{"id":14340,"date":"2021-12-17T05:57:11","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T10:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=14340"},"modified":"2025-06-04T08:57:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T12:57:52","slug":"the-importance-of-mental-toughness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Mental Toughness"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mental-Toughness.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Toughness\" class=\"wp-image-14390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mental-Toughness.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/Mental-Toughness-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Learning_Mental_Toughness_Skills\"><\/span>Learning Mental Toughness Skills<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/#Learning_Mental_Toughness_Skills\" >Learning Mental Toughness Skills<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/#Conceding_victory_is_not_an_option\" >Conceding victory is not an option.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/#How_to_be_a_Mentally_Tough_Athlete\" >How to be a Mentally Tough Athlete<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>What is the core characteristic of mental toughness? The term &#8220;mental toughness&#8221; is used by a lot of athletes&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyday you watch or listen to professional coaches, athletes, or commentators talk about mental toughness. As much as the term &#8220;mental toughness&#8221; is used, athletes and coaches still have difficulty elaborating on mental toughness and how to develop it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, during half-time interviews with coaches, you will frequently hear a coach say, &#8220;We need more mental toughness in the second half if we are going to get back into the game.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>So what exactly is mental toughness?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental toughness is the competitive mindset that you are never &#8220;out of it&#8221; in a tightly contested competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, when you are mentally tough, you will compete to the very end. You may not win the game or competition, but you will hustle, scrap, and give it your all to the very end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conceding_victory_is_not_an_option\"><\/span><em>Conceding victory is not an option.<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a mentally tough gymnast who needs to score a personal best in her weakest event to finish on the podium will focus on the task at hand and go for it\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A mentally tough basketball team down 10 points with two minutes left in the game will fight for rebounds and play tough at the rim\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A mentally tough soccer player will let go of first-half mistakes and look for ways to impact the game in the second half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental toughness is not a switch you flip. If you never practice mental game skills, you cannot expect to be mentally tough when the game is on the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental toughness is a skill&#8230;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You foster mental toughness when you push hard in practice, especially when tired. You develop mental toughness when you continue working on a skill you have difficulty mastering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You build mental toughness when you visualize successfully competing at your peak under adverse game-time conditions. Athletes in sports at all levels can benefit tremendously from mental toughness training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler succinctly summed up mental toughness. After the Ducks secured a 3-2 overtime victory over the St. LouisBlues, Fowler credited the team&#8217;s mental toughness for the comeback win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FOWLER<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think we ever feel like we&#8217;re out of it. They got one there in the third, and we continued to fight.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental toughness is not a skill reserved for NHL players or national-level athletes. Mental toughness is a skill all athletes at every age can learn and improve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental toughness training takes commitment. Not only should you learn how to develop mental toughness from a Mental Game Coach, but it is also necessary to train those skills in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then and only then will you be on your way to becoming a mentally tough peak performer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_be_a_Mentally_Tough_Athlete\"><\/span>How to be a Mentally Tough Athlete<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Compare and contrast your mental game when you are performing well versus not performing well. What are the differences in your mindset and performance?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you feel confidence, locked in, in control, and composed when performing well? These are all characteristics of mental toughness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How did you respond to mistakes or adversity, such as a bad call by a referee? Did you stay composed and move on after mistakes? Another quality of mental toughness. You want to work on these qualities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When not doing well, did you lack confidence, feel easily distracted, not in control, and frustrated with your performance? Did you &#8220;lose it&#8221; when faced with adversity, such as being down in the competition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If so, this is the reason why you want to improve mental toughness. You want more days in which you feel confident and locked in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-tips-for-athletes\/\">Mental Toughness Tips&nbsp;for Athletes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-build-mental-toughness\/\">How to Build Mental Toughness<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/mental-toughness-as-an-underdog\/\">Mental Toughness as an Underdog<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a>&nbsp;on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"Sport Psychology Cds\" class=\"wp-image-15979\" style=\"width:205px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learning Mental Toughness Skills What is the core characteristic of mental toughness? The term &#8220;mental toughness&#8221; is used by a lot of athletes&#8230; Everyday you watch or listen to professional coaches, athletes, or commentators talk about mental toughness. As much as the term &#8220;mental toughness&#8221; is used, athletes and coaches still have difficulty elaborating on mental toughness and &#8230; <a title=\"The Importance of Mental Toughness\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/the-importance-of-mental-toughness\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Importance of Mental Toughness\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As much as the term &quot;mental toughness&quot; is used, athletes and coaches still have difficulty elaborating on mental toughness and how to develop it. 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Cohn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/peaksports\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"],\"description\":\"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. 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