Mental Edge

They Call Him Coach, Motivation to Train, and Chex Mix...huh? Sent Monday, June 7, 2010 View as plaintext

Newsletter Issue June 2010

Mind Strength. Become Exceptional.

They Call Him Coach

Shaun Goodsell, MA

President and CEO of Mental Edge

This month we lost a legend. John Wooden the legendary coach from UCLA died at the age of 99. Not only did he coach 10 different teams to national championships and become the most winning coach in college basketball, but also he has truly become the gold standard of effective coaching. This last week players and former coaches have been making statements as to the IMPACT Coach Wooden had on them. There are a couple of things I would like to highlight about this incredible man that I think we can learn from.

First, winning was seen as the by-product of preparation, teamwork and character. Success, for coach Wooden was decided by the type of men he was able to shape not only the performance of a player. The scope of Coach Wooden's influence was life and he wasn't willing to win a game at the expense of a life lesson. It is possible he saw this trade simply too costly.

Second, preparation was crucial to being a person of great success. He drilled fundamentals of basketball and life consistently and was unwavering in this approach. He not only required detailed preparation from his players but also modeled this as well. The game provided the opportunity for Coach to evaluate the quality of preparation.

Third, influence occurred through being clear, wise, and self-controlled. The greatest coach ever to live was clear in his expectations, brief in his communication, and wise in his dealings with his players. Listening to former players talk of their coach inspires me to lead the way to inspire coaches to capitalize on the opportunity they have to make a significant IMPACT on the players that call them COACH.

Coach Wooden's life has impacted me from afar. I have read many of his books and resonate with his philosophy. The Mental Edge deeply respects this legend and will seek to replicate his legacy. My hope is that someday I will be remembered as one that was called COACH.

If you're a coach and would also like to be remembered in this way, simply email us to get started!

Shaun

Find the Motivation to Train

Justin Johnson, Performance Coach

Weather in Minnesota is a factor in so much of our behavior throughout a given year. It can determine our mood, level of activity and in some cases even inspire us. Summer is often the off season for many sports so it can become increasingly difficult to stay motivated to train when the weather becomes increasingly hotter. Because so much evidence exists around the importance of consistent and focused practice...I feel a little help in motivation might be needed as summer approaches.

First thing I discuss when it comes to motivation is the two C's: Clarity and Creativity. It is nearly impossible to be truly motivated towards a goal if you lack the clarity of what that goal is and or how to get there. Many athletes struggle with clarity because they feel that "getting better" is enough of a direction. Unfortunately such a well-intended, yet vague, direction is exactly what robs us of motivation. Instead find a specific action or skill you wish to develop with your time and energy. This will increase your clarity and motivation to follow through. For some having clarity is all they need to sustain prolonged periods of motivation to train. For others they need little doses of creativity to catapult them into consistent and focused training.

The key to creativity when looking for motivation is to think about what typically inspires you and then package it in a new way. For example, many of us enjoy competition so perhaps you pick someone in the weight room (maybe without them even knowing it) and say to yourself "I'm going to stay longer than that person", or "I'm going to out work harder". When it comes to creativity in motivation you can be as outlandish and unrealistic as you wish because it's just a mind game between you and your training.

Remember the motivation to do anything is inside of you. Most often all you need is either the clarity or the creativity to tap into it. Once you do you will be equipped with a valuable skill that allows you to train with purpose and intensity. Even on the most beautiful of summer days!

Like this? When your ready to dig deeper into your creativity and clarity, simply email us to get started.

Justin

How's Your Chex Mix?

Brady Greco, Performance Coach

There are millions of good athletes in the world trying to climb the ladder and make it to the next level. However, statistics prove that only a very select few of these million make it.

A huge aspect that separates these athletes from others is their ability to have exceptional mental toughness and preparedness. An athlete's thinking controls their emotions on the playing field, court, or ice. An athete's emotions control their athletic performance. Therefore, if an athlete portrays the right emotions in specific situations during a game or practice, they will ultimately be able to perform at their peak level.

Unfortunately, too many quality athletes fail to take into consideration HOW IMPORTANT the mental game is. If you talk to any athlete who has made it to a high collegiate or professional level, they will tell you that the mental game in sport is what separates the good athletes from the great ones.

The first key to becoming more mentally tough is becoming more mentally aware of the specific items you fall victim to in a game or practice. If you cannot think of three mental aspects you need to develop and improve upon, then you are probably an athlete who needs more direction and understanding how mental toughness works.

Think of mental toughness as a bag of Chex-mix. Within the bag of Chex-mix you have pretzels, peanuts, cereal, and Fritos. In order to have a good tasting batch of Chex-mix, you must have quality ingredients. The same goes for mental toughness, an athlete who is mentally tough must attain the proper amount of focus, confidence, control, and perspective in specific situations to play at their optimal performance. If an athlete is intentional and deliberate about improving upon these mental toughness concepts they will gain the elusive mental edge that separates the good athletes from the great athletes.

Like this? When your ready to go from good to great, simply email us to get started.

Brady