3 Questions to Ask Yourself If You Don’t Enjoy Your Sport Anymore
If you’ve found yourself questioning whether or not you still enjoy your sport, you’re not alone. Many athletes experience moments when they feel disconnected from the game that once brought them joy. Whether it’s the pressure to perform, the weight of negative self-talk, or a shift in your mindset, it can be difficult to navigate […]
Athlete Mental Training Guide
Athlete mental training involves you training your mind as an athlete in a similar way to how you train your physical skills — where you see your mind as a combination of mental skills that work together to help you perform your best during games. What I’m going to do is break down athlete mental […]
How to Handle Crowd Pressure During Games
When you play in front of a big crowd—or one that’s booing you or talking trash—it’s easy to feel distracted. In this article, I’m going to give you three tips to help you handle crowd pressure and stay focused on your game. But before we get to those tips, let’s look at why crowd pressure […]
How to Finally Play Just as Well in Games as You Do in Practice
One of the main reasons you might be playing well in practice but not playing well in games has to do with the permission you give yourself to make mistakes. One of the most common challenges I help athletes overcome is the disconnect between practice play and game play. During practice, athletes often play freely, […]
How to Reduce Anxiety Before Practice as an Athlete
Getting anxious before games makes sense—but getting anxious before practice? That can be frustrating and confusing. Yet, it’s incredibly common. In fact, when I was in college, I would get equally as anxious before practice as I would for games. And it wasn’t just a little nerves—it messed with my performance, my mindset, and most […]
Exercise to Stop Playing Scared
If you play with the fear of failure as an athlete, you’re going to hold yourself back. In this post, I want to share an exercise that will help you stop playing scared of making mistakes—a fear that’s far more common than most athletes realize. Whether you’re stepping into a big game, a tryout, or […]
What to Do With Frustration During Games
Frustration is a natural part of sports. But is it helping you…or hurting you? Some athletes are able to channel their frustration into something positive—into controlled aggression that leads to better performance. Others, however, get caught up in the emotion, and it becomes a distraction. So how do you know which one you are? How […]
Do You Play to Win or Not to Lose?
Do you play not to lose… or do you play to win? There’s a huge difference between those two mindsets. When athletes go into games playing to win, they play aggressively. They compete with confidence and put themselves in a great position to dominate the competition. But when they play not to lose? That’s when […]
Resetting Expectations: The Key to Staying Composed and Playing Your Best
What kind of expectations do you set going into games? Managing and resetting expectations is one of the main things I talk to athletes about, because it helps with so many different areas of your mental game. Let’s take managing composure for example. If you’re wanting to handle frustration better or manage mistakes better when […]
How Encouraging Yourself Boosts Confidence & Performance
Is it easier for you to encourage your teammates than it is to encourage yourself? I was talking to a tennis player earlier this morning who brought this up. He was explaining the difference between how he performs in doubles matches compared to singles matches. He said he plays better in doubles when he’s paired […]