Play With Perspective

"The first thing is perspective. I frame things in a positive way and stay reflective...By creating a different perspective on the same situation, then technically things went a lot better. I thought better, my defense was better, and I had more success." (interview with Randy Couture)      Sam Sheridan - The Fighter's Mind: Inside The Mental Game

Randy Couture, an all-state high school wrestler, NCAA All American and college coach, was considered by many to be the first "Great American" MMA fighter. In his interview with Sheridan, Couture talked about the importance of putting a "positive frame" on things. Not only did he think it was advantageous to focus on what you control but to concentrate on what you want to achieve with positive statements. "...you have to be careful with saying 'don't get taken down' because that's a negative statement. I was coaching this kid who was winning by one point with thirty seconds left in the match. All he has to to is not get taken down so I'm screaming 'don't get taken down!' And whaddya think happens? What did I put in his head?...Instead of giving him positive things to do - get an underhook, tie him up, stay in his face, the things that got him to this point of winning - I give him something negative and he gets tentative." 

"Jeter? He knew how to recover. One time he struck out with the bases loaded and came back to the dugout and declared, 'That guy just showed me everything he's got. He'll never get me out again."     Ian O'Connor - The Captain: The Journey of Derek Jeter

Elite athletes can elevate their game and excel because they have the right perspective. They understand how to play with perspective to reach their mental peak. Remember, perspective is not only what you see but how you choose to see what you see. 

There are different mental skills tools that can help you play with perspective and reach your mental peak. If you want to learn how to focus on what you want, build on your strengths, reframe a negative experience or ask the right questions, drop me an email at risson1954@gmail.com.  

Winning The Mental Game

"If your head is not in the game before it begins, 

then you are already behind when the whistle blows."

Anthony B. Lanzillo

Every time that you step on the field or court for a game, there are actually two games going on. The one being played out between you, your teammates and the opposing team. The other being played in between your ears. If you want to win the game out there, then you must win the game in your head: the mental game.   

Winning The Mental Game is for athletes who want to elevate their performance and find more enjoyment in playing. This clinic will show athletes how to strengthen their concentration, composure and confidence, and thereby become more competitive and successful. It's all about being mentally stronger and sharper to not only survive but thrive in sports.

Winning The Mental Game is a clinic for athletes who want to concentrate on what they control, learn from their mistakes, tune out distractions, anchor their emotions, play in the present moment, visualize how they want to perform, take more initiative and become internally driven, avoid the mental landmines, and produce their highlights film.

Mondays - January 19 and 26, 2015 - 7:00 to 8:00 pm - Sports4All - 108 Haddon Avenue, Haddon Township, New Jersey - $15 per session

 "Anthony has the fortitude to see the end result before it actually happens when helping an athlete. His teachings on the subject of mental toughness is on the leading edge and he is a master at capturing the needs and desires of the athlete."   Coach Wayne Nye - Ultimate Hockey Source, Canada

"Anthony captures the essential ideas and illustrates them with rich information and resources in mental skills training. Any athlete who needs and wants to build his mental muscle; it is all here. The best performance will be provided."      Makoto Kajino (boxing coach) - Takusboku University, Japan

"This is great and can be used by many athletes around the world."   Danny Acosta (baseball coach) - Acosta Sports Management, South Carolina

"...began following Anthony's blog online about mental toughness and reaching your optimal performance level...I then contacted Anthony and explained my situation. He immediately took an interest in helping me and sent me many personal exercises that I was able to do while going through my rehab. These exercises allowed me to return to the field sooner than expected and with more confidence and mental toughness."   Jonathan Viscosi (professional soccer goalie) - Carlton FC, United Kingdom

"Want to thank you for the quality material you provide coaches and athletes. As a coach for high school football and lacrosse, I spend so much time on preparation and strategy, and therefore overlook the mental part of the game. Your references give me and my athletes the motivation and mental drive needed to succeed in the overly competitive field of high school athletics. I appreciate what you do and always look forward to reading what you have to offer." Tony Grandinetti - Haddon Township High School, New Jersey

Look UP, Step UP, Play UP

"...become a person with unlimited power because you have the capability of achieving a level of thinking that pushes you beyond your circumstances to a higher level of being." 
Todd Duncan - The Power To Be Your Best

"One of the great powers we have is the power to choose. How you choose to look at an event is going to affect how you feel and how you perform."          
Gary Mack - Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide To Inner Excellence 

There are twenty-four hours in a day. And in that one day, how much time do you spend working on your mental game? So, think about this. How much could you elevate your performance, and find more enjoyment in playing, if you invested the time and energy in developing your mental skills?

