How many times have you seen an athlete with all the ability in the world, however they “choke” as they say in the big moment? If you watch or play sports at all more than likely you probably have witnessed this. Success in sports today is 90% from the neck up. Confidence comes from practicing and mastering the skill your are training for and then having success at that skill in competitions. Sounds easy right? The only problem is it isn’t it takes not only physical practice but also mental practice to make sure you have the positive thoughts, confidence and in turn more success at your sport. Here are a few tips for athletes to stay mentally sharp.
- Positive Self Talk: This is telling your self positive “yes I can, yes I will” over and over again daily.
- Performance Questions: Asking your self questions that will force the athlete to answer in a positive way. Ex: Why am I always getting the big hit for my team?
- Mental Simulation: This requires the athlete to be in a quiet room where she/she can concentrate. The athlete will see in there mind what he/she wants to work on however this is happening in the mind just as the athlete is performing during competition. This is a skill that takes practices but when mastered can be a very powerful tool for every athlete.
**COMBINE ALL THESE WITH THE POWER OF “ICED” (INHALE CONFIDENCE EXHALE DOUBT) BY DOING A SYTEMATIC BREATHING ROUTINE AS WE ACTIVATE THE RAS OF THE BRAIN WE WILL BRIDGE YOUR TRAINING AND PRACTICES TO GAMES. BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF BY “GETTING ICED”. LEARN MORE BY CLICKING ON THE TAB “ICED” AT THE TOP SELECT A PAGE DROP DOWN.
Post By Rick Saggese, XFS, CSAC