Mental toughness articles for athletes and performers to improve mental toughness in sports
The damaging power behind the phrase ‘to make matters worse’? The phrase “to make matters worse” further catastrophizes an adverse event. Many sports announcers use the phrase to describe an athlete’s or team’s worsening prospects or condition throughout a season. Many athletes are stuck in the habit of catastrophizing. They often highlight every bad break, unlucky event, and … Sport Psychology Article…
What does “setting the standard” mean in sports? Setting a high standard refers to establishing a level of quality, expectation, or performance. Some teams set winning as the standard. Often, teams with a high expectation of winning adopt the credo, “Championship or Bust.” While winning may be the goal, defining success in those narrow terms is problematic. For … Sport Psychology Article…
How Do Elite Athletes Compete with Confidence? Elite athletes are most confident when they focus on their strengths. Too often, athletes worry about making mistakes or messing up during a competition. These athletes fear that their weaknesses will be exposed and they will be the reason their team loses. When you focus on your weaknesses, you approach the … Sport Psychology Article…
Are You on A Quest to be Your Best? Every athlete WANTS to be the best athlete they can be, but not all athletes DO what is necessary to achieve their potential. Intentions may set the tone for athletic improvement. However, athletic excellence requires intentional action. An athlete who responded to one of our surveys sent the following … Sport Psychology Article…
How To Define Your Athletic Success Often, athletes allow other people (with good intentions) to define success for them. For example, your parents may see success as earning a college scholarship, becoming a starter, or competing for a highly competitive team. Likewise, your coach may see success as you achieving a national cut, having a top ranking, winning … Sport Psychology Article…
How Can You Take Your Game to the Next Level? Basketball players spend hours in the gym taking hundreds of shots. Football players hit the weight room and bench, squat, and dead lift to build physical strength. Golfers tweak their mechanics to find just the right swing. Extra practice and technique refinement help build an athlete’s confidence. Yet, … Sport Psychology Article…