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Sound defense, smart pitching, timely hitting, aggressive base running, a good draw, and a little luck are all important elements in the formula for winning tournament play. There is one other characteristic that almost without exception is common to all tournament winners; winning teams are mentally prepared both individually and as a team to compete and win at the tournament level.

Some teams that play well in their league never seem to perform as well in tournament play. In league play, teams come to the field, take batting practice, play one game, and then go home. Players know who they are playing, when they are playing, and where they are playing.

Tournament play is entirely different. You play, then wait. You play again, then wait again. Sometimes you play back-to-back games; at other times games are separated by several hours. It is not uncommon to play a game in the morning, again in the afternoon, and then under the lights at night. You don't know who you are playing, or what field you will be on. Games run late, schedules become disrupted, and then sometimes with only a few minutes notice, you find out your next game is ready to start.

Better teams quickly learn that league and tournament play are quite different. An almost entirely different mental approach is required to be successful in tournaments. Good tournament teams have learned to overcome the distractions and focus in on each game, one game at a time.

Individually, players have learned to concentrate on their own game and to block out all distractions. This individual concentration carries over to the team level. It becomes contagious and infectious. It spreads throughout the team and everyone becomes dedicated to the collective goals of winning the tournament.

The following list of 14 points can help to mentally prepare a team for a Junior Olympic Tournament. It is a basic list of common sense suggestions that have worked successfully for a variety of winning teams. It could also work for your team.

1. Make sure you have all your equipment.
Elementary as it sounds, this is a very important point. A simple thing like a batter without his favorite bat can shatter a player's confidence for an entire weekend. Make sure that you check to see that you have all your bats, balls, 1st baseman's gloves, uniforms, jackets, caps, etc. before you leave for the tournament.

2. If traveling, stay in the same hotel.
This allows the team to travel together, and get psyched up together. It also allows the coach to keep track of everyone, especially when leaving for the fields in the morning or when doing a bed check at night.

3. If the tournament is local, get a motel room anyway.
The cost split among 15-20 players is only a few dollars apiece. You then have a central meeting place, a place to shower, relax, change and generally add to the fun of the weekend.

4. Encourage family and friends to attend and even travel to the tournament.
The more cheerleaders you have, the most pumped-up your team generally is. Spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends are less likely to hassle the ballplayer about spending "another" entire weekend playing softball if they feel welcome to participate and party with the team themselves.

5. Scout out the tournament site ahead of time.
If the tournament is local, make sure the team knows as much as possible about the fields to be used: good or bad, fence or no fence, skinned or grass infield, etc. If traveling, try to take the team to the tournament site the day before the tournament begins, usually Friday afternoon or evening. If they at least know what type of fields they will be playing on, that means one less distraction the next day.

6. Gather your team 1 - 2 hours before your first game.
Maybe even have a light breakfast together. Find a local ball field near the tournament site and take some light batting practice, 25 - 30 swings each. Don't work too hard, just loosen up.

7. Get everyone to the tournament site 20 - 30 minutes before your first game is scheduled to start.
Everyone. The last thing your team needs is the distraction of looking for the pitcher, clean-up hitter, or a car load of outfielders minutes before the game is supposed to start.

8. No surprises.
Rarely does a team go into a tournament complete. Usually someone can't make it, you pick some up, or both of these. This usually causes a change in batting order or defensive positions for the tournament weekend.

Softball players generally have delicate egos and don't like surprises. If they find someone batting in their spot or playing their position, they don't like it. It has a negative effect on their concentration and the last thing a team needs is a player stewing on the bench or complaining to his teammates.

If changes are necessary, review them ahead of time with the players involved. Let them know what is happening why it is happening, and get them to support the change.

9. After your first game is over, gather your team near the centrally posted tournament bracket.
Make certain all your players know how to read the bracket. Before anyone leaves, make certain everyone understands the time of the next game, where it is, and, if possible, who you are playing. Everyone should be back at the field one hour before the scheduled starting time. Once again, your team cannot afford the distraction of some players arriving late, or even worse, not arriving at all.

10. Get everyone out of the sun.
Warm weather and hot sun can hurt your team more than injuries to your key players. Needless exposure to the sun can sap a teams strength and weaken their ability to concentrate on their game. If you have minimal time between games, let your players grab a soda and hot dog, and then gather in a shaded area somewhere. If you have several hours between games, go back to the motel, swim in the pool, watch TV, and generally relax.

11. Scout your opponents.
Sometimes it is worthwhile for the coach and perhaps a few players to spend some time between games observing those teams you might play over the course of the weekend. Defensive strengths and weaknesses, who hits the ball with power, who has the best arms in the outfield, how they run the bases, and individual player batting tendencies can all provide valuable insights.

12. End of the first day.
If you are still playing at the end of the first day, particularly if you are still in the Winner's Bracket, you have cause to celebrate ... but not too much. Sunday is always the toughest day. The teams that are left are the best and, if you get knocked into the Loser's Bracket, it's a tough battle to win in the tournament.

Make sure your team knows where and when Sunday's first game is to be played and what pre-game routine will be followed. Usually it is best to follow what you successfully did on Saturday.

Make certain that everyone gets a good night's sleep in preparation for the next day. A 11:00 p.m. curfew should satisfy everyone.

13. One team from the Loser's Bracket goes into the finals.
... it may as well be your team. Don't make the mistake of assuming that because you lost a game the tournament is over. You are not out of it until you have lost 2 games. If you go into the finals and beat the undefeated team, everything is even up. Better yet, you are on a high coming off a win while they are down, coming off a loss. Every weekend teams come out of the Loser's Bracket to win tournaments.

14. Get pumped-up.
Quiet teams don't win tournaments. Teams that yell, hoot and holler, and get their adrenaline up win tournaments. But they do it the right way. They holler encouragement to each other, they get one another psyched-up and pick each other up when they are down.

They don't insult the other team, belittle them, or call them names. That has the tendency to get the opposing teams mad and bring out the best in them. Winning teams know how not to bring out the best in an opponent.

These 14 points, along with sound softball, a good draw, and a little luck are the keys to winning tournaments. None of these points by themselves are earth-shattering news. However, winning teams follow them, at least most of them, every weekend of the softball season. The mental aspect of tournament preparation is every bit as important as physical execution during a game, and these 14 points could be the difference between a trip to the finals or an early trip home.