Ella's Mental Game — Stay Two-Sided
Ella is competitive and coachable — real strengths. The work is on the one thing that costs her: retreating to her strong side and becoming predictable again after a turnover or under pressure.
What she already does well
She competes and she'll do the work — that willingness is the engine of everything, and it's why the reverse-stick reps stuck. The goal isn't to add compete; it's to keep the pressure from shrinking her back to the one-sided player defenders can solve.
The one that matters: stay two-sided
When Ella turns it over or feels pressure, she retreats to her comfort side — her open stick — and becomes predictable again, which is exactly what defenders want. Give the fix a name:
Coaching Cue
The cue: "Both sides." Being forced to her reverse isn't a trap, it's an opportunity — she can receive and play out of it now. Staying two-sided means no defender can take away half the field, so she keeps the whole game available even under pressure.
Practice it in the wall work — reverse until it's boring — so it's automatic when a game gets tight.
The habit that keeps her ahead: look early
A lot of her trouble comes from reading the game late and reacting instead of anticipating. The mental version of the scanning work:
- Look before the ball arrives, so the next play is already decided.
- Read the switch early and get there first.
Coaching Cue
Cue: "See it before it comes."
Nerves aren't the enemy — they mean it matters. Reframe them: "this is the fun part." A short, familiar wall warmup makes a tournament feel like an ordinary session. Sameness keeps her loose and two-sided.
The biggest lever is you. She plays freer when she knows you're there to watch her compete, not grading every touch. On the drive home, let her lead — "I loved watching you play" does more than any breakdown of the game.
None of this is about making her care more — she competes plenty. It's about keeping the pressure from shrinking her back to one side, so she stays the complete, unpredictable player she's becoming.
