Admittedly, “mental toughness” training is often a tougher sell on athletes and coaches than physical training, largely because:
A) mental toughness, or lack thereof, often (erroneously) implies a mental illness or deficiency, and
B) mental toughness is sometimes tougher to measure than physical toughness
For many, simply defining mental toughness is a challenge, and for those that do feel they have an understanding of what mental toughness is there are those who still believe it is a genetic, in-born set of personality characteristics that cannot be improved upon. Fortunately, we know that mental toughness lapses do not imply mental illness; and mental toughness can actually be improved upon and even measured.
This week I would like to provide three easy to understand ways in which the field of sport psychology has helped us identify and use specific mental toughness skills and strategies.
1. Focus. Learning how and when to direct your attention to relevant cues versus getting caught up “wandering” in your mind is a skill athletes can immediately improve upon — and without ADHD drugs! By having better focus the odds for on-field success improve dramatically.
2. Motivation. Developing a mindset that prompts an athlete to be “the first to practice and the last to leave” is largely dependent on becoming clear with personal values and future goals — from there motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic) often improves dramatically.
3. Resiliency. Learning how to cope with stress, anxiety, frustration, and failure is a big part of sports – and life – success. Sport psychologists help athletes improve their mental toughness in this area by teaching specific cognitive-behavioral skills that minimize anxiety while maximizing personal self-efficacy.
These are just three quick examples to validate the importance of sport psychology mental toughness training, as well as dismiss rumors that simply aren’t true. Do your part this season to help the kids you parent or coach improve upon their own mental toughness, then sit back and watch their on-field success follow!
www.drstankovich.com
Videos, audios, apps, and books – all here to help with mental toughness!
