WHAT IS MENTAL TOUGHNESS

There are many athletes who have great technique and training, but they failed to reach their peak performance because they have failed to train the mental side of their sport and develop the necessary mental toughness. Gold medal athletes have always known about and trained the mental side of their sport. Many kept it to themselves either because they didn’t want their competitors to have their competitive edge, or because they were concerned about how they might be judged for using imagery, hypnosis, or other techniques that might be seen as unorthodox. However, more and more athletes have begun discussing the techniques they use to overcome the stress of competition and develop mental toughness.

So, what is mental toughness? Everyone uses that term. Some people think it’s as simple as using willpower or forcing themselves to calm down and deliver. These ideas are the opposite of mental toughness and are likely to decrease their performances. Often coaches say things like “you’re not really trying” or “you don’t want it enough”, rather than teaching the skills athletes need to reach peak performances. Mental toughness is a skill that has many components. To have mental toughness you will need to train an inner coach, develop a winning attitude, improve your focus and concentration, improve your attitude about practice, and learn to monitor and correct your own thinking. It includes improving your sleep, building confidence, and learning how to relax your muscles. All of this in addition to using imagery, visualization, and hypnosis. You will also need to develop routines that become automatic habits that enhance your performance.

This website is dedicated to helping you acquire the skills you will need to develop gold-medal mental toughness. Developing mental toughness is not easy. I’m not going to try to give you a magic formula,  guidelines, or ready-made affirmations that athletes can repeat over and over again. Unless a technique is personal and meaningful for the athlete, it will be of little value. This website will help you gain tools to develop every aspect of mental toughness. Developing mental toughness requires effort. Learning how to help athletes develop mental toughness also requires effort, but when you see the results you will know your effort has been worth it. Please explore the techniques page to get started.