Alphabet Gratitude Game

Photo by Joy Demelino on Scopio

Every so often during an athletic career, frustrations can set in. Things like getting stuck on a plateau of performance, a losing streak, teammates not working hard enough, poor coaching or officiating, etc., can cause our love of the game to waiver. It is at times like these that it is important to remind ourselves of why we starting playing the game in the first place, why we love the game.

There are many ways to do this. One option is the Alphabet Gratitude Game. To play this, pull out a sheet of paper and list the letters A-Z down the side. Then set an alarm for 2 minutes, hit start and write as many things that you love about the game as you can that start with a different letter of the alphabet. See how many of the 26 letters you can get in two minutes. Once the two minutes is up, take some time to reflect on your list and remember why these frustrations are worth powering through.

Here is an example of what a basketball player might be able to get in 2 minutes…

  • A

  • Boxing out

  • Cheers of the crowd

  • Dribbling

  • E

  • Free throws

  • G

  • Hardwood floor

  • I

  • Jack (my teammate)

  • K

  • Last second shots

  • M

  • N

  • Offensive fouls

  • Practice

  • Q

  • Running

  • Swoosh (sound on nothing but net shot)

  • T

  • U

  • V

  • Winning

  • X

  • Y

  • Z

Pass It On

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Tom Klisiewiczstudent athletes