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A Shining Example
Justin Johnson, Performance Coach

You often hear us at Mental Edge talk about how sports are a great venue for young people to develop life-skills and how times of adversity have a way of revealing one's character. One athlete who has been a member of the Mental Edge family for some time recently came across an especially adverse time. Fortunately, this young man has chosen a very empowering perspective of his situation and was willing to share his story with us through a homework assignment given by his teacher. Below is a shining example of what character and mental toughness is in my mind.

On Hold...

Sweat, tears, side aches, sore muscles, early mornings, that was what filled my summer.  I was training at seven in the morning for two hours, and then another two hours at night.  I was playing hockey four times a week, all for one goal I've had since I was a little kid.  The goal was to try making the varsity hockey team this year.

Last year I took a very big step in trying to reach my goal by making the junior varsity team for White Bear Lake.  This was the summer in which I had to have the hardest work ethic I've ever needed or had.  There were weeks when I played very well at practice, and there were weeks that made me want to quit hockey.  The spot for varsity goalie was up for grabs because two seniors had graduated last year.  The competition was tough and everyone was fighting for the two spots.  It was something that was going to go down to the wire and no one knew who was going to make it.

Throughout the summer I was putting immense strain on my body and muscles; little did I know that this would result in a big problem.  When playing goalie, the moves that are needed to play the position put a lot of pressure and strain on the hips.  At the start of the summer there was a little pain that I kind of just shrugged off.  As the summer was coming to an end and I was finishing my summer training for hockey the pain in my right hip was extremely bad.

I was meeting with a performance coach throughout the summer and at our last meeting I brought up to him the pain I was having in my hips.  He suggested a doctor from the University of Minnesota whose son just had hip surgery.  The doctor diagnosed my hip problem as an impingement and right labrum tear.  The doctor said I needed surgery to fix the problems I was having.

The first question I had was "Can I play through it?"  He said that I would get to the point if I played through it that the pain would become unbearable.  This was crushing; I worked so hard to reach a goal of mine, just to have it taken away by having hip surgery that would put me out for the year.

The best word to describe the kind of person I am is resilient.  The reason why I love this word is because it means to bounce back, that's exactly what I plan to do.  After I'm fully recovered I plan to be resilient and get back to the skills I worked up to all summer.  My varsity goal has been put on hold for a year but I'll be back next year!

If this is not your mindset, please call Dawn today at 763.439.5246 to become our next "shining example"!

Justin

 

What is Consistency?
Brady Greco, Performance Coach

A common performance concept that is rarely taught but always referred to by coaches is playing a more consistent game.  You hear coaches all the time say, "play with more consistency day in and day out."  There is no problem if a coach makes this statement and communicates to the team about what needs to take place in order to become more consistent.  However, the majority of coaches fail to explain in detail what consistency even entails, making it impossible for a player to understand how to become more consistent in their play.

Consistency can be described in the sport's world as a level of quality play over an extended period of time.  Every competitive athlete has experienced a game where they performed very well. In turn, every athlete has encountered what it feels like to perform poorly, making the concept of consistency very tricky.  Here is a checklist of five keys to focus on as an athlete that will help maintain consistency throughout your personal journey as an athlete:

 1) Awareness: Reflect on your performance and determine what areas you did well in and what areas you need to improve upon.

2) Good Habits: Practice good habits throughout the athletic season.  This means staying disciplined and remembering to do the 'little' things both on and off the athletic field or arena.

3) Pre-game Routine: For an athlete to become mentally prepared for a game/practice, they must take the proper procedures.  This means an athlete must find a comfortable and effective personal routine they go through on days of games/practice.  Establishing a good pre-game routine will enable an athlete to be prepared mentally which will create a better chance of optimal performance.  Don't be afraid to 'mess around' with your routine if you feel something is not working.

4) Imagery: Imagine yourself accomplishing the task at hand.  Picture yourself already playing the game and making the right plays in every situation.

5) Positive Self-Talk: Don't be afraid to talk to yourself.  Tell yourself 'I am the best, I am the best'.  This will create encouraging thoughts to flow through your mind to remain positive.

At the Mental Edge, we can teach you mental toughness skill like these to empower you on your journey as an athlete, simpy call Dawn to start at 763.439.5246.

 

Brady