MESSAGE #1303 YANKEE TIPS FOR SPRING TRAINING

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Pitchers and catchers have already reported to spring training camp and position players report in a couple of days. Baseball is in the air again, and players are getting ready for their upcoming season. Some are  trying to get in shape and others are trying to make an impression.

At the professional level, everyone has the physical skills, but part of what sets the minor league players and the major league players apart, is the mental side.

I know some baseball players in the Yankees organization who will be trying to make an impression down in Tampa this spring. You know who you are, and if you’re reading this, here’s my advice to you:

1. Go all-out—Be the most energetic player on the field. If you hustle on and off the field, not only will the coaches notice, you will actually FEEL more energetic and your performance will increase.

2. Ignore that little voice inside your head—There will be times that your inner voice will speak negatively to you. That’s normal. But you don’t have to believe that voice. Accept it, let it go, and act like the most confident player on the field.

3. Just do it—The great philosopher, Yogi Berra said, “A full mind is an empty bat. You can’t think and hit at the same time.” Trust your game and all the hard work you’ve put in.

4. Visualize—The more you visualize how you want to perform, the more likely you will perform at a high level. Most athletes leave their performance to chance—something YOU don’t want to do.

5. Focus on the process—Don’t worry about results, you can’t control that. Worry, instead about the things you can control, like your effort, your attitude, your energy level and your reactions to situations. When you do this, you will get better results. Oh, and have fun!

That’s it. See you in Tampa on March 9th.

MESSAGE #1302 DOUBT YOUR DOUBTS

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One of my favorite sayings is:

“Doubt your doubts.”

We all have a little negative voice inside our heads that shows up every once in a while (more often for some people).

Recently, I was coaching some tennis players and I introduced topspin to them. Before they even hit one ball, one of the players said, “Oh, I can’t do that.”

I was in shock.

This was a grown woman and she was counting herself out before she even started.

Fortunately, I was able to help her re-frame her negative voice and she actually performed quite well, but it could have been ugly. This type of limiting attitude is quite common, but we can choose to believe it, or doubt it.

Choose wisely.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #1301 HOW TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH: FACE YOUR FEARS

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William James is known as the father of American psychology. He once said:

“Everybody should do at least two things each day that he hates to do, just for practice.”

I call this mental cross-training.

There will always be things you dislike doing–laundry, homework, making sales calls, practicing, or eating healthy, for instance. But what if we didn’t feel like doing these things and did them anyway? How would that make us feel? I would guess that it would make us feel pretty good; it would make us feel proud. That would give us confidence. And it would give us momentum. That’s part of mental toughness.

Winners do what losers don’t feel like doing.

In other words…

You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Begin today.

MESSAGE #1273 HOW TO WIN MORE

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Quinn Martin and his high school basketball team in Washington State.

What happens when you are in a slump?

If you are like most athletes, your body language is poor, you begin thinking too much and you get down on yourself.

Most people begin thinking about the past (we haven’t won a game in weeks), or the future (what if we lose again tonight?). But the great performers focus on the present moment (your effort, energy level and adjustments).

Last night the Jets beat the Patriots when they should not have. On paper, the Patriots were the better team.

But the Jets played better.

The better team never wins, the team that plays better always wins.

So when you are in a slump, act like you are on a streak.

Go all-out and focus on the things you can control (your effort) and don’t worry about the things you cannot control (winning/losing). I think you will be pleased with the results.

MESSAGE #1272 A MESSAGE FROM ZIGGY…

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I have a cartoon of Ziggy in my home office. In the cartoon, Ziggy has a sad face and is walking away from a building with a sign which reads, “Optimists Club.” The thought balloon above his mouth says…

“…i KNEW they wouldn’t let me join!!”

There is truth in this cartoon.

Negative thoughts equal negative results.

Positive thoughts equal positive results.

Many games are lost before they even begin.

MESSAGE #1262 A MESSAGE FROM MARK

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The only pressure I’m under is the pressure I’ve put on myself.
-MARK MESSIER, hockey great

Recently, there was a football kicker training at my sports center. He is only 13 but has “phenom” written all over him. He has been working hard, doing all the right things and developing quite nicely.