 

Many athletes simply don't get it. Some will spend hours in the weight room, running on the track and building up their bodies. And then they will show up for the game, and "hoot and holler" as they run out on the field or court. These athletes feel pumped up and ready to play. Yet, they simply aren't mentally prepared or conditioned to give their best performance.  

If you want to elevate your game, then you must empower your mind. To empower your mind is to make a serious commitment to building your mental muscle. No matter how big your physical muscles are, if you don't work on the mental muscle then you aren't ready to play your best game.

If you are worried about looking bad or making mistakes, then you are looking down. If you spend more time thinking about what is wrong with your abilities and opportunities, then you are looking down. When you focus on how to get better, then you are looking up. When you acknowledge and build upon your strengths, then you are looking up.

If you show up late for practice, and can't wait for it to end, then you are stepping down. If you stop playing when you team is behind on the scoreboard, then you are stepping down. When you show up early for practice, and you have a goal for practice, then you are stepping up. When you tell yourself and your teammates not to give up but give more of themselves in a challenging game, then you are stepping up.

If you are only worried about your own success and statistics, then you are playing down. If you make mistakes and keep beating yourself up, then you are playing down. If you get upset about things out of your control, then you are playing down. When you think about how you can contribute to the success of your teammates, then you are playing up. When you stayed focused on the few things that you have direct control over (like your attitude), then you are playing up. When you go out of your way to encourage and support one teammate, then you are playing up. 

If you want to look up, step up and play up, and elevate your play and performance, let me know.

Anthony Lanzillo
risson1954@gmail.com

The Mental Muscle

"...mental training will not only enhance performance and improve productivity but also add to your enjoyment."

"Achieving inner excellence is a process. Building mental muscle, like building physical muscle, requires time and effort."

Gary Mack - Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence


How much time do you dedicate each day to your mental training? What are you doing today to build your mental muscle? When do you plan to develop your visualization skills or identify your goals for the coming week?

If you need some ideas on how to start your mental training or begin building your mental muscle, let me know. It can start with one simple mental skills tool or exercise.

Anthony Lanzillo
risson1954@gmail.com

"Take Five"

Here are the five affirmations or declarations that you take to each practice:

"I am (state two or three personal strengths or qualities)."

"I want (state your long-term and daily goals)."

"I see (visualize how you want to perform and compete)."

"I bring (think about past highlights and empowering experiences)."

"I control (state all the things that you have direct control over)." 

By reviewing and reciting these affirmations or declarations everyday at practice, you are developing a stronger and sharper mindset that can only build your confidence and self-esteem.  

Are You Combat Ready? 

"Mastery of fundamental skills leads to lethal projection of combat power."
 Robert W. Cone
 Battle Focused Training

"Given the importance of the moral dimension in war, the readiness of soldiers and units must include psychological preparation for combat....Soldiers must be prepared to make rapidly a psychological transition from peace to conflict, potentially without forewarning or indepth knowledge of the situation."
 Robert W. Madden
 Living on the Edge: Building Cohesion and the Will to Win by Robert W. Madden

 Both quotes are from Leadership: The Warrior's Art by Christopher Kolenda, Editor


The one group of fundamental skills that are overlooked by many teams and coaches are the mental skills. And if these fundamental skills are not introduced or practiced on a regular basis, then how can a team or its players be "combat ready" for any game? How many times have we seen teams that appeared to be physically or athletically superior and yet still lose their games? 

Look Good Or Play Better?

In his book, The Goldmine Effect, Rasmus Ankersen talks about his travels around the world looking for what he calls the "secrets" of high performance in sports. From the female golfers of South Korea to the sprinters of Jamaica, Ankersen is searching for what makes these athletes so successful. There was one question that he asked which really got me thinking about how athletes mentally approach their participation in a sport: "...do I want to look good, or do I want to get better?"

 

Think about it. If I am an athlete, and I am more concerned about looking good, then how will I approach my practices and games? First, I will probably hold back from trying anything new because I don't want to make a mistake. Next, I will experience more anxiety and stress because of this internal pressure that I am putting on myself. Third, I will be concerned and worried about things that I have no control over, like what the coaches and other players are seeing and thinking. And, maybe more importantly, I will definitely not be enjoying myself or having fun. So, actually, being more concerned about how I look is the recipe for disaster.

