way to ready themselves for the "big game." My personal pregame rituals include two things: the back seat of the bus, away from everyone, and my Jay-Z "Black Album." I visualize myself in every possible situation. I imagine myself defending. What move are they going to make? What do they like to do?
The reason for my amazement and my awe when we clinched the state championship last season in the closing seconds was because I had visualized myself, placed myself in that situation, from the beginning of the season.
Once the warmup clock begins to tick, it is my job to ensure that my team is prepared. Everyone is motivated differently, and it is my job to encourage, relax and just be there.
As our team continues in this one-game season, I realize there is no other team I would rather compete with, no team I would rather go to war with. We have each other's backs, and we tell each other what we need to hear, and not necessarily what we want to hear.
To continue our season, we know what is needed: to win. But everyone has the intent of winning, no true competitor goes into a game with the desire to lose. We must maintain a sound frame of mind, play Naperville Central basketball, and I'll be satisfied with whatever the outcome.
Come see the sectional final rematch of Naperville Central vs. Neuqua Valley, 7:30 p.m. today at Waubonsie Valley High School.
The saga continues ...