The Importance of Mental Training
Basketball
12/10/2021 - admin
As a former athlete with the US Olympic Committee and National Champion in karate, I reached a competitive level that I never thought was possible. I remember physically training my heart out. When reflecting back on my athletic career, I underestimated the importance mental training. Here are just two of the valuable lessons I only appreciated after my athletic career was over.
Constantly learn
Tenacious perseverance
Constantly Learn
Never settle, thinking that you have arrived. Every sport evolves and so you need to also if you want to remain competitive. Humility is your friend. As you succeed, don’t let it get to your head. When you fail, don’t let the negative thoughts and regrets take hold. Identify how you can learn from the situation and build a plan around how to do things differently next time.
Tenacious Perseverance
The path to victory is not guaranteed. Like many people, you will experience defeat. One of the hardest things for me to do was to pick myself up and prepare for the next go around. It is difficult to not give in to negativity, either in the way of self talk or at time from others. Confidence should not be situational. When you experience setbacks, remember what motivates you. Take the steps, big or small, to make the adjustments and go right back at it. To summarize, how do you improve your mental game? Do your homework on mental preparation techniques and put them into practice. Also, surround yourself with positive influences who can:
Help you navigate when the pressure is on
Help you back up
At the end of the day, we are all human. Learn from each experience. Persevere through the challenges.
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