What happens when the top dog is no longer the top dog? Many athletes have difficulty going from being one of the best on their team to a team where they are fighting for a roster spot or playing time. Transitioning from youth competition to high school, high school to college, or college to the
How much do mistakes and losses affect you mentally? Are you still reliving a past game or a disappointing season? Nothing hurts performance quite as much as reliving mistakes, bad games, or unfortunate results. Focusing on yesterday or even the last minute interferes with your ability to pay attention to the present. When your attention
What would you say is your biggest distraction as an athlete? The list of potential distractions is exhausting: The previous examples are external distractions or sources that originate outside of you. While external distractions are bothersome, they are not the most formidable challenge for athletes. Internal distractions are much more destructive and difficult to manage,
What’s the difference between a mistake and a mental mistake? Mistakes are common in sports. Every athlete makes mistakes. However, mental mistakes are avoidable. Mental mistakes are lapses in awareness and focus, sloppy play, laziness, and lack of effort. Here are some examples of mental mistakes: In basketball, not getting back on defense and allowing
Winning Mindset for Elite Athletes Have you ever wondered why some athletes succeed despite challenges and adversity while other athletes fall apart when encountering similar circumstances? The difference between these two types of athletes is mindset. A lot has been written on the topic of mindset. Mindset receives so much attention because of its profound
Is there anything more challenging for athletes than training or practicing when you don’t want to? Many athletes complain about going to practice, especially if the training session is monotonous, dull, or consists of seemingly useless drills. For example, some soccer players despise long training sessions in the rain. When you are soaked and cold