Category: Coaching (Page 9 of 9)

It’s really the mental game that sets athletes apart – making the good players outstanding ones.  As coaches, we focus a ton on the physical, but we generally don’t spend enough time between the ears.

Mental Game Tips to Foster Confidence:

Tip #1: You, first, must understand that you are in control of your confidence. Learn to be proactive with your self-confidence even after performance slumps.

Tip #2: Foster confidence by continuing to prepare at a high level, celebrate your successes, and look for opportunities to improve. Don’t allow mistakes to derail your confidence on the next play. Have trust in your skills and training, that they will pay off.

Source: How to Maintain Confidence During a Performance Drought | Sports Psychology Blog for Athletes and Coaches

Dr. Patrick Cohn (@Peaksports) is one of the “go to” guys on mental preparedness for sports. He is a mental game of baseball expert and works with athletes and teams worldwide from a variety of sport backgrounds including baseball players and teams.

Do you ever wonder what the pros do to prepare for a game?  A fair amount of it has to do with visualization.

Patrick Cohn describes former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott’s pre-game routine and how it impacted his performance.

He’d focus on the positive images he’d want to feel on the mound and of course mastering his fastball…

“I’d see my warm-up in the bullpen, my fastball hitting the corners, staying down, the baseball jumping out of my hand, the ball pulled towards the catcher’s mitt.”

This is clearly worth the read, so click on Jim’s picture for the story!

Source: Peaksports and Patrick Cohn