Why is attitude so important to you as an athlete? Why is it that when your attitude gets bad, you underperform—but when you keep a good attitude, you tend to play better?
In this article, we’re going to discuss the importance of attitude during games and even during practice, and then go over a simple tip you can use to improve your attitude as an athlete.
The Power of Attitude in Performance
Attitude is a topic I cover a lot within my one-on-one coaching. That’s because when we have a negative attitude or a bad attitude—especially after mistakes—this can lead to underperforming.
The reason this happens is because when our attitude gets negative, we’re putting ourselves in a worse emotional state to play.
There’s a strong connection between the emotional state we’re in and how well we play. It’s more difficult to have confidence in yourself when your attitude is bad. It’s also more difficult to be aggressive when your attitude is bad.
Real Athlete Examples
One example comes from a cross-country runner I’m working with. When he gets to a certain point in a race and sees other people passing him, he feels discouraged and his attitude gets worse.
As his attitude drops, it becomes harder for him to believe he can win and harder to give effort—especially when he’s already in physical pain from running hard. He struggles to push past that moment and ultimately doesn’t do his best.
Another example is a basketball player whose attitude gets worse after he makes a few mistakes. When that happens, he tends to pass up shots and stops playing aggressively.
No matter what sport you play or what situation you’re in, keeping your attitude strong is crucial.
Mental Toughness and Attitude
When we talk about mental toughness in sports, there are many ways to define it. It can mean pushing through a tough workout or getting past challenges in a game. But I believe the simplest way to view mental toughness is this:
Can you remain in the mental state—or have the attitude—you want to have, no matter what’s happening around you?
If you make a mistake, can you still have a positive attitude?
If your coach yells at you, can you still keep a good attitude?
Can you still believe in yourself and stay in that mental state you want to be in?
Your version of a positive attitude will depend on your personality and what kind of emotional state you play best in. But if you can stay in that attitude no matter what happens, that means you’re mentally tough—and you’ll play better because of it.
How to Improve Your Attitude as an Athlete
So how can you stay in a good attitude during competition?
The key is to pay more attention to the way you think.
Our attitude is created by our mental reaction. This often happens on a subconscious level. But whether we have a good or bad attitude depends on how we’re thinking about a situation.
For example, two people wake up to see rain outside.
-
One says, “This sucks. It’s raining. Today’s going to be horrible.”
-
The other says, “It’s raining. No big deal. I’m still going to have a good day.”
Who’s going to have the worse attitude?
The first person—because of the way they’re thinking.
Now apply this to sports. Two athletes make mistakes:
-
One thinks, “I suck. That was horrible. I’m going to play poorly the rest of the game.”
-
The other says, “That was bad, but I’ll bounce back. I can fix this. Let’s keep going.”
The second athlete will have a better attitude—and be in a better position to play well.
Training Your Mind for a Better Attitude
If you want to have a better attitude, you have to train your thinking. Especially during moments when it’s most difficult—when everything happening around you makes it easy to have a bad attitude.
It’s easy to have a good attitude when you’re playing well, when your coach is praising you, or when your team is winning. But the strongest, most mentally tough athletes are the ones who can have a good attitude no matter what’s happening around them.
They still believe they can play well. They still believe they can come back. They believe they can bounce back from mistakes.
And those attitudes are a reflection of their thoughts.
Practice Thought Awareness
Outside of practices and games, I encourage you to pay attention to your thinking in situations where you normally have a bad attitude. See if you can change your reaction in those moments.
You’re not stuck reacting the same way you always have.
Just because something bad happens—or it’s raining outside—doesn’t mean you have to automatically have a bad attitude. But if you don’t pay attention to your thinking, you probably will.
It can feel impossible at times to have a good attitude when things aren’t going your way. But that’s exactly when you need to work on your mental toughness. Because having a good attitude in bad situations isn’t just helpful—it’s necessary if you want to play your best and play consistently.
When your attitude goes up and down based on results, your performance will too. But when you keep your attitude steady, your performance follows.
Final Thoughts
To have a good attitude when you play, remember:
Your attitude is a reflection of your thoughts.
Just because something bad happens—a mistake, a bad call, a coach yelling—doesn’t mean you have to have a bad attitude. It’s tough, but if you work to change your thinking after negative moments, you’ll build the ability to keep a strong attitude no matter what.
Work with Me
If you’re interested in one-on-one coaching, I offer a 12-week program that includes weekly sessions, an assessment, and a mental training workbook. To learn more about the coaching service I offer,click here to schedule a free introductory coaching call, or fill out the form below.
I’ve also created two online mental training courses for athletes:
And if you’re more of a reader, check out my books:
Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