 

Focus on how you want to get better. Begin to set short-term goals for how you want to improve your physical conditioning, develop your athletic skills or elevate your mental preparation. Being more concerned about getting better puts you in a more productive and proactive state of mind.  You will understand that learning something new to improve your game will involve making mistakes and mistakes are simply part of the learning process. Things outside of your control will not bother or frustrate you. Essentially, you will practice and play with more energy and enthusiasm.

The 3-D Mindset

If you want to take a "multi-dimensional approach" to being mentally prepared to play your best game, then your thinking must be deliberate, disciplined and decisive. It's all about knowing what you want, keeping your focus on what you want, and following through to get what you want...at any given moment of the game. The success of every decision that you make in any game-time situation will be based upon your ability to play with the "3-D Mindset".   

Being deliberate is based upon understanding your role and responsibilities for the position you are playing with your team, and in particular, being clear about your intentions of what you want to achieve or accomplish  in the present moment. If I am playing center field for my baseball team, and there is a man on second with one out, then I know that I have to cover my ground to hopefully catch a fly ball and throw to second to keep that runner on second. Or if the ball is on the ground, then I need to get that ball and deliver it to third to keep that runner from scoring. Likewise, if I am up to bat and I have a teammate on first with no outs, then I may want to lay down a bunt and get my teammate to second. Being deliberate is taking what the game is giving you and identifying your best options or opportunities to make a positive impact for your team in that game.

Being disciplined is all about keeping your mind in the present moment, and knowing how to tune out any visual or verbal distraction that may prevent you from achieving or accomplishing what you plan to do. If I am playing defensive middie on a man-down unit with my lacrosse team, and I can hear the coach from the other team telling one of his players to take the ball and cut around me because I can't stop him, then I must block that comment out and concentrate on keeping that player from being able to shoot on goal. Or I am in transition and bringing the ball down the field, and the player from the other team who is trying to defend me starts to verbally taunt me and yells out that I have no chance to getting by him. I don't even hear this player because I am focused on watching his eyes, his hips, the movement of his stick and how he is holding stick. I will only focus on what I control, and what I control at this very moment are my eyes, my hands, my stick, my feet and how I decide to defend this player.

Being decisive is making a split-second decision and making a specific move or maneuver based upon what I see happening and what opportunity may be available for me. As the defensive middie, I can distract the offensive player with the ball or disrupt the focus or attention of this player with my voice, body or stick. Then I may have the opportunity to disarm this player by getting the ball out of his stick, on the ground and pick up this ball to begin a transition to the other end of the field. As the centerfielder on the baseball team, I could get myself into position to catch the fly ball and be prepared to rifle that ball to second base to get that runner from advancing. Or as the batter, I see the ball coming in a little high, and I get ready to bunt that ball down and in between the pitcher and first baseman.    

THE MENTAL PEAK

PLAYING YOUR GAME AT A HIGHER LEVEL

  

Play With Clarity
Create a clear vision and image of what you want to achieve or accomplish, and where you want to be in the future. 

Identify your goals for this season, this month, this week, and today.

Know the purpose of everything you do at practices and trainings.

Acknowledge your personal strengths and how these strengths can serve the needs of the team.  

 

Play With Concentration
Learn how to focus and give your undivided attention.

Keep your mind in the present moment.

Identify what you control in a game.

Know how to tune out distractions.

Break down the game into smaller time segments. 

 

Play With Composure
Choose a verbal or visual cue that will keep you steady and help you refocus when there is a challenging moment in a game.

Find the lesson or teaching moment in every mistake you make.

Identify everything that you are grateful for and say "thank you".

Refrain from complaining or blaming.

Smile.

 

Play With Confidence
Practice visualizing how you want to play in a game. In your mind, take yourself through every step or move for each maneuver or play. Use all of your senses, including self-talk, in developing this picture of your performance.

Ask questions that put you in positive, productive and proactive state of mind. Only ask questions about things that you have direct control over.

Act like a champion - on and off the field or court.
 

Play With Character

 Play big and believe in greatness.

To play big is to think big. To think big is to see the big picture.Seeing the big picture is being able to see everything that your team needs to succeed, and using your talents and gifts to support your team's success.

To believe in greatness is to believe in the potential and power of any moment. To believe that at any moment, at a practice or in a game, you will have the opportunity to help your team succeed and be great. Your team's success depends upon your desire and determination to step up, seize the moment and serve the greater good.
 

Play With Courage

Remember why you love this sport and the joy you get out of playing this game. 

 

Produce a highlights film in your mind of all the positive and meaningful experiences from being a part of this sport.

