Everyone wants to finish their season with some strong performances so they can w̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶n̶o̶s̶t̶a̶l̶g̶i̶a̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶i̶o̶d̶ help their side complete their targets.

I know that many of your players will feel that this is completely out of their reach as they are stuck in a mid-season slump with the ball or the bat. Without intervention, a player relies on luck to get them back into form yet with appropriate mental and technical a player can be back on track for a late season purple patch.

Here are some mental tips that have worked for me with players as they go from slump to superstar.

The starting point is perspective

Reinforce to the player that poor "form" is not a weird thing; it happens very frequently to all high level performers. The players is not strange.

In fact when - not if - the player sorts this out they will become a stronger and more resilient character. This will ultimately make them a better player.

"When" can be as soon as tomorrow, if you let it and want it.

As Nietsche said:

"what does not kill me makes me stronger".

Secondly, in the match situation a players goals should shift from runs and wickets and move to a combination of:

• Enjoyment. Both the player and the coach should be reflecting and reviewing about things that the player enjoyed during their innings or in their spell. Little things can make a big difference.
• Feel. It could be the pace in the run up, the sound of the feet hitting the crease in delivery stride or the sense that your contacts have come back closer to the body, whatever it is is down to the player, yet a shift from "outcome" to "feel" often helps players to free their mind and then their body movements. Form returns.

I remember back to one of the slumps in my own career and a shift I made one day when I scored only 4 runs. I really enjoyed the way I played a solid forward defensive against the oppositions fastest bowler. I took that sense enjoyment into my next practice and my "form" came back the following game.

It's important that there are no measurement targets placed on the player until the player comes back to the game, feelings and confidence that they are usual known for. The last thing a player recovering from slump needs is extra outcome pressure.

Work on getting a perspective back into your game, enjoy the little "wins" along the road to recovery, reconnect with the feel of your game bit by bit and refrain from thinking too hard about measurements or targets.

This will give any player a roadmap to follow was they kickstart their end of season flourish.