Post-Season Blues

If like me, you may be already missing the 2019 season more so now that the clocks have gone back. It seems ages ago I put the kit away and bats into storage for the winter, then when I look forward to the 2020 season, I realise that it’s still the best part of six months away. What to do?

In the past I have used this time to reflect on the season both positively and constructively. I like to sit and write down all my thoughts from how I performed in the season just gone and reflect. I think this can be a very cathartic process especially when looking at the areas in which to develop. The value of doing it now (rather than April) is the fact that in the most part it’s still fresh in my mind and I’m not having to try too hard to remember how I got out in the game vs Earl Shilton away the previous June!

Clearly not everybody is the same as me and may find my approach ‘too much’ but I can assure those like-minded souls that it does work. Be thorough in your reflection, put it all down and analyse it later. You can have an open list and add to it throughout the winter, but my advice is to start soon.

When you think you’ve exhausted all your positives and negatives put the list away for a bit and come back to it in a few weeks. You may have thought of something else or you may remove something thinking that in reality you were a little harsh on yourself; but if you averaged high teens batting in the top 4 and you only have two points on your list you may not have been as honest as perhaps you should have been. Equally if you have twenty negatives on your list don’t retire just yet, perhaps try and unpick some areas that you may have doubled up on.

When you have your list, the next step is to work out how you might approach resolving the problems in winter nets. For now, though, it’s just important that you have your thoughts on paper. Use the off-season time wisely and to your advantage, and remember that the sun will rise again, and winter nets will soon be upon us!

WD

A Leading Edge publish inspirational and thought provoking books and publications. A regular blog is available on CricketWord.com, and three fantastic books are now available on Amazon.co.uk as well as around the country at independent book retailers.

A Leading Edge for Captains
The Ashes Illustrated
Dice Sports – 11 dice games for children to play and learn on the go

A Leading Edge has released a new book detailing the summer Ashes Series of 2019 with The Ashes Illustrated, an illustrated daily diary containing over 50 cartoons and caricatures covering ball one at Edgbaston to the final delivery at The Oval. This is the second book from A Leading Edge, with both ‘A Leading Edge for Captains’ and ‘The Ashes Illustrated’ being available from Amazon.co.uk