Moving Past an Off Day Have you had an athletic performance that was so horrible that you felt embarrassed when the competition ended? Bad games are one thing. You can often explain them away or at least understand that all athletes have an off day. Despite having a bad day, you still have your confidence
How often have you thought in the middle of a competition, “We lost”? Athletes can quickly become tempted to give in mentally when trailing by a considerable margin or competing during unfavorable circumstances, especially when they deem the odds are not in their favor. The question is, how can you flip the script? How can
What is your contribution to pressure when you compete? It’s interesting to think about how we contribute to pressure. Pressure doesn’t merely exist; it is shaped by our thoughts and feelings about competing in certain situations. Pressure is a personal experience, and your relationship to pressure impacts your anxiety and performance levels. What affects your
How does mental toughness help an athlete when they are being harshly criticized? Mental toughness is often seen as a physical triumph over adversity. For example, a football player who returns to action in the fourth quarter after limping off the field earlier in the game. Or a gymnast who gets back up on the