6 reasons all athletes should be watching video
When I left college coaching and started my new journey as a high school coach at Ridgewood high school in New Jersey, I discovered right away the lack of video that was being used as a tool for player development. I immediately implemented many of the preparation and player development methods I used at the college level- video assessment being one of the first.
As a coach,
I always felt more prepared for opponents the more film I watched. Video helps me recognize offensive and defensive patterns, ultimately helping to create a well-prepared scout I feel comfortable sharing with my team. It also helps our coaching staff prepare for practice, assess individual skills, assess team strengths and areas of improvement.
As a player,
I learned to fine-tune my skill set. I also learned what I needed to adjust in order to take my game to the next level. It helped build my confidence by slowing the game down and allowing myself to just play.
So I wanted to share with players and coaches all the benefits of watching more video.
If you like this article, please share and send to others or comment below. My hope is to help as many athletes and families as I can implement these helpful tools and strategies.
“The 6 reasons all athletes should be watching video”
1-Players will learn how to self evaluate
The most important part of an athletic journey is knowing specifically what your individual strengths are on the field. As athletes, these are the things that we can always fall back on, our go-to skill sets.
If you haven’t already, you need to sit down watch your video or ask a coach to help you and identify your 3 strengths. These are the things you can bring to practice and games every single day!
Mentally, if you are having a tough game or practice, knowing these 3 strengths to your core will allow you to refocus your energy on the positive things you do.
BFF INSIDER TIP:
Make sure to take a few minutes and write down your 3 strengths. These are the skills that will bring you back and centered. They give you a focus in practice when you are feeling distracted or lost.
2- Video helps players increase their lacrosse IQ
Lacrosse IQ is the “why” and the “when” of what they should be doing, and the “how” they should be doing it. It’s the athlete’s ability to understand multiple offenses, defenses, and create opportunities for themselves and their teammates by so clearly understanding the game. It’s the player coaches call a “smart player”, when describing their skill set.
Athletes need to learn the importance of becoming a “student of the game”. This means, just like you study for a test, or the SAT’s, you need to put the time in watching game and practice video so that you clearly see and understand the why’,s whens and hows.
BFF INSIDER TIP:
By watching and studying video you can start to slow the game down for yourself. It will become less chaotic and you can start to see patterns. You will start to separate yourself from others. This can be game-changing!
3- Helps players improve individual skills
The best athletes in the world use video to study their game. They try and uncover any tendencies or weaknesses they may have and make them a strength. Video allows us as athletes to take time to self reflect and analyze and visualize areas to improve.
Once you feel you have improved in those areas, you can reassess in a few weeks and work on a few more skills.
By continuing to add “tools to your toolbox”, you will be able to adjust to what defenses throw at you. You will become a more multi-dimensional player. This means having multiple dodges, shots, and fakes in your repertoire of skills.
4- Helps teach players how to Self-reflect
Developing physically, mentally, and emotionally can make the difference in a player's development. Taking time to watch, analyze, and then self-reflect allows athletes to work on visualization, breathing, and other skill sets that can separate us from our competition.
BFF INSIDER TIP:
Next time you go out to do some extra shooting, stickwork, or footwork. Set up a camera or have a friend or family member video you doing the work. You can go back after each rep, or look at it later when you get inside. You can see so much from the video. It can help you improve your technique even just a little, that can go a long way!
5- Video can benefit injured players, or players needing a rest day
With the increased awareness of over exhaustion and injuries due to overuse, video is a way to “take a day off” and still benefit from learning. The benefit of video can be just as good as getting out there on the field.
BFF INSIDER TIP:
Make sure you are focusing on the bigger concepts while watching. Some areas to watch are teams strategies, spacing, the effectiveness of the offense, defense. Be mindful to watch concepts, and not focus on being too critical of yourself. Athletes tend to get distracted by focusing on materialistic things like what they are wearing, or why they are standing a certain way.
Instead focus on the bigger concepts, the skill set you are trying to improve on and be sure to write it down in a notebook to look at later.
6- CONFIDENCE COMES FROM DOING THE WORK
One of the greatest areas that video can improve in athletes is confidence.
Confidence comes from knowing you have done the work on a consistent basis to prepare for any opportunity. When you are prepared to your core, you are able to mentally overcome any obstacle that may come your way.
So take the time to analyze video. Look at yourself, and study your teammates and opponents. Watch what successful teams do, watch what great players do. Become a student of the game.
xoxo,
Crysti