Coaching Mental Toughness - Smile Now Coach

Articles in this category will help coaches coach themselves and others to give their best effort one step at a time.

Think Usefully: Confidence is an Attitude and Attitudes are a Choice

Think Useful: Confidence is an Attitude and Attitudes are a Choice
Thoughts Determine Attitudes, and a Confident Attitude Sets the Stage for a Peak Performance

I call them “green light" indicators for "Go! Go! Go!" They are the variables, mostly internal, that let an athlete know that he is likely to perform up to potential. The opposite “red light" indicators predict a poor performance. Awareness of these “green” and “red lights” enables athletes to keep going when they are likely to do well and stop to change something when they are not. Examples of "green lights" are relaxed, focused, and having fun. Common "red lights" include frustrated, thinking too much, impatient, and trying to do too much. The most common indicator, however, is confidence or a lack thereof. From old to young, softball to football to ping-pong, and professional to recreational, athletes know that they are more likely to play great when they are confident and are more likely to stink it up when they are not.

Details: Category: Coaching Mental Toughness Coaching Mental Toughness; Published: 01 December 2014 01 December 2014; Hits: 7230 7230

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Sports Should Be Fun!?!

It's a Game: Have Fun!

I enjoy watching young athletes compete. I frequently see both outstanding and impressively poor performances. There are so many young players pressing to try to make things happen that it seems like an epidemic. The first message I want to get to them is this: HAVE FUN! These games are what all the hard work and anticipation were for. These times are your opportunity to shine. It's okay to struggle; in fact, adversity is both inevitable and good. If you're honestly pursuing best effort performances, you're already a winner. All you can do is all you can do, so go out there and do your best and see what happens. Your best effort is always good enough.

Remember, fun is an attitude, and attitudes are a choice. How do you choose?... By the thoughts you're focused on. You can change your thoughts, and therefore your attitude, in an instant. Most athletes have fun after good outcomes. But good outcomes are more likely to occur when you're having fun, so the greatest athletes in the world decide to have fun first! And this shouldn't be too hard since you are, after all, playing a game you love. It's better than work. (If you don't choose to compete the vast majority of the time you're out there, you should either learn to do so or find another pursuit.)

Details: Category: Coaching Mental Toughness Coaching Mental Toughness; Published: 31 October 2014 31 October 2014; Hits: 7000 7000