OTHER TIPS

Muscle Cramp
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Mental Toughness in Sports
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Heat Exhaustion
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Delayed onset muscle soreness
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Dehydration
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Mental Toughness in Sports

While playing sports, it is easy to ask yourself, "What if?" What if you no longer had to wonder what if, if you had the mental toughness and confidence to succeed? Getting mentally tough means gaining the confidence to pull you through any situation. Sports is said to be 90% mental and that mental toughness separates winners from losers.

Traits of the Mentally Tough

• Have a dream or hunger that fuels a passion to achieve
• Motivation to be committed
• Ability to recognize that adversity will be faced

Mental toughness consists of self-efficacy (believing in yourself that you can perform) and being able to focus on the task at hand without distractions.

Recommendations to "muscle up" your mind

• Focus - spend 5 minutes focusing before your workout.
• Breathe - concentrate on breathing whether you're practicing or competing.
• Practice positive mental imagery - see yourself completing the drill
• Emulate the pros - Watch 5 minutes of videos before you sleep, then visualize the task you saw.