Finishing a competition sounds simple and pretty basic. You start. You perform. You finish. It amazes me how many athletes “blow it” by letting up or putting on a show. It’s not just undisciplined it’s lazy, sloppy and insulting to others in the competition. But then a gain, maybe that is their point – to
Mental toughness most often described as that ability to push through pain or discomfort or to hang in there when the going gets tough. But mental toughness is not that narrow of a construct. One other form or aspect of mental toughness is patience. Patience requires discipline. Patience requires focusing on the right things at
We all look for an edge – the edge. You know, the one that will get us that cherished victory, a new personal record time or distance. We will even create that edge when it doesn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong. I want athletes to think in ways of tilting the playing field to their
“Self-control, known colloquially as willpower, refers to the mental processes that allow people to override any of their thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that compete with their overarching goals.” I wanted to highlight two points that are part of a sound mental game regardless of your goals. Though a bit long and academic for the average person
In an article on self-belief, fellow mental game coach Brian Lomax discusses two key beliefs a mentally tough individual must have: Belief that you can attain your goals Belief that you possess unique abilities to best your opponents Brian also mentions optimism as a key to fostering these beliefs. If you are a critic, cynic or
The July/August 2015 issue of the DAV Magazine had a compelling article about Lester Tenney. Mr. Tenney is another WWII veteran – one of the few remaining in an ever-dwindling number. He is one of even fewer who survived the Battaan Death March in the Philippines in 1942 and then imprisonment for more years. His story
I can’t tell you how often I get inquiries to help get someone to “focus better”. The problem is deeper and broader than something like “keep your eye on the ball”, or “count your breaths”, or “use your cue phrase”. Focus requires a focus. It requires a comprehensive concentration on your ultimate goal. So before
[I will soon be releasing a white paper on mental game training and youth runners. This is a portion of what is presented.] Here are several common questions and some comments I have overheard on the topic of youth runners, performance and the role of their mental game: My coach says it’s all in my head.
No doubt that when it comes to a person’s weaknesses the last thing someone wants to do is advertise them. But let’s look at this a bit closer. Any of the following are considered weaknesses in sports: trouble dribbling to your left; hitting high and inside pitches; finishing with a blazing kick; or hitting from the rough;
Dealing with distractions is a part of life. Effectively doing so however is infrequent. It’s not really new news but ongoing research demonstrates the negative effects of distractions and multi-tasking. Researchers have found that switching from one task to another makes it difficult to tune out distractions and can cause mental blocks that can slow down