Games Don’t Change - People Do

It’s that time of year — “BIG Game Season.”
District titles are on the line, playoff brackets are forming, and every game feels like it matters just a little more.

With my Fast N Wide and Blueprint Mental Performance coaches, we talk about one simple rule this time of year: Never use the 14 Killer Words.

“It’s now or never.”
“It’s do or die.”
“This is it.”

Those words create pressure that doesn’t exist. They make the moment feel bigger than it really is.

Here’s the truth — the game never changes.

• The field is still the same length.

• The rim is still ten feet high.

• The ball is the same size.

• The rules haven’t changed.

What changes are people.
Players start pressing. Coaches start overthinking. The crowd gets louder and everyone starts trying to “be more” because it feels bigger.

But that’s the trap.
The game isn’t any different — it just feels different.

LSU’s head coach Jay Johnson tells his team:

“There’s no such thing as a big game. The game doesn’t change — people do. Games come down to execution.”

That’s it. Execution.
The same plays. The same habits. The same preparation that got you here.

When we change before a game — get tighter, louder, more emotional — we stop trusting our training. We make the game bigger in our minds than it is in reality.

So remind your players this week:
- Don’t change.
- Don’t chase the moment.
- Don’t try to be something new because it’s a ‘Big Game.’

The game is the game.
The moment doesn’t make you — it just reveals who you already are.