The Mental Prep

Whether you're preparing for practice or a game, there is more than just being physically prepared to play. You have to be mentally prepared. You have to be in the right mindset.

Too many athletes think that because they're in great physical shape they are ready to step onto the field or court to play. What they don't realize is that they need more than their bodies to succeed. They need their heads, and they need to make sure that their heads are prepped and ready to go.

The mental prep is the process you go through to make sure that you know what you want, what you control, how to maintain your composure, what you focus on, and how to inspire and motivate yourself. It's mentally preparing yourself to play with a positive, productive and proactive attitude. The mental prep is putting your mindset in the best position to successfully perform in any game-time situation.

What is your mental prep for the days and hours leading up to the next game? Are you visualizing how you want to perform? Do you focus on your personal strengths and how to use those strengths? Have you identified your goals for the game?

Tone Lanzillo
The Mental Skills Coach
risson1954@gmail.com

Becoming A Powerful Athlete

"One-pointed attention brings freedom from internal distractions and can help you master any game."

"Freedom from mental distraction equals power."

Dan Millman - Body Mind Mastery


As an athlete, the more you can tune out or let go of those distractions that can disrupt or dismantle your game, the more powerful you become. What distracts you from elevating your game and playing at a higher level? How do you plan to tune out or let go of those things that are draining you - emotionally, mentally and physically?


Tone Lanzillo
Mental Skills Coach
risson1954@gmail.com

The Mental Peak


For athletes to reach their mental peak, I show them how to play with a sense of purpose, the right perspective, presence of mind, poise, passion and perseverance. There is a series of mental skills that athletes need to practice on a daily basis to reach their mental peak and elevate their game.

Tone Lanzillo
The Mental Skills Coach
risson1954@gmail.com

The Mental Prep Playbook

I have designed a new process or program for athletes. Based upon the concept of the traditional playbook, the Mental Prep Playbook takes athletes through 25 different steps to get mentally prepared to play their best game. It includes "playsheets" - outlines for mentally rehearsing and visualizing how to perform - and "playlists" - reviews of the key mental skills for game time.

If there is any coach or player out there who would like a powerpoint overview of the Playbook, just send me an email to risson1954@gmail.com. 


Tone Lanzillo
The Mental Skills Coach

Are Your Goals Written Down?

"Peak athletic focus is forward-thinking and goal oriented."

Chris Berdik - Mind Over Matter

"Goals give you something concrete to focus on, and that has a positive impact on your actions."

John G. Maxwell - 3 Things Successful People Do

As an athlete, what are your goals for the season? 

• What are your goals for each practice? 
• What are your goals for an upcoming game? 
• What are your goals for your athletic career? 
• Have you written your goals down and do you read them each day?

Tone Lanzillo
The Mental Skills Coach
risson1954@gmail.com

Are You Learning And Growing?

"My goal is to constantly be improving. Year after year you can grow as a player, just as in life. You can always learn something new. And sometimes in the moment you can reveal something in yourself."
Lionel Messi
Sports Illustrated - 5/30/16


Whether it's Lionel Messi or any other all-star player in sports, the exceptional players are always looking for opportunities to learn and grow as they strive to elevate their game to the next level. Here is an excerpt from The Mental Tune-Up which serves as a journal to help athletes develop their mental skills, and become mentally stronger and smarter players.


Day 12 

"Some people learn to lose. Others lose and learn. The latter is a much better approach in my opinion because it focuses the mind on the positives and keeps your thoughts away from the negatives."
Georges St. Pierre
The Way Of The Fight

"The most humble guys, who are the most open and willing to learn, are the ones who become the best."
Sam Sheridan
The Fighter's Mind

What am I learning today to become a better player?


Tone Lanzillo
The Mental Skills Coach
risson1954@gmail.com

Tune In/Tune Out 

Most people who listen to the radio have their favorite station. When you turn it on, you have to make sure that you tune it to the station you want. If not, you will end up hearing something that doesn't interest you or maybe even annoy you. And if you are not paying attention to what you are doing, you'll end up simply getting static or no sound at all.

Likewise, when you are an athlete in practice or a game, you need to learn how to tune in to those things that are beneficial and essential to your performance while, at the same time, tune out whatever will distract you or take you away from your game. You tune in to your goals, your strengths, what you can control, positive thoughts, learning from your mistakes, the present moment, and playing with a sense of purpose. You tune out any comments from the opposing team, negative judgments about yourself, questionable calls by the refs, people yelling from the stands or sidelines, and frustration over the last play.

"Montana was never the most physically gifted player. But he was focused and smart and extremely coachable and had great instincts. He could block everything out around him, and now that ability to push distractions to the side was being put to the ultimate test."
Gary Myers - The Catch: One Play, Two Dynasties, And The Game That Changed The NFL 


Tone Lanzillo
The Mental Skills Coach
risson1954@gmail.com