Pre-Tourney BCA Texas State Thoughts

How will I play this week?  How will I finish?  Will my nerves and expectations get the best of me me?  (just typing that out makes my heart flutter!).  How will my fundamentals be?  How will I play?

Every year before the BCAPL Texas State tourney I share how nervous I get over title tournaments due to the expectations for myself and my desires.

This year, I wont talk about that.  Since I write about it every year, no reason to rehash it again for you.  Plus, I feel different this year.  :)  Not only am I more confident, and feel in my heart I have more good tourney experiences just in the past 18 months than in a long time, but I also remembered (the hard way) that I naturally have test anxiety.  It's not just pool, it's all competition and all impacts to my future.  That's a cool thing to figure out.  :)

I hope to play decent all three events: Scotch Doubles, Singles, and Women's Teams. My goal is to think outside the box, stay down well, and stroke more when I'm nervous.

I am confident, but I need to be careful not to be TOO confident.

Here are some quotes I found today cleaning off my work desk:

• Except what you accept.
• What is in your mind is what you put there.  So, make it something happy.  Why not make it happy thoughts?

 And notes that I wrote down from my last tourney (that I am putting in my purse right now):

• Play like a boa constrictor (don't let up at any time against any one)
• Someone has to win, might as well be me (don't feel bad for my opponents)
• Breathe
• Stroke more when I'm nervous
• Have fun!
• Confidence.
• Remember, you play good.