The first task on your athlete’s journey to strengthen their mental game is to increase their awareness of their thoughts. Instruct them to notice if their self-talk is hindering them or helping them achieve success. It’s crucial that your athletes become aware of when their minds are working for them and when they’re working against them. Their focus should be on recognizing patterns—when it’s easy for them to stay motivated and focused, and when they struggle to do so.
Their goal should be to listen to their “strong” voice and ignore, or even smother, their “weak” voice. The strong voice is the one that fills them with confidence, helps them embrace challenges, and keeps them positive when things get tough. This voice encourages them to keep going, even when they’re exhausted—pushing through after running 10 suicides or throwing another rise ball, even after the last one was hit over the fence. Athletes need to recognize and buy into their strong voice while simultaneously pushing out their weak voice.
How to incorporate awareness into your coaching:
When practice starts: Remind athletes to mentally prepare for the upcoming session. Which voice are you listening to today? Are you motivating yourself to give it your all, or are you simply going through the motions, hoping the practice will end soon?
Watch their body language: If you see an athlete looking defeated or performing poorly, remind them to find their strong voice and smother their weak voice.
During instruction: When critiquing an athlete’s form, include reminders of what they should be saying to themselves in their head.
When an athlete is struggling: Point out how their mind might be affecting their frustration. Is their weak voice taking control and beating them up inside, or is their strong voice helping them refocus and push through the next play?
One Game, One Love. 