When these come across my desk I get fired up! I love this topic! Read on!
“Any advice for me going into going into Paralyze mode after playing someone who is cheating and taking bad calls? The older I get, the harder it is to not let it affect me and the game goes down hill quickly!”
Signed,
Paralysis Due to Bad Behavior
Dear PDBB,
I consider myself somewhat of an expert on this topic because I played in the 70’s! I played in Upstate NY and in the city as well. The players came from wrestling mats, football fields, and the streets of the big apple. Nobody seemed to be out for the sportsmanship award!
Double bounce gets, inexperienced refs, and nasty competitors made for some colorful situations.
Here are ways I learned to deal with this.
1. Play the ball. You are not playing a cheater, you are playing a ball. Chase the ball and make the shot!
2. Try to get a strong referee. I would go out of my way to get a strong ref that could not be swayed by an articulate cheatster!
3. Talk to the ref before the match and attempt to explain that the behavior you are expecting they should look for.
4. When someone does cheat I have offered this solution before in this forum.
a. Do your best to focus on winning the next rally. That renders their cheat useless.
b. Then do you best to focus on winning the next rally. That sticks it to them!
c. Then do your best to focus on winning the next rally. That really sticks it to them!
5. Focus on what you can control. 1-4 above you can control. Your opponent-not so much!
Let me know how it goes!! I do have a few other things I used to do that are not so nice…hahaha–
Go get’em tigers!