Every athlete who is serious about their sport wants to be a champion. A hallmark of all great athletes is superior mental toughness and a championship mindset. However, for some athletes, mental training is an untouched avenue to improving sports performance. That’s why we teach sports parents and coaches how to encourage their athletes to have a strong mental game.
Many athletes don’t realize that resources are available to improve their mental game. When under performing or in a slump, most athletes are quick to change other aspects of their performance, such as coaching, equipment, or strategy before realizing that the challenges they face deal with the mental aspects of their performance. We encourage parents and coaches to be proactive and teach kids mental game skills early instead of waiting for kids to develop performance issues and mental game barriers.
How can parents educate their kids about mental game skills? First, start by giving examples of other young athletes who have strong mental game skills. A young basketball player might keep shooting even though he made mistakes early in the game. A young hockey player might stay focused when fans are cheering. A young golfer can learn to react with composure after missing a short putt or hitting a bad shot.
Many high- level athletes use mental coaches to help them cope with pressure, improve confidence and focus. We teach athletes how to master their mental game and break through their performance barriers. By instilling confidence, composure, focus, motivation, and mental toughness these athletes are able to take their game to the next level.
Physical talent alone does not guarantee success! Any championship athlete will tell you that talent along with high confidence, focus, composure, and mental toughness lead them to victory.
