What Is Mental Performance Training?
Mental Performance Training Does Not…
- Address deep-rooted psychological issues
- Diagnose mental illnesses or mental health issues
- Serve as a quick fix for an athlete’s performance struggles
- Signify that an athlete is weak, incapable or mentally unstable (actually the opposite is true!)
Why Is Mental Performance Training Important?
As a former D1 basketball player (Wake Forest) and overseas pro (Germany, Nigeria), I understand and personally experienced struggling with these challenges first hand. I remember vividly the moment in my Junior year at Wake when I experienced a panic attack for the first time due to my anxiety and fear of failure. It caused me to contemplate giving up my scholarship and quitting basketball – it was THAT SERIOUS. The heavy distress that I was so used to internalizing everyday finally brought me to my breaking point and in that moment, the thought of continued damage to my self-esteem and sacrificing my health and well-being just didn’t seem worth it anymore. Fortunately, I had the resources around me that helped get my mind to a healthier place. But it wasn’t until after I graduated and had played overseas that I finally learned that there were things I could do to train my mind and not be a victim to the mental barriers that had plagued me my entire career. This is why training the mind is so important and why I’m driven to serve athletes in this typically neglected area of athlete development.