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Carrollton R.L. Turner softball coach J.C. Hamlin always tells her players that one error doesn't equal two. It's reflected in the team motto.

"They'll love me telling you this, but our motto is 'Flush it!' " Hamlin said. "As in down the toilet or the commode."

In other words, when you make a mistake, let it go. Don't get down on yourself, lose focus and commit another error. Hamlin said the players did too much of that last season, especially when they got off to a rough start in district play.

R.L. Turner's softball team utilizes message boards of sorts for players to positively reinforce one another.

"Like a typical high school athlete, they put more pressure on themselves than necessary," Hamlin said. "They got so freaked out every time they made an error. It was the kind of thing where you just wanted to break the cycle."

So to help the Lady Lions stay positive, Hamlin introduced "Pawsitives." Here's how it works:

Each player writes her goal for a game on a sheet of paper attached to a clipboard. The boards hang on the dugout fence, and during the game, players write messages to their teammates to keep them motivated.

"Nice swing, good dive or good catch," junior pitcher Kathleen Stone said. "Simple things."

Simple, but effective.

"It helps a lot to know the good things that you do," senior outfielder Samantha League said, "because when you mess up, you kind of dwell on that."

Stone added, "When you have a tough inning, you feed off the positives."

After games, players meet outside the left-field fence and read what was written on their boards. Messages such as "keep your head up," "nice stop on the ground ball" and "way to move the runner over."

It's a chance to remember the good things in a game, said sophomore shortstop Priscilla Quintanilla. It's also a chance to ask somebody this:

"What does this say? I can't read this."

Yes, that happens quite a bit, Hamlin said. So maybe improved penmanship will become a side benefit.

mwixon@dallasnews.com

YEARBOOK MOMENT: During the last week of February 16 years ago, the No. 1 South Oak Cliff boys beat No. 2 Highland Park, 54-46, in a playoff showdown of the area's top 4A teams. SOC eventually won the state title with the help of center Derrick Battie, who later played at Temple, and coach Chris Dyer, who now coaches at DeSoto.

STRONG FINISHERS: When Lincoln plays Cibolo Steele in the 4A state semifinals tonight, it won't get rattled if it trails in the third quarter. "The fourth quarter is our quarter," junior guard Kimetria Hayden says. That was certainly the case last weekend as Lincoln knocked off the top-ranked 4A teams in the state, Frisco and Waco Midway. Lincoln trailed in the third quarter in both games but outscored its two opponents by a combined 38-24 in the fourth.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The three area teams in this weekend's 5A Region I boys tournament – Duncanville (35-1), North Crowley (34-1) and Colleyville Heritage (31-3) – have a combined 100 wins this season. It should be a great tournament that would be even greater if it didn't require a trip to Abilene. None of those three teams has lost since December. Just like in the girls tournament a week, Region I is loaded.