Athletes come to compete ready to do their best. They train hard after putting a lot of hours practicing and improving their skills. But, is this enough in order to do one’s best? Derek Jeter showed up to play not expecting to do his best, but with a prepared state of mind that would help him to achieve his best. One of his mental preparations was that of managing what he can control without worrying …
Elite female tennis player, Serena William, practices against male players because they hit harder and she is forced to return shot which are more difficult to hit. Alexi Thompson, one the best female golf players in the professional tour credits playing against her older brothers for her ability to hit long drives. She claims she wanted to measure up to them and, consequently, learned to hit long. The underdog Argentina’s national rugby team defeated the …
This really does not make any sense at all!! At first sight, this title makes no sense whatsoever. Athletes train very hard to perform at their best. They compete to win and establish mental goals to achieve their dreams. So, how could it be possible that they would accept defeat in order to win? The burden of needing or wanting to win is extremely high, regardless of whether it is a young athlete or an …
Athletes that play against weaker opponents tend to become overly confident and fall into the trap of counting victory too soon. Players and coaches quite commonly prepare to compete against weaker opponents under that strong assumption that success is a forgone conclusion. Unfortunately, we all know by personal experience or by watching top athletes’ performance how such a mental approach ends up biting them back. In a recent squash match, a physically strong player stepped …
If I could mange distractions during my sports performance, I’d be able to achieve my peak potential! Distraction and losing focus are very common experiences that athletes find challenging to manage. For example: A tennis player lost the last four games and, during the changeover, he starts having uncontrollable negative thoughts. Elizabeth is bound to shoot her best round of golf and, as she is about to tee off, she pays too much attention to …
Sports injuries can be devastated for any athlete. Hopes and dreams to achieve big goals can disappear in just a second. Immediately after the injury, some athletes may fall in a negative thinking spiral that affects not only any hope to coming back, but also a psychological damage that further delays the healing process. It is right after injury takes place that immediate psychological support can provide a huge favorable outcome. Research has found that …
This past weekend, we witnessed an unprecedented come from behind win by the U.S Women’s golf team as they defeated the European side despite the huge odds against them. Needing to win 8 ½ points out of 12 being disputed, they faced the highly favorite European team with total focus and determination. In the early morning on the last day of play, Sunday, an unfortunate sportsmanship incident prevented the U.S. team from possibly earning a …
This past Saturday, Serena experienced a loss that will be remembered as one of the major defeats in the history of Gran Slam tennis championship. Roberta Vinci, an unseeded Italian player with limited success in prior Gran Slam matches, shocked everyone after coming victorious in a thrilling semi-final 3-set match. Vinci overcame the 300-1 odds to defeat the 21-Grand Slam Champion who was pursuing history as a win in the US Open would have placed …
Players practice for a long time hoping that their improved skills will be transferred onto the court or course. We see golf players spending hours on the driving range hitting ball after ball; or, basketball players practicing one free throw after another. With repetition, they notice an improvement on their shot skills. They leave the range or the court feeling over confident and looking forward to their chance to show their sharper skill. When they …
Reports show that the potential long term effects of recurring concussions lead to cognitive and neurological disability. Concussion is attracting more attention as of late as the numbers keep increasing yearly. Data indicates that 350,000 sport-related cases were reported in 2012; almost a third of these cases took place during practice. Although football is the leading sport with reported concussions (47%), athletes practicing soccer, lacrosse, basketball, cheerleading and baseball are equally experiencing concerning numbers. Although …