Chapter Thirty-Seven: When "Losing" Becomes a Habit

The tall one had "escaped," leaving no target for banter. The other substitute players stared intently at the court, with not a word among them, so Geng Haoshi had no choice but to watch the game obediently.

The score was currently 13 to 12, with Tiancheng Institute of Technology in the lead.

"We’ve overtaken them!" He Zhikun, the backup shooting guard, shouted excitedly.

"We only managed to pull ahead near the end of the first quarter. We’re still far from the goal of crushing them, as the beautiful coach demanded. The situation isn’t optimistic," Geng Haoshi poured cold water on the celebration.

The basketball tournament at the autumn joint sports meet followed international competition rules—just like national games—with four quarters per match, each lasting ten minutes, totaling forty minutes.

He Zhikun, reminded by Geng Haoshi, suddenly recalled the task of "defeating the opponent by thirty points," and couldn’t help worrying whether the starters could accomplish it. After all, if they failed, every player would share in the consequences.

A sharp whistle sounded.

The first quarter ended with a score of 18 to 14, Tiancheng Institute of Technology still ahead.

There was a two-minute break. The players from both sides returned to their seats to rest.

Yu Manman glared at the starters as they came off the court, her face dark: "Is this how you usually play basketball? Do you never use your brains?!"

The starters broke out in cold sweat one after another.

In the half-month since Yu Manman had begun coaching Tiancheng Institute of Technology, aside from training focused on improving individual physical abilities, she had never formally arranged competitive basketball drills for them.

Of course, as a top international basketball coach, she had her reasons.

Training like rapid passing, swift arm swings, and fifty-meter sprints weren’t merely to enhance physical ability. If the results of these drills were perfectly displayed on the court, they would greatly help in winning games.

As for why she hadn’t immediately started competitive training, Yu Manman wanted to observe the game mindset of these players, who had long been nurtured under mediocre and incompetent coaches.

Game mindset refers to a certain attitude and emotion towards competition, and the decisions made in response to various situations during a match. It is formed through repeated games, personal awareness, and coaching guidance. Once a certain game mindset develops, it easily becomes a fixed pattern of thinking.

A team may habitually lose to some opponents and habitually win against others, and this is closely linked to the fixed game mindset they have fallen into.

Tiancheng Institute of Technology, as the perennial "bottom king" of the national collegiate basketball league, was practically a team that lost to anyone, and this was due to their habitual losing mindset.

Habitual losing doesn’t mean the team wants to lose; rather, they’ve lost so often that they’re numb to it—they have come to see losing as normal. Once this mindset takes hold, winning becomes even harder.

Guided by this habitual losing mindset, Tiancheng Institute of Technology kept losing, and each defeat only deepened their ingrained pattern, making defeat feel even more inevitable. Thus, a vicious cycle formed, further entrenching their defeatist mindset.

Yu Manman’s mission now was to break their old game mindset entirely. Only by shattering the habit of losing could victory become possible.

Breaking a fixed mindset is no easy task. For teams with such ingrained patterns, internal scrimmages rarely help—since the whole team shares the same approach.

When Captain Meng Lang drew the first match against the Olin School of Architecture, ranked six hundred and thirty-seventh in last year’s national college league, Yu Manman decided she would let them fully expose their fixed game mindset in the first quarter.

"To play like this against such an insignificant team, and you still have the nerve to stand here?!" Yu Manman’s glare swept over the starters, and she unleashed a storm of scolding.

Of course, this was part of her plan. By trampling on their pride and leaving an indelible mark of humiliation, her future guidance would leave a deeper impression, making it more effective in breaking their old habits.

Once the scolding ended, Yu Manman moved to the main point: "Do you know what your biggest problem is?"

The players shook their heads.

She continued, "Your biggest problem is that you always play to your opponent’s rhythm."

The players looked confused, not understanding her meaning.

"In other words, you have no rhythm of your own. You play passively, reacting to the other side."

Their confusion persisted.

Yu Manman rolled her eyes. Clearly, she thought, teaching this low-IQ bunch would require stronger medicine.

"What I mean is, when the opponent attacks, you defend according to their offense; and when you attack, you adjust to their defense. Isn’t that playing by their rhythm?"

The players nodded, as if beginning to understand.

"From now on, you must try to establish your own game rhythm—and force the opponent to play according to your tempo."

"Meng Lang, just keep an eye on their number 5 center."

"Zhu Di, Sun Peng, watch their number 10 power forward."

"The only real threats on their side are those two. If you stop them, you cut off their scoring."

"When you’re on offense, everyone must move, eyes on the ball, and be ready to score."

Though Yu Manman addressed the starters, the substitutes listened closely as well. Geng Haoshi paid attention, though he didn’t really understand—after all, he’d never played in a match.

Not quite grasping it, Geng Haoshi thought: I used to assume the beautiful coach got the job for her figure, but it seems she does have some skill after all.

"Aha, I thought the same—her figure got her the job," Geng Haoshi 2.0 mused. Looks like the two of us share some common ground.

Sweat dripped from 9527: Who would think a voluptuous figure alone qualifies someone to coach basketball? This perverted shut-in, and his split-personality version, are clearly cut from the same cloth.

"Alright, get ready to go back out."

A whistle sounded—the two-minute break was over, and the second quarter began.