A Secret Players’ Signal Indicating That the A Secret Players' Signal Indicating that the "Fourth Quarter is Ours”

Sport Psychology: Code for a Stronger Fourth Quarter

Dick Moss, Editor, PE Update.com

Teams that come on strong in the fourth quarter do so because of a combination of superior conditioning and confidence.

Why not have your players use a code word or signal to remind each other that they are a good fourth-quarter team? As they run towards the bench at the end of the third quarter and leave at the start of the fourth, have them hold up four-fingers to signal their confidence that the fourth quarter will be theirs.

Advantages
This secret signal is a great confidence booster and reminder that they've worked very hard to be more fit than their opponents in the dying minutes of the game.

The “fourth” signal can also be handy in practice. When your players are lagging during conditioning drills or complaining about being tired, simply flash the fourth-quarter signal to remind them of why they're working so hard. It's a great motivator.

References:
1. Costgas Karageorghis & Peter Terry, Inside Sport Psychology, Human Kinetics, 2010.
2. Jim Thompson, Shooting in the Dark, Warde Publishers, 1998.

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