 

Create a compelling story about yourself: how you got into the sport, all the challenges that you have faced and successfully risen above, how playing the game has made you a stronger person and athlete, and what you want to contribute to the sport and your team. 

 

 

Do You Have Your "Act" Together?
Are You A High School Student-Athlete Who Wants To Play In College?


"...we want high character kids with the proper attitude to reach their potential on and off the court. Character/Attitude is a huge part of our evaluation process."
Josh Schartz - head men's basketball coach at Lincoln Memorial University (TN)

"Attitude and character are the main pieces of recruiting. I don't care how good a player you are, if you throw your stick or stand off from your team, I am done talking."
Frank Rogers - head women's lacrosse coach at Aquinas College (MI)

"College coaches want to see recruits who are mentally tough. They need players who can handle disappointment and frustration, who compete fearlessly. They don't care if you make a mistake, but they do care how you react to that mistake. They watch closely to see who can deal with negative feedback from a coach or referee. They watch how a player reacts to pressure during the final minutes - her shot selection, decision making and leadership - more than whether they make or miss a last-second shot. They pay attention to how a player treats her teammates in the midst of adversity. They see who plays to win, even when they lose."
Lindsey Wilson

"Character, how hard they play or how competitive they are become very important qualities for the young men we recruit to possess."
Dave Pietramala - head men's lacrosse coach at Johns Hopkins University (MD)

"I'm truly looking for talent, passion, attitude, a good person and a good student. Attitude is really important to me, as it is what we will have to deal with on a daily basis. The skills you only deal with on the field, but attitude encompasses everything. This is why it is critical to have student-athletes with quality attitudes."
Rudy Garbalosa - head men's baseball coach at Lynn University (FL)

"Attitude and skills level are extremely important to us, we want students who are positive on the court and bench...The ideal college recruit is a student who has great grades, is highly skilled, and a person of great character."
Bob Burchard - head men's basketball coach at Columbia College (MO)

If you are a high school student-athlete who wants to play at the collegiate level, do you have your "act" together? Do you have the right attitude, character and mental toughness that every college coach is looking for in a high school student-athlete? Are you mentally prepared to meet any challenge or test that you may face so that you can excel in the classroom and on the field or court?

If you would like to figure out how to get your "act" together and prepare yourself for collegiate sports, drop me an email. We can design a mental assessment and see what aspects of your mental game you need to work on. Then we can develop a mental conditioning program to build and strengthen your attitude, character and mental toughness.

A (attitude) + C (character) + T (mental toughness) = the competitive formula for success in college sports.

Anthony (Tone) Lanzillo
risson1954@gmail.com 

Slow The Game Down

"The great players see the game in slow motion, and you could see him doing that - not that he played in slow motion, but he thought in slow motion. I always thought he slowed that game down so much that he saw a shot opportunity before the defender saw the possibility that he would shoot it."

- Phil Martelli - 
Head basketball coach at St. Joseph's University  (Martelli was speaking about Creighton University basketball player Doug McDermott in an interview with Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Mike Sielski for an article posted on 6/24/14.)

You will often hear coaches talk about a specific quality that great players possess when they are competing and playing in a game. It's the ability to slow the game down in their minds and thereby are able to see the game unfolding in slow motion. Coaches have stated that players who can do this are more effective and successful in any game-time situation.  

So, how does a player learn to "slow the game down"? Here are several mental skills drills that any coach could have his players practice and review throughout the season:

Be and play in the present moment.

Players who find their thoughts bouncing back and forth between what happened ten minutes ago and what is going to happen in about five minutes can not mentally slow the game down. In fact, the game will probably feel like it is actually moving faster. As a coach who wants to promote this mental skill, you could stop practices at various times and simply ask the players to identify what they are seeing and hearing at that exact moment.  

Take a deep breath and "check" in.

Players who experience any stress or anxiety in a game often take shallow and small breaths. By doing this, the player has less oxygen going into the lungs and to the brain. And with the stress, anxiety and now less oxygen for the body, the player will probably become more tired, think less clearly and be less focused. Have your players take a deep breath. When they inhale, have they say "check" to themselves as a reminder to mentally check back into the game. And as they exhale, have them say "ok" to themselves as an affirmation that they are present and aware of what is happening.

Focus only on what you control.

Players who get easily distracted by things that they don't control will feel as if the game is speeding up. And by focusing on what they can't control, these players will become frustrated, angry and begin losing track of themselves and what they can control. At various times in a practice, bring out a hula hoop and place it at the feet of the   player who is getting upset or frustrated about things that he can't control. As the player stands in the middle of the hula hoop, have the player review all the things that he doesn't control and the few things that he actually has control over - mainly himself.    

