Expect The Unexpected
If preparation and planning are the keys to success, what should an athlete do if something interrupts their plan?
It happens all the time…
You have trained as hard as you could for months and months preparing for some big competition…
You have honed your strategy…
You feel ready and confident…
Then something unexpected occurs…
Maybe you arrive late because of traffic…
Or you forgot a piece of equipment…
Or you couldn’t find a place that serves your favorite pre-competition meal…
It may feel like all the hard work is going down the tubes in a flash at the most critical moment of your season.
US swimmer Annie Lazor competed in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada.
Ultimately, Lazor who won the bronze medal in the 200 meter breaststroke at the Pan Am Games, has her sights set on the 2016 Olympics.
Lazor knows the value of preparation.
LAZOR: “This meet is a great stepping stone towards the 2016 Olympic Games. Pan Ams is just one step below the Olympics, and having a village, other athletes and people who have been to the highest stage around me is great preparation.”
But Lazor also knows that mental toughness training best prepares an athlete for the unexpected.
LAZOR: “Brett Hawke [Lazor’s coach at Auburn University] has been a great influence to me both in the physical side of swimming as well as the mental side. There’s always going to be a snag somewhere in a pre-race routine, maybe the beds in the hotel aren’t comfortable, or the food isn’t what you expected; Brett has taught us to trust our training and not let anything affect our races.”
Mental toughness is that “nothing will deter me from performing my best” mentality. Mental toughness keeps you focused on going forward with your plan.
Instead of looking for excuses, mental toughness focuses on what you need to do at this moment.
If you are waiting for the perfect situation, you will never perform optimally.
There will always be speed bumps and potholes on the road to success. The key is to not turn obstacles into stop signs.
Mental toughness helps you maneuver and navigate around those little bumps, remain focused on your objective, and trust your ability to perform optimally despite the circumstances.
Strategy for Overcoming the Unexpected
You should not only physically prepare for that important competition but include mental preparation.
Think about the potential speed bumps that could occur on competition day. Ask yourself, “Are any of these obstacles insurmountable?” Determine how you will respond if you encounter a speed bump.
You won’t be able to predict every potential obstacle but this strategy creates the mindset that you can handle most of those little nuisances that you may experience.
Improve Your Focus For Competition Today!
“The Focused Athlete” teaches you a system to get the “Tiger Stare.” The Focused Athlete CD Program includes 14 days of concentration-boosting exercises and a simple-to-follow 63-page workbook that guides you through each of the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal challenges and needs. Learn how to get in the zone and perform at your peak. Dr. Cohn gives you ALL HIS Focusing STRATEGIES in this 14-day step-by-step easy-to-apply mental training program!
Boost Your Self-Confidence With Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach, Dr. Patrick Cohn, can help you or your athlete(s), ages 12 and up, overcome mental game issues with personal coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our students saying?
“WOW!!! What a week I had. I was able to perform with a confidence that allowed my style to shine through–no more entering the arena with that “deer in the headlights” look or feeling. I stopped evaluating myself while I was performing, and I actually left the arena after my patterns feeling like I had experienced a lot of fun. Thank you so much.”
~Julia Dreyer, National Champion Equestrian
For All Athletes – Learn Confidence-Boosting Techniques!
D you have a negative self-image of yourself as an athlete that stifles confidence?
No matter ow positive you try to be, are you unable to shake the doubt that rushes into your head when you size up your competition?
Have you labeled yourself as a loser, poor closer, or mediocre athlete and these labels keep you stuck in a rut of self-pity and indecision?
If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, check out The Confident Athlete!
The Confident Athlete CD and workbook program is a 14-day plan for ultimate self-confidence. This program is ideal for any athlete or coach that wants to discover proven confidence-boosting techniques guaranteed to drastically build self-confidence and improve sports performance.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Confident Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of the products in The Confident Athlete Series!
What are customers saying?
“I first purchased The Confident Athlete to see how the program went and immediately saw results. I then purchased the rest of the confident athlete series and have noticed a dramatic improvement in my level of play or should I say consistency. I currently play NCAA Division 1 baseball for Lamar University, and even my coaches have noticed a change in the way that I approach the game. My attitude and confidence at the plate.”
~Tylor Prudhomme (Listen to his success story)
“I am a ASP world qualifying professional surfer and after beginning the ‘The Confident Athlete’ I had an almost instant change in attitude about my own surfing ability and my mindset going into competition. By using the Confident Athlete strategies, my confidence has done a complete 180 degrees. I won a local pro/am a few weeks back, and just had my best result of the year in one the last big events on the world circuit this last week in Brazil! It is my secret weapon!”
~Shaun Burrell, Professional Surfer (Listen to his success story)
For Young Athletes and Parents – Learn More About How to Help Kids Improve Confidence Quickly!
We’ve got a great program for you called “The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence.”
The Confident Sports Kid is a 7-day program for sports parents and kids to boost young athlete’s performance, happiness and success… in sports and life!
The Confident Sports Kid is two programs in one. There’s a manual and CD for parents/coaches, and a workbook/CD for young athletes.
Packed with mental strategies that you and your kids can start using immediately, this program teaches your athletes how to identify confidence busters, proactively deal with them, manage expectations that undermine confidence, and mentally prepare to stay confident when faced with adversity.
What’s more, our program teaches you, as sports parents and coaches, how you may be hurting your kids’ confidence and gives you instructions for changing your behavior in ways that will improve your athletes’ performance, confidence and enjoyment.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Sports Kid Series…
The Confident Sports Kid: A 7-Day Plan for Building Ultimate Self-Confidence
Check out all of our products in The Confident Sports Kid Series!
What are parents and coaches saying about our program?
“I appreciate the advice to parents as to how to help your child become more mentally resilient to bullying in sports. The specific advice and scenarios are extremely helpful for any child on a team and very helpful in guiding parents, coaches and administrators in how to deal with bullying in sports. I cannot thank you enough for your input, and I am so reassured to know that there are people like you who are writing articles and doing interviews on such timely and important matters.”
~Julie Goot
“Dr. Patrick Cohn and Lisa Cohn are to be congratulated! Together, they offer a wealth of knowledge, information, and practical mental tools for sports parents on the substantial “mental game” challenges and pressures facing today’s young athletes.”
~Marc D. Anderson, LCSW, MGCP, Mental Game Coach
For Mental Coaches – Add More Value To Your Mental Training Programs!
This workbook series was designed for coaches and mental coaches to use with their athletes.
The Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks complement your existing mental training program. Each of the 15 workbooks in the Athlete’s Mental Edge System teaches your athletes a specific mental skill to improve their performance.
For mental coaches, this system is ideal for between session education.
For sports coaches, you’ll be able to conduct 15 team seminars using the workbook system.
In the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbook system, you receive 15 easy-to-read, practical Mental Edge Workbooks on PDF, as well as 16 coaches’ game plan MP3 audio files.
Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook System
What are coaches saying?
“I am really pleased with the Athlete’s Mental Edge workbooks – they are fitting in really well with my coaching! I find they offer a great framework for doing workshop sessions. I have also used the workbooks with a few individual athletes – for the younger ones (12 and under). They are giving a good structure and framework to our sessions. The workbooks have worked well with all of them!”
~Kerri Morgan, Mental Game Coach
“I am impressed with the willingness and openness of Dr. Cohn to share all of his assets (intellectual, products, etc.) with the MGCP students. You have developed an incredible model/package for mental training. Even though we are paying for your service, you are passing on a legacy built on your contribution to the world of sports. Thank you for that.”
~Tony Melito, MGCP