You can be the most talented team in the world and still fail if you lack team cohesion. Also known as teamwork, team cohesion is an active process where players come together to achieve a common goal and remain united in pursuit of that objective. The Great Bambino once said: “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth In order for teams to reach their true potential every […]
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17
Mar
2011
Team Cohesion Determines Team Success
14
Mar
2011
How Stephen Strasburg Gets Into A Rhythm
Baseball players like to get into a certain rhythm. Pitchers and batters alike go through a routine to get into that rhythm to help them reach peak performance. Washington National’s pitching phenom, Stephen Strasburg, prefers to feel a good rhythm on the mound. “I like to keep the same tempo throughout the game. When I get out of rhythm, or speed up a little, it affects my focus. I just got to remember to stick to my routine before each pitch. This helps me keep the same rhythm and focus no matter what happens,” said Strasburg. Why is it […]
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13
Mar
2011
Anticipating the Unexpected in Sports: Part 1
In game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Texas Rangers broke out to a 5-0 lead over the New York Yankees. After six straight shutout innings the Yankees looked as if they were ready to throw in the towel. “They’re pitcher was rolling, but the last six, nine outs are the toughest to get. We know one pitch to another can change the momentum of the game,” said Former Texas Ranger, Alex Rodriguez. “We always say we have 27 outs,” said Robinson Cano, who had three hits and two RBI for the Yankees. “Until they get the […]
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13
Mar
2011
Anticipating the Unexpected in Sports: Part 2
As coach it is crucial that you prepare for every obstacle and setback your team may face throughout the season. Seasons never go completely as planned. For example, coaches needs to anticipate the game conditions, the weather, injuries, and player distractions. Successful coaches anticipate these obstacles and have a strategy for coping with setbacks. Some people may argue that anticipating setbacks is not a very positive way to mentally prepare for competition. But like I previously stated, nothing ever goes according to the plan in sports.Your team must be prepared to roll with the punches and make the necessary […]
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12
Mar
2011
How to Deal With Bad Coaches
Before you sign your kids up for a team, don’t hesitate to interview the coach. You should ask them about their coaching philosophy and how they handle important issues such as missing practice, and playing time. If your young athletes are already part of a team, but don’t seem happy with the coach, you need to do some research. Is the coach always unhappy with your athlete’s performance, no matter how well they perform? Gently ask your kids questions about how the coaches treat the team and watch carefully for how they react. You might ask other parents what […]
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11
Mar
2011
The Mental Game of Golf
Golf is a mental game, especially at the higher levels. This is why it’s important for golfer’s to develop a strong inner game or mental toughness. You see players all the time who have “great talent”, but rarely play up to their potential. The problem is that golfers are not educated about the mental game mostly because their instructors or coaches didn’t stress the importance of mental toughness when their student’s were learning to play. In Golf your decisions, thoughts, images, and feelings set up each swing. Mental training helps players develop key mental skills to compliment the mechanics […]
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09
Mar
2011
Four Goals to Enhance Your Performance
There are four different types of goals you should set for your performance. The first are your long-term or dream goals. These are the driving force behind playing a sport; every other goal supports this dream goal. What do you want to accomplish in the next two to three years? Write down your long-term goal or “dream goal” for your sport. A long-term goal is what you want to ultimately achieve in your sport. It may be something like, “Make my high school soccer team,” or “Play on Coach Bill’s traveling team in middle school.” Next, you should set […]
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08
Mar
2011
Goal Setting for Athletes
Setting goals is critical to your success as athletes in both sports and life. It’s important that you stay committed to evaluating and changing your goals when needed. You should create and monitor goals for practice and competitions or games. Younger athletes’ goals may simply be to have fun, make friends or learn to run faster. As you get older, your goals can be more specific and more focused on improving your performance. It’s important to remember that goals should not become expectations that weigh you down. In other words, it’s one thing to have a goal and work […]
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07
Mar
2011
Goal Setting and Self-Motivation
What is self-motivation? Athletes who are self-motivated take part in sports for the pure enjoyment of it. They do not need rewards to participate. To succeed in your sport, it’s important that you love to play or perform. It’s not a good idea to take part in sports because you want to make others happy–your parents, coaches or peers, for example. When you have a real passion for the game, you’ll have more staying power and feel more committed to sports over time. Dan Coyle, author of the book, “The Talent Code: Greatness isn’t born. It’s Grown,” says passion […]
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02
Mar
2011
Online Mental Coaching Program
This month we are offering a months mental coaching via email. This includes: An A.M.A.P assessment (Athlete’s Mental Aptitude Profile) Forty minute session via Phone and A.M.A.P summary (Discovery Phase)* Three week Mental Coaching Program based on A.M.A.P assessment via email** *15 minutes with parent, 25 minutes with athlete (5,25,10) **Unlimited email response for parents and/or coaches during program (30 days) Visit Mental Edge Athletics for more details
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