The message is well intended and largely accurate. But the challenge is that it still asks a young athlete to use a future-based ânostalgic mindâ to solve a present-moment fear state.
If a young athleteâs brain is experiencing the present as dangerous (âIf I mess up coach will..
One day youâre gonna wake up and AAU basketball will be over. No more weekend tournaments, packed gyms, or team hotels. No more âone more gameâ next weekend.
One day youâll be out of eligibility for high school basketball. Then college basketball too.
And eventually, the thing that feels like your whole world right now becomes a memory.
So stop playing scared. Shoot your shot. Sprint the floor. Dive on the loose ball. Compete with confidence. Enjoy your teammates. Because one day youâll wish you could go back and play just one more game with them.
Fear and hesitation have ended way more careers than missed shots ever will.
Just something to think about.
Work on calming and grounding their nervous system first, then focus on what matters right now: the next play, effort, high energy, connection, and competing freely.
The brain is wired for protection, not performance.
Thank you @EarlyRetirePod for having me on and having this really important conversation.
And, @coach_fletcher has some real skills in interviewing! Definitely follow and download his podcast!
Great coaches âjoinâ their athletes by understanding their perspectivesâwhich doesnât always mean agreeing.
Connection isnât about compliance; itâs about trust. When players feel heard, theyâre more open to the feedback that leads to growth.
Peace is knowing when your work is meaningful, impactful, and aligned with the things you value most.
Hearing from your former athletes/clients long after youâre done working together is the experience of fulfillment.
The majority of all mental strength comes down to this:
The acceptance that âall outcomes are possibleâ.
Are you willing to commit consistently to do all the right things WITHOUT the certainty that you get the outcome you want?
Strength is on the other side of this acceptance.
In the performance world (athlete or leader) we should continually be moving more and more towards evaluation and moving further and further from criticism.
Theyâre in the same area code but miles and miles apart in effectiveness.
A big thank you to @Wellperformance for hosting our @SoccerParenting member-only workshop for parents on Goal Setting with Your Child this evening. đ„âïžđȘđŒ
Just an outstanding podcast with Stu Singer. Our friend Linda is putting out some awesome content. And I canât believe Iâm just discovering Stu Singer @Wellperformance . Iâve been devouring his content all night
spotify.link/OZJYvtSraNb
Mental skills alone are NOT enough.
We must do work developing self-awareness in order to gain clarity of our habitual thought patterns and internal story.
Our story and thinking patterns are what trip us up in the first place. With this awareness we can apply the skills.
We need to expand our definition of wealth/success.
Must include:
â reaching goals/awards aligned w/ core-values
â meaningful relationships
â physical/mental wellness
Success/wealth should be measured by a balance of achievement, inner purpose, love, health, and authenticity.
Weâre not trying to rid ourselves of âbutterfliesâ. Theyâre there for a reason - we have a big job to accomplish.
Weâre developing a new relationship with them.
Theyâre not telling you youâre anxious. Theyâre telling you youâre determined to get this hard job done!
Donât know who needs to hear this but mental skills are not one way of being.
High/low emotions are normal. Being always calm wouldnât make sense or be ânormalâ.
Mental work is about self-awareness, authenticity, and the ability to have choice/efficacy in the moment.
Despite enduring a seemingly endless string of injuries/illness, forcing us to play 18 of 24 @NikeGirlsEYBL Champions League games with a max of 6 healthy girls, @HoneyBadgers25 finish our season as the highest ranked Nike 17U girls team in New England!!