Ron Schmittling is a renowned Mental Performance Coach and author of Winning Starts Within who contributes articles frequent with us.

Ron is excellent at providing ideas, tips and training on how to improve “mental performance for fastpitch athletes!

In today’s post, Ron explains how big games magnify mistakes and how one error can cause a team to spiral… but there are ways to face the pressure and make it work to your advantage!

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The game feels different… Movements slow. Voices get quiet. Mistakes feel heavier. Same team. Same talent…

… but different performance.

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What Changes in Big Games

Big games don’t add pressure — they reveal how teams handle it together.

When the stakes rise, something subtle shifts.

The focus moves from let’s compete to don’t mess this up. That single mental pivot changes everything. Athletes start playing carefully instead of freely, protecting instead of attacking.

And carefully almost never wins.

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The Team Pressure Spiral

One error happens. Body language drops. Energy dips. No one says anything — but everyone feels it.

Silence becomes tension. Tension becomes hesitation. Hesitation becomes the next mistake.

The problem was never the error. It was the shared response to it.

This is how talented teams lose games they should win.

Not because of a lack of skill, but because no one trained for the moment between the mistake and the next pitch.

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What Great Teams Do Differently

Great teams don’t avoid pressure…. they normalize it.

They expect mistakes, momentum swings, and adversity — and they train their responses before big moments arrive.

The difference isn’t talent. It’s habit.

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The Three Team Anchors

Teams that stay loose under pressure rely on three things.

The first is a shared reset.

Everyone knows exactly what to do after a mistake — a clap, a verbal cue, a physical signal. It’s practiced, not improvised. No confusion. No dwelling. Just a clear signal that says we move forward together.

The second is clear leadership behavior.

When things go sideways, leaders don’t try to fire the team up.

They model composure. Calm body language spreads just as fast as panic does — and great leaders know which one they’re choosing to spread.

The third is next-play language.

The best teams speak in forward terms: next pitch, stay here, we’re good. Simple phrases that redirect attention and reset emotional direction. Words shape where the mind goes next.

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Why This Matters

Pressure isolates individuals. Strong team habits reconnect them.

When athletes feel genuinely supported — when they know a mistake won’t cost them the trust of their teammates — they play faster, looser, and freer. Even in the biggest moments.

This week,

• Athletes: be the teammate who resets the energy after a mistake, not the one who lets it linger.
• Coaches: teach team responses, not just individual ones.
• Parents: watch the body language on the bench more than the scoreboard.

Big games don’t belong to the most talented teams. They belong to the most connected ones.

And that’s a powerful mental edge!

— Ron Schmittling for Line Drive Softball

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Previous Articles:

• Mental Mindset: How One Negative Thought Hijacks an Entire Game (Feb. 2, 2026)
• Mental Mindset: Why Confidence Disappears in Games (and How to Build It Back) Jan. 19, 2026
• Mental Mindset: Why “Just Relax” Is the Worst Advice in Softball (Jan. 5, 2026)
• Mental Mindset: The 5-Second Rule That Separates Winners from Quitters (December 13, 2025)
• Mental Mindset: From Dropout Statistics to Champions… Why the Mental Game Can’t Wait (November 24, 2025)

Want More?

NEW BOOK: 

Written specifically for softball athletes, Into The Storm (Book 1 of the Lighthouse Trilogy) follows the emotional and mental battles of one athlete’s journey, teaching how resilience, confidence, and focus are built one pitch, one play, and one response at a time. Available on Amazon… CLICK HERE!

NEW COURSE: 

Athlete Level 1 – Foundations is a new foundational online course designed for softball players, helping them develop focus, emotional control, and confidence under pressure.

Learn more by CLICKING HERE!

COACHES:

Want your whole team trained in these tools? I deliver 60-90 minute workshops where players and teams learn and apply these techniques immediately.

Ron’s Podcast LINK

Author Bio

THE MENTAL EDGE is written by Ron Schmittling, MPM—Certified Mental Performance Coach, NFCA Coach of the Year finalist, and author of Winning Starts Within.

After more than a decade coaching and directing a national fastpitch program with a 100 percentage college placement rate, Ron now trains the mental side of the game, helping athletes stay composed under pressure, reset fast, and compete with clarity and confidence.

Here’s how to access Ron directly and via his info on social media:

• E-mail: ron@coachronmpm.com

• Online (website): coachronmpm.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachronmpm

Want More? Here are More Ways to Get Ron’s Great Insights into Having the Mental Edge:

*30 Day Mental Performance Challenge

My challenge helps fastpitch athletes, coaches and parents train the mental side of the game with simple, daily tools for confidence, focus and fast recovery when pressure hits.  Click HERE to join

*”Winning Starts Within” (Ron’s book & E-book)

My book breaks down the 10 mental skills every athlete needs—including the 3 R’s, routines, visualization, and how to build confidence that doesn’t crack under pressure. Available on Amazon or CoachRonMPM.com.

* Mental Edge Workshops

Coaches: how would you like your whole team trained in these tools? I deliver 60-to-90-minute workshops where players and teams learn and apply these techniques immediately.

Here is the link to his 1:1 Coaching or Team Informational Session Link.