Tip #1: use your self-talk to overcome being hot or tired. When you say you’re hot, it gets 10 degrees hotter. When you say you’re tired, you become 10x more tired.
Tip #2: Do 1 thing a day that sets you apart.
Tip #3: Don’t show up to practice/training just to get through it. Show up with a goal or focus.
Tip #4: Everyone warms up physically. Make sure you are warming up mentally as well: https://tamimatheny.com/mental-warmup-brave/.
Tip 5: Be intentional about how you carry yourself. Your body language sends powerful messages to not only your coach and teammates but to yourself as well.
Tip 6: List everything you are thankful for about your sports, team, teammates and coaches. Keep this list where you can see it. When times get tough review the list. When we focus on gratitude, it changes our focus & helps us be more confident.
Tip 7: Focus on being as good if not better teammate than player, regardless of your talent.
Tip 8: Making sure you fuel your body w/ healthy food, hydrate throughout the day, stretch & get adequate rest will help you during preseason but more importantly it will set you apart when others hit the wall midway through the year. What you do today effects later on in the season.
Tip 9: What you feed your mind is as important as what you feed your body. Make sure you are nurturing your mind and body so they can perform at high levels.
Tip 10: Knowledge is power. Get an extra edge by continuing to learn as much as possible about your sport and your team.
Tip 11: Add value to your team, beyond your physical skills. Make yourself valuable in other areas. Coaches notice this and teams need this.
Tip 12: A smile is a simple yet powerful tool. When you are frustrated or after making a mistake that you are hanging onto, smile. Smiling relaxes the brain and the give. This gives you a chance to reset and move forward.
Tip 13: If you start to get frustrated, tired, etc. change your focus to something you are thankful for. Changing your focus during training will help you overcome the challenges in front of you.
Tip 14: Focus on what you want to happen vs. what you fear could happen.
For more information on specifics on how to prepare yourself mentally contact tami@tamimatheny.com, follow us on twitter @tamimatheny and @r2lcoaching and visit our website: https://r2lc.com.
Tami Matheny is a Mental Game Coach and Author of “The Confident Athlete: 4 Easy Steps to Build and Maintain Confidence” and “The Confidence Journal”. She owns and runs, Refuse2LoseCoaching which provides mental coaching for athletes and teams at all levels.
For more information about “The Confident Athlete” visit: https://r2lc.com/the-confident-athlete-4-easy-steps-to-build-and-maintain-confidence/. Both books can be purchased online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. For group discounts contact tami@tamimatheny.com
For daily confidence tips, sign up for the monthly confidence calendar: https://r2lc.com/monthly-confidence-calendar-newsletter/.
If you are on Facebook join the group Parents and the Mental Game for daily advice, tips, motivation, etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1491446574332599/.