More and more athletes are beginning to get serious about mental performance coaching. The use of a mental performance coach or sport psychologist is growing in popularity, mainly due to the positive benefits the work has on performance.
The terms mental game coach, sport psychologist, and mental performance coach are often used interchangeably, but all focus on improving the mental side of performance.
This shift reflects a growing recognition that mental skills like confidence, focus, and emotional control directly impact performance just as much as physical training.
If you want a full breakdown of what a mental performance coach does and how the process works, you can read my complete guide here.
But apart from on-field success, athletes may work on their mental game in hopes of finding more joy playing again, overcoming anxiety, and coping with the pressure and high expectations they feel.
Put simply, athletes are getting serious about mental coaching because it works.
But more specifically, they are turning to mental performance coaching to solve problems like sports performance anxiety, fear of failure, and inconsistency during competition.
What I want to do with this article is talk about what drove me to work with a mental coach, and dig deeper into the benefits the work can have on you and your game.
Signs You May Need Mental Performance Coaching
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You perform better in practice than in games
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You overthink during competition
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You fear making mistakes or letting others down
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Your confidence feels inconsistent
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You struggle to enjoy your sport the way you used to
The Importance of Mental Coaching
When I was in high school, I had one goal in mind: to play college baseball.
That was it. I honestly didn’t care what school I went to, either. I simply wanted to be able to call myself a college baseball player. But even more than that, I couldn’t imagine not playing anymore. So there was also that fear present as motivation.
Yet, this desire also came with a downside…it led to a lot of anxiety, self-doubt, and fear.
Funny enough, none of which went away when I actually got to college. In fact, it grew worse.
Throughout my freshman year in college, I played well, but not at all at the level I knew I was capable. The reason was the anxiety I lived with daily and the doubt that surrounded my game.
Over the next year, I slowly watched as the negative feelings sucked the joy out of the game.
Come my sophomore season, I was all but lost. I couldn’t understand why my nerves got the best of me and why I lacked confidence.
Luckily, I had those who cared about me who searched for and found me a sports psychologist.
The mental performance coaching I did with him changed everything.
Not only did my play increase, but I fell back in love with the game, and ultimately set out to become a mental game coach myself.
The reason I wanted to share that story with you is because of a single word: impact.
And this is what most athletes are ultimately searching for. Not just better results, but a way to perform freely without overthinking or fear getting in the way.
I believe the reason so many athletes are beginning to get serious about mental coaching is because of the impact it has on not only their games, but also their lives.
Yes, there is a direct correlation between working with a mental performance coach and playing better.
But more than that, this work leads to you becoming a more confident person overall and learning powerful tools that help you manage yourself, no matter what challenges come your way.
When athletes commit to mental training, these benefits begin to show up both in competition and in everyday life:
- Increase Confidence
- Greater Resilience
- Increase Motivation
- Higher Self-Awareness
- Positive Self-Talk
- More Enjoyment
- Reduced Anxiety
- Improved Focus
- Greater Mental Toughness
How Mental Performance Coaching Works
If you want a full breakdown of exactly what a mental performance coach does and how the process works step-by-step, I go into detail here.
The mental performance coaching offered at Success Starts Within is structured in the same way as the type of coaching I received in college.
The reason being…it works.
We first begin with an assessment. This is a crucial step because it allows for insight to be made into your mind. Not only does it help your mental game coach understand you better, but it also helps you understand yourself better.
Once the assessment is complete, your mental game coach will create a custom mental game plan for you. This will be targeted at overcoming the challenges you currently face through the use of mental training tools. These tools will work to build the mental skills you need to succeed.
The actual work takes place on a weekly basis during a 30-minute video call. This is where the coaching happens. However, real change occurs in the days between. That is where your coach will give you action steps to be completed.
The exact structure and approach can vary depending on the coach, but the goal is always the same: to help you build the mental skills needed to perform consistently under pressure.
If you’re an athlete who feels like your performance doesn’t match your ability in games, this is exactly where mental performance coaching can make the biggest difference.
It is a 12-week program that is fully personalized to you based on your specific challenges, goals, and sport. So, if you’re interested in getting started with 1-1 mental performance coaching, click here.
Final Thoughts
There’s a reason more and more athletes are getting serious about mental coaching…the work has an impact. Not only on your game, but your life as well.
Through mental training, you will learn powerful tools to strengthen your mind, while simultaneously gaining a deeper understanding as to how your mind operates.
Mental performance coaching is an incredible resource for any athlete to make use of and I encourage you to do so if you haven’t already. Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
