Adversity is inevitable in sports. However, as many have said before, our greatest challenge is ourselves. A slump is merely one example of this. For athletes a slump is a downward trend in their performance outcomes. With the wrong mental approach, a slump can feel like a black hole in a player’s career.
Robert Horry, NBA champion, said, “Pressure can burst a pipe, or pressure can make a diamond.” How an athlete responds to the pressure of being on the verge of victory often decides who comes out victorious. Why is it that some athletes seize the moment while others burst like a pipe? An athlete’s mentality makes all the difference.
Winning teams are identified by the results they achieve. They are defined by their winning percentage and championships. However, great success is fueled not by talent or systems but by a team’s culture. Peter Drucker said, “Culture eats strategy for lunch.” Whether you lead a club, high school, university, or professional team, your success will be determined by your team’s culture.
In sports emotions run high. Athletes who struggle with managing their emotions become liabilities to their teams. When an athlete feels defeated he stops trying. When an athlete gets angry she could get a careless penalty. Learning to manage emotions is just as critical as mastering the fundamentals of the sport.
Only 34% of American workers are engaged in their work, according to a Gallup report published in March 2016. That’s the highest since 2011. A major aspect of engagement is motivation. In sports (the work of athletes), players tend to be more engaged and motivated to play their best than other occupations. Perhaps that is due to more streamlined focus toward winning, clear roles, and interdependence of team sports. However, coaches play a significant role in their team’s daily motivation.
Clutch is what we call athletes who hit the game winner, make the save, or knock in the tying run when its all on the line. Many athletes dream of being clutch, but few truly are. However, coaches can teach their players to come through under pressure, to be clutch.
We live in a busy world. Distractions abound. It’s challenging to stay focused on the most important things. We have big plans and big dreams but are halted by never-ending to-do lists. My wife often reminds me to just do the next thing. Turns out simplicity is the answer. Truly we can WIN.
There is nothing more frustrating to a coach than a player who doesn’t listen to feedback. For an athlete to maximize his or her abilities physically, technically, tactically, or mentally requires that he or she be receptive to feedback – coaching. Without it, athletes are left to the slow improvement method of trial and error.
Good coaches put a priority on their team’s morale. When morale is high, individuals experience greater confidence, effort, and satisfaction. We perform better when we enjoy what we’re doing and the people we work with. Ultimately, coaches set the tone for a team’s morale.
In sports there are winners and losers in every competition. While it’s better to lose than to beat yourself, failures hurt either way. No player likes to lose, let their teammates down, or fail. However, failure is part of the game and champions know how to keep failure from ruining their mindsets and their games. Are you coaching your athletes to cope well with failure?
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