sports Archives - Page 4 of 6

MESSAGE #1266 H2O

January 10, 2011/0 Comments/in fitness, Nutrition /by admin

I only have one tip for you today:

Drink more water.

There are many benefits of drinking water, among them are:

1. It can help you lose weight.

2. It can help prevent and relieve headaches.

3. It can help you look younger and have healthier skin

4. It can help you be more productive at work.

5. It can prevent you from getting sick.

6. It can put you in a better mood.

7. It can reduce the risk of cancer.

Our bodies are made up mostly of water, therefore when we are more properly hydrated, we will run faster, hit harder and focus like never before.

Absolutely, positively, guaranteed.

MESSAGE #1264 IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME

January 8, 2011/0 Comments/in Focus /by admin

The other day, I was teaching a private lesson to two ladies, who happen to be good friends. We began our normal warmup at the service line and for some reason, they were extremely chatty this particular morning. I gave them some tips, but my voice seemed to get drowned out by their voices. For a moment I was frustrated. They are not competitive players…should I just let them talk and have fun?

I gave them about a minute to chat and then I brought them up to the net and said:

“Okay, here’s what we are going to do. (Puts a target on the court). For the next few minutes, I want you to focus on aiming for this target.”

The chatting instantly stopped and I saw focus in their eyes. They even began hitting better.

Then, I said, “Now you have a new focus, aim high over the net.”

They did it quite successfullly and the focus remained.

After that, I told them to focus on exhaling at contact.

Same great result.

These two ladies ended up having a great session.

So what’s the moral of the story?

It’s not the student. It’s the teacher.

It’s not the customer. It’s the salesperson.

I think you get the point.

If you are not getting the results, change your approach. Focus is not good enough, you need to focus on the right things.

It’s not whether you can focus or not, it’s whether you CHOOSE to or not.

MESSAGE #1262 A MESSAGE FROM MARK

January 6, 2011/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, Gratitude, mental toughness, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Practice Perfect, Relaxation / Stress Reduction /by admin

The only pressure I’m under is the pressure I’ve put on myself.
-MARK MESSIER, hockey great

Recently, there was a football kicker training at my sports center. He is only 13 but has “phenom” written all over him. He has been working hard, doing all the right things and developing quite nicely.

This past week he was training for a pro event, which is a very big deal and only a few days away.

Then something happened.

He started missing kicks he was making easily the weeks prior. He started looking and feeling nervous. He was not the same person.

What changed?

Nothing physically, but mentally he started over-thinking. He was focusing on how important this upcoming pro event is. He started trying too hard. The little negative voice inside his head began getting louder and louder.

This happens all the time in sports and life.

When the pressure’s on, many people fold.

But it is not pressure, it is perception.

There are two ways to look at pressure–you can either get frustrated or fascinated by it.

The choice is yours.

What would be my advice to this young kicker?

1. Understand that nerves are normal. Everyone gets nervous.

2. Take a deep breath to lower your heart rate and stay in the present moment.

3. Focus on the target, not the outcome.

4. Act as if it were impossible to fail.

5. Cultivate gratitude and have fun!

For a free 10-minute mental toughness consultation, email: or call 609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1255 HOW TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH…RIGHT NOW!

December 30, 2010/0 Comments/in mental toughness /by admin

1. Act as if it were impossible to fail.
2. Do what needs to be done, whether you feel like it or not.
3. Set goals and do whatever it takes to attain them.
4. Develop a growth mindset.
5. Cultivate gratitude for all that you have in your life.
6. Be a team player.
7. Focus on one thing at a time.
8. Procrastinate procrastination.
9. Make the important thing, the important thing.
10. Go all-out!

MESSAGE #1253 IS THIS WHAT YOU DO?

December 28, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, mental toughness, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Relaxation / Stress Reduction /by admin

Think about the last time you were under pressure.

Perhaps it was during an athletic competition.

Perhaps it was with a deadline at work.

Perhaps it was speaking in front of your class in school.

Physically, how did you react?

If you are like most people, your body tensed up.

How did you perform?

If you are like most people, you didn’t perform at your best.

Now think about the last time you performed effortlessly.

Physically how did you react?

Your body was probably pretty loose.

How did you perform?

Quite well, I’m sure.

A large part of peak performance is staying loose. Focused, but loose.

How do you do it?

Here’s one way:

Think of something funny before you perform.

It could be a joke, a comedy clip or video, maybe even reading from a joke book you carry around with you. And when things get tough, think of that funny thing.

Here’s an exercise: The next time you see a “big game” on television, watch how some of the players react with smiles and laughter.

Then watch what kind of results they get.

MESSAGE #1252 THIS IS COURAGE

December 27, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, mental toughness, Performing Under Pressure, Relaxation / Stress Reduction /by admin

Courage is not the absence of fear-it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.
-NELSON MANDELA

Fear is part of sports…and life. Let me share with you a secret:

Winners and losers feel the same feelings.

The difference is in the action they take.

Before the Super Bowl, the US Open, and World Series, the athletes are nervous. Some players even get sick in the locker room before the game.

But once the competition begins, they don’t ACT nervous. They move beyond their feelings.

That’s courage.

That’s mental toughness.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1242 FOCUS

December 17, 2010/0 Comments/in Attitude, Confidence, Effort, Fear, Focus, Goal Setting, mental toughness, Overcoming Adversity, Performing Under Pressure, Relaxation / Stress Reduction, Visualization /by admin

We choose what we focus on.

Suppose you are winning a tennis match by a score of 5-0, and your opponent then wins the next three games. You start to think that the momentum has switched and that the person on the other side of the net has a chance to win.

STOP!

This type of thinking is normal, however, many people end up losing that set by focusing on the possible loss instead of focusing on HOW they can close it out.

The key is acknowledging that negative little voice inside your head and then moving on. Focusing on the next point. Your strategy. Your footwork.

Is this easier said than done?

Yes and no. Simple…yes. Easy…no. Mental training is just like physical training. You have to work at it.

Here’s an example of how you can shift your focus at any time.

Look around you and find three things that are blue.

Now quickly close your eyes and find something green.

Isn’t it hard to do?

Why?

Because it’s hard to focus on two things at the same time.

You can’t get green when focusing on blue.

You can’t get a win from focusing on a loss.

As a response, they often say, “But they might lob over my head!”

I tell them not to worry about it until it happens.

I know many business owners that don’t take risks because of the dreaded, “What if?”

Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t prepare for these situations. You should.

The bottom line is that you need to get out of your comfort zone.

You need to take risks.

You need to what you’ve never done so you can get the results that you’ve never gotten.

Preparation…YES.

Worry…NO.

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