Perspective on Tournaments
I hear these comments too often: “I want to take it slow before my tournament tomorrow.” “This is a really important tournament.” Similar phrases everywhere. I want a different story to shake out the fallacy.
The Microsoft interview metaphor
On my way to a high-paying job at Microsoft, I clear many hurdles. Even after I clear them, no one is overly anxious to hear about them.
In the interview, no one asks if first grade was tough. Or if algebra took me a while. They do not ask whether my first crush got in the way of studying. Those may have felt huge at the time. They make no difference to the interviewer. He does not even ask about eighth-grade test scores.
Play for development
Your first finals, first big win, first national title - wonderful personal achievements. They do nothing more than justify your process.
They show you whether you are making the right choices, or whether you need to adjust. Come Monday, you make the necessary adjustments and train as hard - if not harder - than before.
Monday question: "What did this event teach me about my process?" beats "How do I feel about my ranking this week?" every time for long-term growth.
What “important tournament” thinking costs
- Guarding the result instead of competing freely
- Abandoning development work at the first sign of scoreboard pain (see Values)
- Treating every event like a final exam instead of a checkpoint
Tournaments are information. They are not your identity.
A healthier pre-event script
- One process goal (e.g. first-serve location, depth on return)
- One compete goal (effort, routines, between-point discipline)
- One learning goal (what you will write down win or lose)
Then play. Then process (Processing a Loss if needed). Then train.
Key takeaway: Results justify the process - they do not replace it. Keep training like the next chapter matters more than yesterday's headline.
