Mental Strength Athletes Need – Help for the New Year

Time for Parents and Coaches to Step Up

One of my New Year resolutions is to complete my book 365 Peak Performance Quotes. I believe it’s needed now more than ever, as athletes often have the weight of the world on them. Of course, I will need coaches and sports parents to relay the quotes to players, which is where you come in. Here is a glimpse of it.

As an athlete and now a coach, I recognize that not a day goes by when an athlete doesn’t need mental strength. No matter their confidence level, pressure, disappointment, and loss erode self-assurance. And once stress is in play, peak performance becomes more difficult. Daily pick-me-ups are the game-changers athletes need. They help because they deliver that extra “something” in my marathon training and races.

Mental health has always been an issue in sports, but with expectations higher than ever, the athlete's mental strength has greater significance. To manage this state of urgency, everyday guidance is necessary. These “constants” address players' most urgent issues and give them the mental stability to manage expectations.

Every Day Transcendent Advice

Following are seven of the “Fab 20” absolutes every athlete needs to have the “mental bulk” to manage the everyday pressures that inevitably come.

1.     Wanting to be a star is okay; insisting it happens immediately is a sign it won’t happen.

2.     It’s okay to cry and feel sorry for yourself, but not again tomorrow.

3.     Make the joy of playing your top priority; waiting for success to make you happy is fool’s gold.
 

4.     Advice means people want to help; don’t blame them for trying.

5.     Competition is all about “challenge;” don’t be surprised when it appears.
 

6.     Practice accepting inconsistency; it’s more the norm than the opposite.

7.     The desire to improve, a willingness to listen, and a comfortable work ethic is being an athlete, not how good you are.

These perceptions help the modern athlete with the anxiety that comes from inside and outside themselves. When parents and coaches emphasize the meaning of these winning words of wisdom, the path to peak performance clears.

Happy Trails and New Year