This past week he was training for a pro event, which is a very big deal and only a few days away.

Then something happened.

He started missing kicks he was making easily the weeks prior. He started looking and feeling nervous. He was not the same person.

What changed?

Nothing physically, but mentally he started over-thinking. He was focusing on how important this upcoming pro event is. He started trying too hard. The little negative voice inside his head began getting louder and louder.

This happens all the time in sports and life.

When the pressure’s on, many people fold.

But it is not pressure, it is perception.

There are two ways to look at pressure–you can either get frustrated or fascinated by it.

The choice is yours.

What would be my advice to this young kicker?

1. Understand that nerves are normal. Everyone gets nervous.

2. Take a deep breath to lower your heart rate and stay in the present moment.

3. Focus on the target, not the outcome.

4. Act as if it were impossible to fail.

5. Cultivate gratitude and have fun!

For a free 10-minute mental toughness consultation, email: or call 609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1253 IS THIS WHAT YOU DO?

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Think about the last time you were under pressure.

Perhaps it was during an athletic competition.

Perhaps it was with a deadline at work.

Perhaps it was speaking in front of your class in school.

Physically, how did you react?

If you are like most people, your body tensed up.

How did you perform?

If you are like most people, you didn’t perform at your best.

Now think about the last time you performed effortlessly.

Physically how did you react?

Your body was probably pretty loose.

How did you perform?

Quite well, I’m sure.

A large part of peak performance is staying loose. Focused, but loose.

How do you do it?

Here’s one way:

Think of something funny before you perform.

It could be a joke, a comedy clip or video, maybe even reading from a joke book you carry around with you. And when things get tough, think of that funny thing.

Here’s an exercise: The next time you see a “big game” on television, watch how some of the players react with smiles and laughter.

Then watch what kind of results they get.

MESSAGE #1252 THIS IS COURAGE

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Courage is not the absence of fear-it’s inspiring others to move beyond it.
-NELSON MANDELA

Fear is part of sports…and life. Let me share with you a secret:

Winners and losers feel the same feelings.

The difference is in the action they take.

Before the Super Bowl, the US Open, and World Series, the athletes are nervous. Some players even get sick in the locker room before the game.

But once the competition begins, they don’t ACT nervous. They move beyond their feelings.

That’s courage.

That’s mental toughness.

And you can do the same.

MESSAGE #1245

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“The first and best victory is to conquer self.”
-PLATO

Recently, I worked with a young girl and she hated serving. She avoided it. Every time she practiced her serve, she would inevitably expect the worst.

I told her I was optimistic about her serve and that she should be as well. “You get what you focus on,” I told her.

Instead of focusing on how much she hated serving, I just told her to think about her technique and adjustments.

She stuck with it and started getting her serves in. And guess what?

She started smiling.

Had she given up or avoided serving, her serves would still be the same.

She conquered herself and began getting the results she wanted.

My student came up to me after class and said, “Thank you, coach. Today I learned a very important lesson.”

Conquer yourself and the sky is the limit.

MESSAGE #1242 FOCUS

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We choose what we focus on.

Suppose you are winning a tennis match by a score of 5-0, and your opponent then wins the next three games. You start to think that the momentum has switched and that the person on the other side of the net has a chance to win.

STOP!

This type of thinking is normal, however, many people end up losing that set by focusing on the possible loss instead of focusing on HOW they can close it out.

The key is acknowledging that negative little voice inside your head and then moving on. Focusing on the next point. Your strategy. Your footwork.

Is this easier said than done?

Yes and no. Simple…yes. Easy…no. Mental training is just like physical training. You have to work at it.

Here’s an example of how you can shift your focus at any time.

Look around you and find three things that are blue.

Now quickly close your eyes and find something green.

Isn’t it hard to do?

Why?

Because it’s hard to focus on two things at the same time.

You can’t get green when focusing on blue.

You can’t get a win from focusing on a loss.