The way you respond to bad games as an athlete will either lead to a slump or it will lead to you bouncing back and playing well the next game.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through how to respond to a bad game, to see it as a learning opportunity, and most importantly, to put yourself in a position to bounce back strong.
What Happens If You Respond Poorly
One of the most common challenges I see athletes deal with is responding poorly to a bad game.
When we respond poorly to bad games, it involves us criticizing ourselves and then trying to force ourselves to play well to turn things around.
When this occurs, we see a lack of free play because now we’re tense. We’re trying to force something. We also see a lack of confidence.
When we trust ourselves and we have full confidence in our game, we don’t try to make things happen. We trust that things will happen. Which means we’re in the moment.
We trust our skills. We trust our decision-making. We’re not overthinking. We’re just playing freely.
But when you have a poor game and then you criticize yourself, your confidence drops going into the next game. There will be a lot more tension present and then you try to force things.
Your focus also becomes fixed on the result because you’re trying so hard to have a great game. That leads to putting extreme pressure on yourself.
This idea of overcontrolling the next game is really where we see slumps form.
I work with a lot of players—especially baseball and softball players—who deal with slumps.
For them, a lot of times it’s hitting slumps. They have a game where they go 0 for 4, and then the next game they’re feeling pressure to turn things around. At the plate they’re tense, overswinging, being overaggressive, or hesitating.
They’re overthinking at the plate. That’s not a position to succeed.
The same thing happens across all sports.
For example, a basketball player may only score two points in one game. The next game they’re forcing shots, shooting with more tension, taking poor shots, and then passing up good ones because they’re hesitating.
The way we respond to bad games can and will have a direct impact on how well we play the next game. If you’re criticizing yourself, experiencing negative self-talk, and pressuring yourself to perform, that’s where slumps form.
What Should Our Goal Be After a Bad Game?
So what does it mean to respond well?
And most importantly, what does it mean to respond by seeing bad games as growth opportunities?
As cheesy as it sounds, to see a bad game as a growth opportunity means we have to change the way we see mistakes. Mistakes must be seen as ways to learn and improve instead of negatives.
We also have to learn how not to beat ourselves up after bad games, but instead evaluate our game in an objective way.
A System to Use After a Bad Game
I have a system I use with athletes I work with in one-on-one coaching that helps them respond better to bad games.
This system involves four steps:
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Take some time
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Evaluate the positives
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Look at mistakes as a way to learn
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Apply what you learned/adjust for the next game
Step 1: Take Some Time
I worked with a high school basketball player last season, and this is what really got me thinking about the idea of taking some time after a game.
She told me that even though she tried to think about the positives, she just couldn’t stop herself from criticizing and beating herself up. The last thing she wanted to do was evaluate the game.
The more I thought about it and applied this to other athletes, the more I realized we do need to give ourselves time after bad games to calm down before evaluating.
Right after a game, emotions are high. You’re disappointed. You’re frustrated. That’s normal. But if you immediately start evaluating, you’re not in the right frame of mind.
So give yourself time to cool off. Maybe that means waiting until the next day. Maybe it means a few hours.
Do something unrelated to your sport—watch a funny movie, go out with friends, talk about something other than the game.
Recognize that what you do after the bad game has no impact on that game, but it has a huge impact on the next one.
Step 2: Evaluate the Positives
Once time has passed, the next step is to focus on positives.
Building confidence requires seeing your successes. Even small ones. After a bad game, your mistakes stand out like flashing neon signs. But you must intentionally find positives.
Maybe it was being a good teammate, doing something right on defense, or bouncing back after an early mistake. Focus on those positives first. That generates confidence for the next game.
Step 3: Look at Mistakes as a Way to Learn
Next, objectively analyze your mistakes.
Ask yourself: What can I learn from my mistakes today?
This question shifts your perspective from beating yourself up to identifying lessons. Mistakes are teachers. They show you what needs improvement.
Write your answers down or talk them through with someone else. The goal is to identify what you’d do differently next time and what you should focus on in practice.
Step 4: Apply What You Learned
Finally, apply the lessons.
If you have a game the next day, ask yourself: What adjustments do I need to make to avoid those mistakes?
If you don’t play again for a week, ask: What do I want to focus on in practice?
Growth comes not just from learning from mistakes, but from applying those lessons moving forward.
Final Thoughts
This whole system is more effective if you write it down or talk it through with someone else—a parent, a teammate, or a coach.
It’s a simple but powerful way to stop one bad game from snowballing into a slump. Instead, you’ll turn bad games into growth opportunities.
If you’re interested in learning more about my one-on-one mental coaching program, click here to schedule a free introductory coaching call, or fill out the form below and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
I’ve also created two online mental training courses for athletes:
And if you’re more of a reader, check out my books:
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
