In sports, what does it mean to have a short memory for mistakes? “Memory” refers to the length of time an athlete dwells on mistakes. Some athletes have difficulty overcoming mistakes during a competition. They think about the mistake repeatedly, replaying the error in their mind. The mistake becomes a distraction, taking the focus off
Do you have to focus on mistakes to learn from them? There is a fine line between recognizing and dwelling on mistakes. You need to be able to identify miscues or missed opportunities from a competition to learn from them. The key is how long you think about those mistakes. Let’s look at the following
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
Have you ever had a conflict with a coach or teammate that seemed to ruin your season? Team conflict can affect how you feel about your team, how much you enjoy your sport, and how intensely you pursue your goals. Not only does conflict affect you, but it can also create tension with your teammates,
Professional athletes put in extra work after practice to become the best in their sports. In sports, elite athletes often have unrivaled work ethics. We hear of Olympian athletes who start their training sessions at 5 a.m. or train between 4-6 hours daily. Other athletes are stuck in a rut or hit a plateau. The
Do your emotions get the best of you after a bad officiating call? Do your emotional outbursts lead to a loss of focus and uncharacteristic mistakes? You can’t take emotions out of the game. By nature, we are emotional beings. However, when you don’t reel in your emotions, they will intensify, and your performance will