Some athletes are reluctant to discuss their true feelings about the mental game in the team meetings. This may be because they feel embarrassed to share these thoughts in a group setting, or they may feel uncomfortable and hesitant to show weakness to you, the coach.
Use team meetings to discuss
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Practice Mental Skills
Myths About Mental Training
Mental training is only valuable if you believe it can help you perform your best. A few myths or attitudes prevent athletes from using mental training. Listed are the top three myths or attitudes that prevent athletes from embracing mental training:
1. Teammates or coach would think you are weak
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Use Specificity Training for Higher Performance
Peter Vidmar, an Olympic gymnast, used specificity training to prepare for the 1984 Olympics. Peter's goal was to make his practice as close to a real meet as possible. He wanted to practice with the same distractions and emotions that go with competition. Peter and his teammates simulated the
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Improving Practice Efficiency
Playing competitive sports at the highest level requires athletes and teams to engage in focused, quality practice, which improves both learning and performance. How can practice be more effective without spending more time? Coaches need to integrate proven methods of motor learning and sports
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Why Kids Are Fearless
Why are kids so fearless? Kids play in the present moment. They have no fear of consequences. No fear of failure. No fear of injury. This is also the reason parents need to observe them! Why are adults - and some athletes - filled with fear? Most athletes fear negative consequences of their
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Routine for Success
Some athletes follow a specific routine to help them prepare for a match or game. They eat the same pregame meal, arrive at the event 1 hour prior to competition, and engage in a precise warm up they have developed through trial and error. Other athletes prefer to jump out of the team bus or car and
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Do You Intimidate Yourself?
Intimidation is a massive mental barrier for many athletes. It often happens when you compare yourself to your opponent’s skills before competition. Most intimidation in sports comes from psyching yourself out, which I call self-intimidation. Your first task to overcoming intimidation is to be very
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Overcome Your Comfort Zone
Many athletes hold themselves back with a comfort zone. What is a comfort zone in sports? A comfort zone is a mental barrier that limits what you think you are capable of and is hard to shake. A comfort zone is a problem whenever an athlete is playing better than expected or is in uncharted
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