I think I have been accidentally fostering a losing attitude in practice for years.


I've always preached trying to learn at practice, to not try and 'win' practice. To involve the tier 2/3 players rather than just playing through your studs.


But that doesn't teach someone the will to win. That doesn't teach someone to body up and lock their man down. That doesn't teach someone the killer instinct of when to strike. That doesn't teach someone to put the team on their back, get every other touch, and dominate a point.

A lot of times the teams that I have played for find them self near the end of a tight game and trying to play nice. They try to incorporate everyone. They say "they're open, I should throw this" rather than "The game is on the line. Who do I want to have the disc?". They don't play selfish when they need to.

It gives them an easy-out. It becomes "They should have caught that. They lost the game for us" "I made the right decision. They were open". The loss is no longer their fault. It allows them a logical way to displace the blame.

But that's not how you win. If you are among the best players on the team/the line/that point, it is your fault if the team loses. You have to be the one getting the ball. You have to be the one making the throws.

If you are forced into making a less-than-guaranteed play, wouldn't you rather it go through your stud?



It is hard to close out games when you are trying to make the 'right' play rather than the 'winning' play. And everything starts at practice.