Mental Performance

The Next Play Reset: Your Plan to Recover from In-Game Errors

Rhema Adelaja · National Champion & 4x DUX · September 2026 · 6 min read

One mistake can lead to another. Learn a simple, repeatable three-step routine to clear your head in seconds and refocus on the next play. This is how you stay in the game.

You just made a mistake. A bad pass, a missed shot, a wrong decision. The crowd groans. Your coach looks on. Your opponent scores. What happens next inside your head? For most athletes, the same film starts playing. The error replays again and again. You feel a hot flush of frustration. Your confidence, which was solid a moment ago, starts to crumble. You tell yourself, "Don't mess up again." But that is exactly what you are focused on: the mess. So, of course, another mistake often follows. I have been there. I have lived that spiral. It feels isolating, but it is one of the most common experiences in sport. The good news is that you do not have to be a passenger to this feeling. You can learn to take control.

Top performers are not perfect. I have played with and against some of the best, and I can tell you they make plenty of mistakes. The difference is not their error count. It is their recovery time. They have a practised ability to move on to the next play, instantly. They do not let one bad moment infect the next one. Research shows that elite athletes are skilled at quickly rebounding. This is not a magical talent they were born with. It is a practised skill. It is a mental reset routine, and you can build one too. It is your plan for what to do in the seconds after an error, so you can get your head back in the game.

Building Your Reset Routine

A reset routine is your pre-planned response to a mistake. You cannot invent it in the middle of a high-pressure game. You have to design it beforehand and practise it until it becomes automatic. A good routine is simple, quick, and involves both your body and your mind. It has three clear steps. Release. Reset. Refocus.

Step 1: Release the Error

First, you need to signal that the mistake is over. Your brain will want to hold onto it, so you need a physical action to cut that thought process short. This action tells your body and mind that it is time to let go. This needs to be a small, quick gesture. It could be clapping your hands together once, firmly. It could be adjusting your wristband or wiping your hand on your shorts. Some athletes I know will visualise throwing the mistake away. The action itself does not matter as much as the meaning you give it. This is your signal. It is a full stop on the last play. A physical cue signals to the body it is time to move on. You can also add a short, quiet verbal cue to yourself. Something simple like "gone" or "next".

Step 2: Reset Your Body

When you make a mistake under pressure, your body reacts. Your heart rate might spike. Your muscles might tense up. This is a stress response, and it is not a good state for performing with skill and precision. The second step of your routine is to bring your body back to a calm, ready state. The most powerful tool for this is your breath. You do not need a long meditation. Just one deliberate, centering breath. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of three. Then breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of four. Feel your shoulders drop. Feel the tension leave your body. This simple action interrupts the stress response. It brings you out of your head and back into the present moment. It tells your body that you are safe and in control.

Step 3: Refocus Your Mind

You have released the error and reset your body. Now, where do you put your attention? Your mind needs a new target. If you just tell yourself "don't mess up," you are still focused on the negative. Instead, your refocus cue must be positive and specific to the next action. It should be a simple instruction about something you can control. If you are a basketball player, it might be "low stance". If you are a footballer, it could be "scan shoulders". If you are a tennis player, "watch the ball". Pick one simple cue that directs your focus to your next job. This is where positive self-talk becomes a powerful tool. You are not just trying to stop negative thoughts. You are replacing them with a useful, constructive instruction. Positive self-talk is shown to improve performance and emotional control. Your refocus cue is your final step back into effective action.

My Own Reset Routine

I developed my reset routine when I was playing professional netball. The pressure was immense, and the pace of the game was so fast that I had no time to dwell on mistakes. My errors were usually unforced passes. I would throw the ball away and the frustration would eat at me. I started to notice that one bad pass would often lead to another two or three. My coach helped me build a routine. It was simple. As soon as the ball left my hands for a turnover, I would clap my hands together once. That was my 'Release'. It was a sharp, physical break. Then, as I ran back on defence, I would take one deep breath, in through my nose and out through my mouth. That was my 'Reset'. Finally, I would say one word to myself: "Here." It meant be here, now. Not in the last play. Not worrying about the next one. Just be present in this moment, on this defensive play. That was my 'Refocus'. It took practice, but soon it became second nature. It saved me from spiralling many times.

Making It Automatic

This routine will only work if you can do it without thinking. Under pressure, you will fall back on your habits. So you need to make this reset process a habit. The place to do this is in your daily training environment. Every single time you make a mistake in practice, run your three-step routine. Miss a shot? Release, Reset, Refocus. Make a bad pass? Release, Reset, Refocus. At first, it will feel deliberate and maybe a bit strange. But after a few sessions, it will start to become your automatic response. You are training your brain to recover. You are building mental toughness. It is a trainable skill that prevents one error from compounding. You are not aiming to stop making mistakes. You are aiming to become brilliant at recovering from them.

Your task this week is to design your own routine. Do not overthink it. Keep it simple.

1. Choose your 'Release' action. A clap, a tap, a wipe of the hands.
2. Commit to your 'Reset' breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth.
3. Decide on your 'Refocus' word or short phrase.

Write these three steps down. Put them in your training bag or on your wall. Then, at your very next practice, start using it. Every single time. This is how you take control. This is how you ensure one mistake does not become two.