10-25-2022, 08:15 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-25-2022, 08:34 AM by voxaroth. Edited 1 time in total.)
@domffl and @firstfray employ a very elaborate mental conditioning system designed to get players in the right headspace. Firstfray carries around a handheld clicker; nothing too fancy, just a wooden block that clicks loudly when you press it. In early practices, he'd click it whenever we did something well. You knew if he did it to compliment you on a play, you'd find all kinds of treats in your locker after practice. Crazy stuff, like tickets to a show or a bottle of really expensive wine. After a while, the clicks just became such a dopamine hit for us all that it was enough just hear it. On the other hand, Dom runs around with a spray bottle filled with lemon juice. If you mess up, he squirts you right in the face. Can't tell you enough how bad lemon juice feels in your eyes. But after a few squirts of that, you tend not to make the same mistakes again. Most players who commit a penalty in a game try to stay on the field even when called off, just because they see Dom pacing back and forth on the sideline. He can't do it during the games obviously because the media would be all over him, but you'll see him get a cup of gatorade and just stare at you... Enough to make you tuck tail and repent for your football sins. Put both of these conditioning strategies together and you get a team that's really positive and ready to play well, because the alternative stings far worse than a bad attitude.