Preparing For The Playoffs: Is Your Team Championship-Ready?

It’s March, one of the best months on the sports calendar!

Seriously, there is so much going on sports-wise during the third month of the year: spring training is in full swing (no pun intended), march madness is about to go mad and the two professional winter sports are gearing up for their playoff runs.

With the playoff push right around the corner for most hockey and basketball teams, it’s time to take stock of your team’s current situation and make sure your squad has what it needs to make a run at the championship. Here’s what you need to think about as you prepare for the second season:

1. Take Care Of Your Players

With a long season coming to a close, your players are likely experiencing higher levels of fatigue than they were earlier in the year. Resting your players for the coming playoff push is integral to getting the most out of your team during a hopeful championship run.

The playoffs are a season in of themselves. If you have an opportunity to get your key players rest towards the end of the regular season — by either holding them out of meaningless games or changing up lineups to incorporate more players — it’s important to take advantage of it. Of course, when your team is fighting to get into the postseason, sitting players may be easier said than done.

And don’t forget to take mental fatigue into account. Playoff games and games with playoff-implications come with a much deeper emotional toll than regular season contests. Rest and recovery doesn’t just help get your players prepared physically, but mentally as well.

2. The “X Factor” Isn’t Just A Reality Show

Every team needs one, and yet without even knowing it, most teams have one: that special player that is lurking under-the-radar, yet breaks out in big moments. You wouldn’t necessarily define them as clutch, but every team that makes a postseason run has one or two players who (seemingly) come out of nowhere to make a major contribution at the right time.

Though it may sometimes be tough to identify who your team’s “X Factor” may be, keep an eye out for that special player who steps up in big moments during late season games. It may be a player who just hasn’t gotten enough playing time or someone whose confidence is growing as the season goes along. These are the players who give your team an identity by bringing toughness and fearlessness to your team when they need it most and provide the spark your squad needs to extend the season.

3. Know Roles, No Distractions

As important as it was to be prepared for the regular season, gearing up for the playoffs is even more crucial. At this point in the season, your players should have and know their defined roles and everyone should be on the same page in terms of responsibilities and game plan. It definitely doesn’t hurt to get some extra practice time in to reinforce your expectations.

Make sure your lineup is set. While you want to get players some rest — which may mean changing up your regular lineup a bit — you also want your players to know you have confidence in them to get the job done. Shaking things up for the postseason may send mixed messages to your team and distract your players from the task at hand.

The less distractions there are, the better prepared you’ll be for the playoffs; which is why you should let someone else worry about the little things, like travel and equipment. With Gladiator’s Protection Program^TM, your time is spent game planning and preparing your team, not worrying about things like ordering mouthguards.

So, is your team ready for the playoff push?

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Author Bio

Travis Armideo, marketing manager at Gladiator Custom Mouthguards, is a lifelong ice hockey player. He began playing for various clubs at a young age and continued onto junior teams, while also playing lacrosse at the collegiate level. Travis is still heavily involved in athletics, coaching high school and youth ice hockey athletes, as well as playing men’s league ice hockey on a regular basis.