Proper Mental Preparation

Shelia Douty's(Former Olympic Softball Player) Keys to successful game preparation
Tip #1: Begin to mentally prepare yourself the night before a game."Game preparation is like a ritual to me and I feel it is definitely a factor in how well I perform in a game. I like to visualize the night before as I drift off to sleep. I picture myself at the plate hitting all types of pitches, perfectly."
Tip #2: Prior to leaving for the field, begin relaxing and visualizing, mentally preparing for competition."About an hour and a half to two hours before we leave for a game I start to get ready. I try to be fully dressed and ready to go at least 45 minutes before the departure time. At this time, I find myself a quiet place to lie down and visualize. I visualize hitting, fielding, what the field looks like, the crowd. I do relaxation breathing exercises."
Tip #3: Begin to focus and take things seriously once you're at the competition site."When we get to the field I am serious. I don't joke around much before or during a game as my concentration is too focused."
Tip #4: Get a good warm-up in."My preparation at the field is usually just for warming up. I jog, stretch,do a few agility's and sprints, throw a few balls, field a few grounders, and spend some time on the tee warming up."
Tip #5: Right before game-time, visualize situations and scout the competition."The last thing I do is to visualize different pitches and "dry swing" for each one. I also try to watch the other pitcher warming up so I know what she is like on that given day. Because of the way things are setup at certain tournaments, this is not always possible. At the very least I watch enough to pick up her release points on different pitches."