UNIT I Mental Toughness Sports Psychology UNIT I Mental Toughness

Who is this?

Getting Mentally Tough Napoleon 1769-1821 Many see him as a hero. Others, a tyrant He was the most capable and effective military commander in his time (and perhaps history) He claimed perseverance (or refusal to give up) was the most important factor in his victories.

What is Mental Toughness? Mental toughness is having the developed psychological edge that enables you to: The 5 Markers of Mental Touchness Bounce back from adversity Be Flexible in dealing with the unexpected Perseverance and refuse to give up Control your emotions Having an unshakable self-belief in your ability to achieve your goals and refusal to give up.

Bouncing Back The ability to NOT be affected by setbacks. Setbacks will happen and are unavoidable This is why victory is so sweet. Life is not always easy, sometimes you need a bump in the road to set you on the right track. *Video (Sacramone)

Flexibility Athletes need to learn not to be “fixated” on the one thing. This can lead to: Choking under pressure Not focusing on the here and now Not adapting to the changing environment If an athlete can “roll with the punches” of the unexpected, and only focus on his/herself will allow that person to constantly perform at a high level. *Ryan Seacrest Video

Controlling your Emotions Elite mentally tough athletes know how to block out and/or ignore negative emotions. (hate, anger, revenge, insecurity) Mentally tough athletes force themselves to summon positive emotions (joy, humor, pride, fighting spirit, etc.) that have been proven to fuel and sustain his/her performance.

Refusal to Give Up Mentally Tough Athletes: Are NEVER limited to what they believe is POSSIBLE. Have high expectations for themselves Challenge themselves beyond their limits Are not afraid of taking risks or failing

What is NOT Mental Toughness Meanness Does being mean to people mean your tough? NO you’re a bully Playing dirty Personal decision Killer Instinct Taking offense / being defensive

Perseverance A mentally tough athlete will never give up! On Good days or bad Injuries or health Whether Winning or losing Perseverance means being the last one standing. What if you were an ancient warrior… Would you give up if things didn’t go your way? Why do athletes give up?

Taking offense / being defensive When someone offers you advice do you? Jump immediately to the defense? Rationalize away their suggestions Get angry Does receiving feedback make you feel weak or exposed? These are signs or insecurity or a lack of confidence

Strategies to Improve Mental Toughness Thought Stoppage Stop negative thinking by shouting “stop” out loud This will freeze your thinking And now you can take a momentary break in and replace the negative with positive thoughts Think and visualize these thoughts every day I will never give up I put myself on the line everyday I will show no weakness on the outside The crazier It gets, the more I love it I love competing more than winning

Strategies to Improve Mental Toughness Think and visualize these thoughts every day I will never give up I put myself on the line everyday I will show no weakness on the outside The crazier It gets, the more I love it I love competing more than winning

Strategies to Improve Mental Toughness Think energetically I love it Yes I can Always remember to love the battle Use “positive brainwashing” to reverse negative mental habits Put up signs that say “I love ______” Make yourself smile every time you practice that skill you hate

How do you explain Failure? The 3 P’s Permanence Pervasiveness Personalization

Permanence Stems from the word “Permanent” When you make a mistake do you see that as: as a temporary set back Or…. a permanent trait? Example Temporary or Permanent? “I always mess that up but I’ll get it next time” “Wow I always mess that up”

Pervasiveness Pervasive in this sense means everything. When you make a mistake do you: Get down on yourself and think that everything went wrong and will go wrong. Or…. Pinpoint where you went wrong and correct it. Mentally tough athletes have the control to identify what the mistake was. There are no absolutes in sports!!!!

Personalization Personalization: is it internally part of you? When you fail do you think: Its who you are (identity or personal trait) Or…. A mistake is something that happened to you? Are you a loser or did you just lose this game ?

Personalization I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. Michael Jordan Mentally tough athletes are able to see failure as happening to them, NOT part of who they are.

“Victory belongs to the most persevering” Quote Application “Victory belongs to the most persevering” - N. Bonaparte