The Battlefield of the Mind

It's been said, "The mental is to physical as 4 is to 1." The longer we coach, the more we know that to be true.  I recently listened to Dr. Jason Selk, Director of Mental Training for the St. Louis Cardinals talk about their mental training.

One statement made me really stop and think about our team's mental training.  Selk said that players will not, "outperform or underperform their self-image very long."

Self-image is largely determined by how we talk to ourselves.  Therefore, to increase performance we must help our players improve their self-image.

Coaching The Mental Game

We work to develop the 3 areas of skills daily with our team--
1.  Physical--strength and conditioning
2.  Skill Sets--specific to their position
3.  Mental Skills--dealing with adversity and anxiety which is mental toughness

In studying how a lot of our players are "wired" mentally, it was brought to our attention that many play the game on their heels.  Playing not to mess up.  Often, the players that we (as coaches) want to "carry/ lead" the team, simply aren't wired to do so.  This is something we have to work with.

One process we work with the players that "play the game backwards"; meaning that they are thinking in the past.  It's a 3 step process:
1.  Identify--the mistake or problem we want to correct
2.  Resolve--must help the player come to a resolution or they are still playing the game backwards.
3.  Put Them In The Right Frame of Mind--different manners depending on the situation--film after practice, talking to on sideline in practice, sitting next to a coach during a game.

This it tough to do.  We typically coach/ teach to our own personalities.  But much can be gained when you understand how your team is "wired".

Mental Skill Development

We work in 3 areas of Skill Development for our players:
1.  Skill Sets (that are specific to on the court)
2.  Physical Sets (strength, agilities, quickness & conditioning)
3.  Mental Skills

We all talk about Mental Toughness.  We understand that it comes down to how players handle adversity and anxiety. Anxiety beyond butterflies is what gets a player.

First, we have to look at mental energy.  This is the ability to sustain thought.  To concentrate. Especially in something that they do not like.

Next, it's key to realize that one person's anxiety, may not be another's.

Muscle memory originates in the mind.

Body Language

An athlete should ask himself this question: "Do I want to be perceived as a focused and relentless competitor?" If so, he must know how to look the part before he can play it. A performer who gives off signals of vulnerability will not act out appropriate behavior.

That the athlete may be speaking through his body in any of these ways is an indication that he has been distracted and disturbed.

But consider this: if he's distracted from attention to task because of his frame of mind, then he is focused on his major concern or anxiety of the moment.

It's natural enough for people to want things to go their way. It is just as natural for them to be affected when they do not get what they want. The test of each individual is how he responds to such a circumstance. He can rise above his disappointment, or he can sink below it. An athlete's body language indicates whether he is in the process of elevating himself or burying himself.

The nature and degree of disappointment will vary, but the appearance of an athlete during competition should not vary, for consistent behavior leads to consistent performance.

--Taken from H.A. Dorfman. "Coaching The Mental Game"