How does your team respond when they fall behind on the scoreboard? They may scratch and claw their way back until the very end. However, this isn’t always the case. Some teams crumble slowly while others implode from fear and panic. Find out how to help your team develop a fighting spirit.

What Not to Do When You Fall Behind

I once worked with a volleyball team who really struggled when they got behind. The pressure mounted. At times they panicked. In some cases they seemed to throw in the towel, deeming the deficit insurmountable.

Their coach became frustrated. Why do they panic? Why don’t they keep fighting? Why do they quit?

Perhaps you’ve pondered these same questions about your team before.

Why Teams Lack a Fighting Spirit

Teams can lack a fighting spirit for a variety of reasons. It may be a losing tradition, an unhealthy culture, a lack of team leaders. Or it may be due to youth and inexperience.

Regardless of the reasons, teams that lack a fighting spirit often share four common psychological deficits:

• They lack confidence in the themselves.
• They think they have to strike back right away.
• They don’t manage their thoughts and emotions, losing composure.
• They don’t believe in their ability to come from behind.

Each error carries its own symptoms which negatively impact a team’s performance.

The Ingredients of a Fighting Spirit

Getting your team to fight until the very end involves mixing a cocktail of psychological factors into their DNA.

• 3 oz. of Grit
• 2 oz. of Confidence
• 2 oz. of Composure
• 3 oz. of Belief
• 2 oz. of Perspective

Helping your team keep their cool, play smart, and be patient is no easy task when you get behind on the scoreboard.

Here are 3 key messages to engrain into your team to help them develop a fighting spirit:

One Point at a Time

Yes, its cliche. Understandably, athletes want to erase the deficit as quickly as possible. They don’t have to equal the score immediately, in the next 2 minutes, top of the next inning, or next period.

But you have to start by getting your athletes to understand and trust the process. Focus on playing in the present moment.

Keep Your Cool

Adding pressure by putting more value on the next shot, possession, or inning doesn’t help. Anxiety and panic only make matters worse. Negative emotions restrict communication, decision making, and physical performance.

Encourage your athletes to turn their anxiety into excitement and competitiveness. Remind them to use diaphragmatic breathing to help tone down the body’s stress response.

Keep Fighting

The contest isn’t over until it’s over. Anything can happen – that’s why we play the game, right?

As the Hall of Fame NFL coach Mike Ditka once said, “You’re never a loser until you quit trying.”

Tell your team to focus on what they can control. Keep competing. You never know what can happen. Sports history is littered with legendary comebacks. Why not now? Why not you?

Foster a Fighting Spirit

The volleyball coaches and I flooded those student-athletes with messages like the ones above. We developed drills, putting players at a disadvantage to foster a fighting spirit. We emphasized to the team that they weren’t going to erase a deficit in one fell swoop. That was okay. They just needed to get within striking distance – to seize opportunities and take advantage of opponent’s miscues. We taught them to claw their way back into matches.

Their growth throughout the season was tremendous.

Athletes are competitive. No one likes to fall behind. By fostering a fighting spirit you teach athletes to never give up and keep competing.

Question: How else do you foster a fighting spirit in your team?

I’d love to hear from you in the comments below, or on Facebook or Twitter.

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