Seventeen days. Only 17 more days until we compete for a national championship. It may not seem long, but we definitely have a long way to go. We still have lots to work on and, as always, lots of room for improvement.
The postseason is a time when it is very easy for a team to get caught up in the excitement and to look too far ahead at what is to come. The truth is that we have five games left and each one is important. Remaining focused is more vital than ever right now.
We head to MPSFs on Thursday. We prepare for MPSFs as we would any other game — nothing really changes. We really stress taking things one day at a time and winning every single day. We are a team that always strives to be better and, for us, a win means improving every day, even if it is just a tiny bit. So, most importantly, we are focused on trying to improve and win every day that we have left.
MPSFs is a very critical tournament. It plays a part in our seeding for NCAAs, but is also another chance for us to compete against the best teams in college water polo. In order to be the best you have to beat the best, so when it comes down to it, seeding is not necessarily all that important.
Our goal for MPSFs is the same as always. We want to show up and take it one game at a time. It is an opportunity for us to get better. One thing we really stress at this point in the season is just focusing on ourselves. We do not worry about what other teams are doing, but only focus on what it is that we need to do. We focus on taking care of our own responsibilities.
It starts and ends with this team. Outside factors do not matter. Over the year, our team has created an identity for itself and a language that we can all understand. We just need to trust the preparation we have done and trust one another. If we remain a unit and focus on our goals, then we will have the best chance at being successful.
We treat each practice that we have left simply as an opportunity to play. Everyone is having so much fun playing together; we are really cherishing the time that we have left in the water together and enjoying ourselves while, of course, striving to be better.
A lot of people associate the postseason with pressure: pressure to do well, pressure to win, pressure that has culminated throughout the entire season. We try not to look at it that way. We just want to give the best effort we possibly can and we hope that all the hard work we have done translates in the games.
MPSFs is going to feature all of the best teams and I have no doubt that every other team has been working hard and wants to win. Competition is one of the most fun parts of playing sports. It is why everyone shows up and works hard every day.
We are just happy to be given the opportunity to compete and work towards a common goal. We know that everything will not pan out perfectly, but we are excited to show up and try our hardest and give the best effort we can. We have the fundamentals and knowledge to be successful; the only pieces left are teamwork and execution. That is what we are looking to do this weekend.
Contact Jamie Neushul at jneushul ‘at’ stanford.edu.