What Is Mental Performance Training?
An athlete’s mental skills and internal processes powerfully impact their emotions, behaviors, and external outcomes. Mental performance training is strength and conditioning for the mind that optimizes athlete well-being and performance. Mental performance training equips athletes with the mental skills they need to conquer the mental barriers that hinder them from consistently performing at their highest level. The ability to stay poised under pressure, manage thoughts and emotions, maintain consistent confidence, focus on the right things at the right times, get in “the zone” and quickly bounce back from setbacks are all mental skills that enable an athlete to maximize performance and fulfill their potential.
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?
It’s been said that sports are 90% mental right? However, the mental game is THE MOST neglected part of sports training – even though it’s the most impactful. Many athletes struggle to manage the typical demands of sports that lead to: performance anxiety, fear, self-doubt, decision-making under pressure, hesitancy after returning from an injury and the inability to consistently perform their best. Mental performance training empowers athletes to focus on the right things at the right time and confidently have command over their minds in stressful and hostile environments so they can skillfully navigate the daily challenges of sports and life.
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.
The Power of a Trained Mind
At the higher levels of competition, physical talent alone isn’t impressive – EVERYONE at that level is talented. What distinguishes the average player from the elite player is their mindset and the strength of their mental game. Therefore, our approach is rooted in evidence-based strategies used to re-train the mind and empower our athletes to feel their best and perform their best. Mental performance training is not just about learning how to maximize athlete performance, it’s about choosing to live and play your sport more fully on YOUR terms. It’s about investing in your well-being so you can be more present and enjoy your athlete experience so you can actualize your greatness in sports, and more importantly, in life.
Training Approach and Process
Our approach to training the mind is a proactive, science-based approach that’s founded upon mindfulness (including meditation and breathwork) and positive psychology with the goal of equipping athletes with mindset tools that teach them how to accept, embrace and conquer the demands of sports and life. Our 5-step process for getting athletes from where they are to where they want to be is simple:
STEP 1: How The Mind Works – Mental challenges are a NORMAL part of being an athlete (and being a human) – No, there’s nothing wrong with you, I promise! Understand why negative thoughts are common and how to train the mind to conquer the thoughts and emotions that hold you back from feeling your best, having fun and playing at your highest level consistently.
STEP 2: MVP Process (Motivation, Values, Personal Vision) – Stay focused and grounded no matter the circumstances. Establish a foundation for unbreakable self-esteem and self-belief by clarifying why you play, who you are and what you really want as an athlete – the core of what REALLY matters to you in your sport.
STEP 3: Mindfulness and Mindset – Cultivate the superpower skills of mindfulness and a growth mindset to build mental toughness, poise, and perseverance so you can elevate your game while enjoying the challenge and the process at the same time.
STEP 4: Mental Imagery and Goal-Setting – Don’t just talk about it, be about it. In order to achieve it, you must first see it, feel it and believe it. Develop the critical skill of mental imagery to take setting and achieving your goals to the next level.
STEP 5: Competition Routines – Create reliable performance consistency by knowing where your focus and energy need to be in order to get in the zone before you play, know how to quickly reset and refocus after mistakes or distractions while playing and manage the outcomes of your performance with confidence and resilience after you play (making you more effective… and the car or bus ride home way less painful!)
So, the question is… Are you ready to invest in yourself and experience powerful transformation? If so, LET’S GET TO WORK!