Learning how to win is the last step

When you step on the field (or in some cases, the court) often it is predetermined who will win the game.

Not because one team is physically better than the other, not because one coach is mentally better than the other and not because of any particular laws of physics.

There is that one little thing that separates consistent winning teams and consistent losing teams.

Some people call it intimidation.

But I think it is more than that. I think it is bigger than just sheer intimidation. Often I think there is nothing intimidating even involved.

After all, when you are talking about sports on the high school level, there are not many times when one school has a huge talent advantage over another. Coaching is another matter, but even then it is not often when you get a coach who is head-and-shoulders above the others in their sport.

Some people call it confidence.

I agree that confidence is essential when it comes to being successful, and that may also play a part in separating the winning team from the losing team.

But I am still looking at a bigger concept than just confidence.

Some may disagree with me, but I think the most difficult thing to do in sports is to learn how to win.

You can learn how to properly play a game and still not know how to win.

The reason is because there is no magic formula, no fairy dust that you can sprinkle over a player, and nothing that you can say to teach somebody how to win.

Sure you can teach them the fundamentals. You can prepare for your opponent so you know exactly what they are going to do at exactly the right time.

But when it comes to executing in the clutch, coming up with that big hit, or making that key tackle, there seems to be some people who make the play, and others who do not.

Take Derek Jeter for example. He is not the best hitting shortstop in baseball. He is not the best fielding shortstop in the game. However, when the game is on the line and a play needs to be made, Jeter always seems to be the guy to hit that home run or make that diving snag.

The guy knows how to win, and that makes him more valuable than other shortstops in the league such as Miguel Tejada, Nomar Garciaparra and Alex Rodriguez before he was moved to third base.

Often you can get a team with superior talent and superior coaching, and lose to an opponent who just happens to have more experience winning games.

Sometimes there are teams and players who just find a way to win.

Sometimes there are teams that can lead games, have complete control of games and still not end up on top when the game is over.

That brings me to the Nevada High School softball team.

Here is a team that I know has the talent to win softball games. I have seen them against two of their opponents this season and it is my opinion that Nevada is more talented than both.

Yet the Tigers are sitting at 0-4 going into this afternoon's battle against Lamar.

Why?

I don't think it is the coaching. Between Chris Garzone and Brandi Thomsen the Tigers have enough softball knowledge and savvy to win some games.

But the Tigers have not yet learned how to win.

The players do not have the confidence in their abilities, the confidence in their teammates, the lack of intimidation and that little extra something that would allow them to make one play here and another play there that would take a losing game and turn it into a win.

Will they develop it? Nobody knows.

Often it takes a key win over a big opponent for that little light to go off and for the team to make a run.

Sometimes it takes a couple of victories strung together to get the momentum on their side.

Whatever it takes to get that winning feeling in your blood, and to carry it over from game to game, it is something that can be developed.

How many times have you seen a team come out of nowhere to do something special?

Look at the New England Patriots a couple years ago.

Not last season, but the first time they won the Super Bowl. They were 2-2 when their starting quarterback got injured. In comes Tom Brady, who nobody thought much of at the time, and suddenly the Patriots started winning games. They won ugly at first, but before long they were pummeling opponents.

They finally learned how to win, and everything else fell into place.

That is what the Tigers need right now. They need one play to be made, one player to step up and one win under their belt. Then maybe Nevada can see what these girls can do.