Mental Training...

After several weeks of taking over the helm as the Athletic Performance Coordinator things have been going great. We are seeing new athletes come in and the place is rocking! The best part about this is that the Athletic Performance side is filled with athletes that truly want to become better athletes and are doing all that they can to get to where they want to be. I have had to work with a couple athletes specifically on what it takes to get to the next level, where ever that may be. One thing that many young athletes don't realize is that it takes much more than just showing up to the gym and going through the workout. Each sport has a huge aspect about it that many people seem to ignore training for, the mental side. How do we teach the mental side? In the gym we start by trying to teach each athlete accountability. Every athlete must report to me when they are coming in and they must stick to that schedule. If they cannot come in it is their responsibility to let me know why they will not be able to make a scheduled workout. During the workout they are grouped up with other athletes and they hold each other accountable to stick to the workout and push each other through the workout. Not only does this make them take ownership of their workout but it also makes them work harder and help the other athletes work harder. During this time, leadership is also developed. When we have new athletes come in they are teamed up with a "veteran" athlete to take them through the workout. The veteran athlete learns how to become a leader by showing and demonstrating what it takes to work hard by our standards. One thing each athlete must know is just completing the exercises is not enough. Each exercise, each repetition must be done to the fullest extent possible. My motto for these athletes is to get the most they can out of each and every rep they complete. If we are not doing that there is no use in doing the exercise in the first place. Why do anything if you are not going to do it as well as you can every time? That is what builds mental strength in the gym. The kicker is that idea must be able to convey to every aspect of not only training, but to life as well. When I played ball in college our motto was to be relentless, not only on the field but in everything that we did. If we can get to a point where that becomes second nature we are then more mentally strong. My goal is to get each and every athlete to realize this. Until I achieve that with every athlete I am only a guy who gives them a workout to do.
So besides hammering into each athlete while they are here they need to get the most out of themselves how else can we teach mental training? It takes a concerted effort everyday for each and every individual athlete to remind themselves of what they need to do to achieve success. They need to visualize success but before that, they need to believe they can be successful and see results to have that confidence. Each and every success needs to be seen as a little confidence builder and each and every mistake needs to be seen as a chance to become better. If we make no mistakes we have already realized our full potential. Mistakes are a part of the learning process no matter who we are. What separates the mentally strong from the mentally weak is how mistakes are handled.
So remember, get the most out of every single thing you do and be relentless in all of your pursuits!