While you’re on the bench, put that spotlight on the space between your ears. I’m sick of the word COVID. The world changed. Did you? This pandemic has knocked us off our center. We may be rocked back on our heels a bit, but we have to surge forward to figure out how we can [...]
This is a letter from a "former" golfer who no longer can play, but who has reflected on his years in golf and would like the rest of us to consider approaching the game with gratitude and no regrets. Dear Younger Me: *I can’t play golf anymore. I tried to swing the club the other [...]
Why does competition matter? On Sunday night, I watched the closing ceremony for the 2016 Olympics. Afterwards, there was an incredible presentation of Olympic highlights showing one breathtaking victory or crushing defeat after another. I'll admit to tears pouring down my face as I watched these athletes push through pain, fear and exhaustion to reach their goal. So much heart. [...]
Invite em. Don't fight em. Huh? Letting that rush of adrenaline making you nauseous? Turn it into Rocket Fuel! TENSE?? Get MORE tense. Then try to breathe. Really. Try it! To figure out what the heck we're talking about. Read Erika Carlson's blog Managing the Butterflies for solid tips on what to do with those pre-game jitters. [...]
The best coaches know that having great information is only half the battle. The challenge is how to get that information to TRANSFER into the athlete so it stays! And then of course, get the athlete to USE the information when it's needed most. As former coaches ourselves, we've been really interested in refining the process so [...]
Frustrated all the time? This might be why.... Is this you? High expectations for yourself Very competitive Good student Talented athlete Work to please others (parents, coaches) Worry (excessively at times) about making mistakes Put A LOT of pressure on self Hard time mentally recovering from mistakes Easily frustrated If this sounds like you, [...]
What if every player in your tennis academy had their own mental toughness program? And more significantly, what if the players could easily track their progress, your coaches could provide oversight, and they could all do it from their PHONES!? Sound too good to be true? It's not - we built it for the USTA (and now [...]
Fear of Failure or is it the Fear of Failing? Mike Margolies CMT® Fear of Failure The difference between Fear of failure and Fear of failing. FEAR can be scary; it can definitely hold athletes back from accomplishing many great things. Fear is failure can be about not wanting to fail at anything you do, [...]
The question I hear most about positive self-talk is this:"Can athletes have a 'brief high negative' to blow off steam so they can concentrate again?"We've all seen great athletes do it - Tiger, McEnroe, Murray, etc. If they do it, why not teach young athletes to do it? Unfortunately, this logic is [...]
Staying on Top of Your Game Over the Holidays By: Sarah Frey, MS, CMT® & Robert Neff, Ph.D., CMT® Let’s face it, when the holidays roll around, many of us break from our normal routines to accommodate parties, family gatherings, gift shopping, or inclement weather. And although spending quality time with family and friends, and [...]