State of the Union

There are 4 aspects of performance:

Physical, Tactical, Technical and Mental.

The physical aspect is one we’re all familiar with. How big, strong, and fast is the athlete? Weight lifting and conditioning programs are designed to improve their players’ physical shape. There are many tangible ways to evaluate a player physically: height, weight, speed at different drills, how far they can jump – to name a few. It’s certainly an important aspect of any game.

The second aspect is the tactical part of sports. That’s where coaching comes in. What’s the game plan? This part of sports involves understanding of strategy, nuance, and knowledge of the sport. If an athlete has a physical skill, they must be put in a strategic position to succeed. Many coaches from various sports attend clinics and conferences to learn information about improving this aspect of their athletes’ game. What blocking scheme protects the quarterback best in football? Where can I play my shortstop to take away the field from a pull-heavy hitter? How can I disguise an attack from my back-line in volleyball? If an athlete has an outstanding physical and tactical game, they can perform at a high level.

The third aspect is the technical side of performance. Once you have the physical tools and the tactical awareness, an athlete must have the sport-specific skills needed to execute at their position. Dribbling, passing, shooting, swinging, technique, etc. Perfecting the muscle memory of technical skills in in conjunction with physical and tactical abilities is moving closer to peak performance.

But how can an athlete achieve optimal performance? How can they get to the next level and reach their full potential and elevate their game? The final aspect that is not talked about nearly as much as the physical, tactical, and technical side of the game is the mental aspect of sports. The athlete is physically capable of performing, and knows how to execute the game plan. But what happens when something goes wrong, or the pressure to perform is significant? Athletes who take challenges in stride, respond to adversity, and control their thoughts and emotions can dominate the mental aspect of the game. The mental domain is what we’ll focus on in this book.

Each level of athletics has its own challenges. Youth athletes report playing sports to make friends, develop skills, have fun, and to be challenged. Parents play a prominent role in the development of mental skills in youth athletes. In order for younger athletes to buy in, parents must acknowledge and preach the importance of the mental side of the game, and offer a helping hand to sit down with their sons and daughters to make improving on this aspect a priority. Mentally tough youth athletes are able to remain positive, hold onto their motivation to play, and are receptive to coaching and constructive criticism in order to improve their performance.

High school athletes deal with numerous challenges in their lives on a day-to-day basis that directly influence their performance. These are student-athletes who are undergoing difficult classes and exams. They’re learning educational material that is critical to their future, while pursuing admission to colleges and universities. Athletically, high school athletes face stiff competition that requires rapid improvement in their physical, tactical, technical,, and mental skills in order to compete at a high level. The results of their performance grows in importance, and some athletes strive for scholarships or an opportunity to play at the next level. In addition to challenges in the classroom and in their respective sports, high school athletes’ social lives play a prominent role in their priorities. Critical components of their social life include: relationships with their friends, exploration of dating, and development of their identity. Many high schoolers are introduced to environments containing alcohol and drugs, and must make sound decisions for themselves during a period where their judgement and maturity hasn’t fully developed cognitively. Balancing all of these aspects of life is critical to their overall success, not just as an athlete, but as an individual. A mentally tough high school athlete is able to compartmentalize different distractions and focus on the task in the present moment. They’re able to control their thoughts and emotions and set goals for their future.

College athletes face similar challenges to high school athletes, but with comparatively higher stakes. Their grades will determine whether or not they receive a degree and are hirable in the “real world.” The competition in their sport is even greater, the need to improve in all areas athletically is apparent, and the results of their performance could potentially have national implications. If they are on scholarship, the program they play for and the school they attend have invested thousands of dollars into them, and is counting on their success. The amount of time required to improve their game expands, and their sport becomes similar to a job. Weight lifting, nutrition, meetings, practices, film – college athletes must dedicate a significant portion of their lives to athletics. In the meantime, distractions are everywhere: parties, living away from home, new-found responsibilities, and opportunities to make poor choices. Mentally tough college athletes are able to maintain their focus and motivation, take honest inventory of their process, and dominate the aspects of their game that are in their control.

We’ve all seen it. An athlete that excels in practice during the week but fails to perform in the game. An athlete whose motivation comes and goes. A player who loses their confidence mid-season, or one that can’t focus for an entire meeting. Athletes playing any sport at any level can create a system of mental skills to help them reach their optimal performance.