"Attaining and sustaining success in sports always comes down to a survival of those most mentally fit. A strong commitment to excellence in training intensity and time over the long haul is required to progress as an athlete and to achieve your personal best. If you want to succeed and to move through difficult times, it is crucial to make an ongoing commitment to achieving superiority in your sport through the daily practice of cultivating a champion body and mind."

Jim Afrenow

The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, And Thrive 

"When we lack the mental muscles we need to perform at our best - if we have too short an attention span, too pessimistic an outlook, or too rigid and narrow a perspective - we must build capacity by training systematically."
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal




Would you like to develop and carry out a daily mental conditioning program to build your mental muscles, cultivate a "champion's mind" and elevate your performance?

Anthony (Tone) Lanzillo

risson1954@gmail.com

The Mental Game of Rafa Nadal

For any athlete or coach who is looking for ideas and information on mental skills (especially if your sport is tennis), I would highly recommend RAFA by Rafael Nadal and John Carlin. Nadal does an excellent job of sharing his personal story about his development as a tennis player and athlete, and how he mentally prepared himself for every practice, game and tournament.

The following are some quotes from his book along with several questions that you can ask yourself in developing your own mental skills training and mental conditioning program. 

"...what I battle hardest to do in a tennis match is to quiet the voices in my head, to shut everything out of my mind but the contest itself and concentrate every atom of my being on the point I am playing. If I made a mistake on a previous point, forget it; should a thought of victory suggest itself, crush it."

How do I focus my mind, tune out distractions, and play in the present moment?

"...you had to think better than your rival to succeed. And to think straight, you had to keep your cool."

Do I know what mental or emotional triggers could force me to lose my cool? What can I do to be mentally prepared before and during the game or competition to keep my cool?

"Some players rage and despair when they are aced, or when they are the victims of a magnificent passing shot. That is the path to self-destruction. And it is crazy, because it means you believe yourself to be capable, in some kind of ideal tennis world, of subduing your opponent's game from start to finish. If you give your opponent more credit, if you accept that he played a shot you could do nothing about, if you play the part of the spectator for a moment and generously acknowledge a magnificent piece of play, there you win balance and inner calm. You take the pressure off yourself. In your head, you applaud; visibly, you shrug; and you move on to the next point, aware not that the tennis gods are ranged against you or that you are having a miserable day, but that there is every possibility next time that it will be you who hits the unplayable winner."

How do I mentally and emotionally respond to a good move, maneuver or play by my opponent? Do I overreact and therefore destroy my composure and confidence? What can I do to refocus on myself, what I control and concentrate on what I want to achieve and accomplish?

What Do You Want To Think About?

What is the difference between thinking about what you do want to do and what you don't want to do?

When you think about what you don't want to do:

* You visualize yourself making a mistake
* You worry about what you can't control

* You feel nervous and anxious
* You are impatient

* Your muscles become tight

* Your breathing is shallow

* You shy away from the action

* You hold back and miss an opportunity

* You move slower

* You worry about how you look to others

* You take your head out of the game

When you think about what you do want to do:

* You visualize yourself making the play

* You feel more confident and composed
* You focus on what you do control
* You are patient with yourself

* Your muscles are more relaxed

* Your breathing is deeper

* You want to be part of the action

* You are more proactive

* You are looking for the opportunities

* You move faster

* You don't worry about how you look to others

* You keep your head in the game

So, what do you want to think about?  

Playing With Power
Empower Your Mind
 Elevate Your Game


If you want more clarity about how to play, 
and want to be clear about what you are doing, 
then you need a purpose.

If you want to feel more confident about yourself 
when you practice and play, 
then you need the right perspective.

If you want more control over yourself 
as you practice and play, 
then you need to have a presence of mind.

If you want to be more composed 
while you practice and play,
 then you need to be poised.

If you want to play with courage 
every time you step into the game, 
then you need to become passionate
about what you are doing.

If you want to strengthen your character as a player, 
then you need to practice and play with perseverance.


If you want to empower your mind and elevate your game, 
then you need to build the "six pillars of mental power" - purpose, perspective, presence, poise, passion and perseverance. 

Capture The Moment

Recently, I have been reading several articles about why our youth want to participate in sports. In everyone of them, the articles cited various polls that had been taken, and in each poll the same reason came in at number one. The main reason young people want to play and participate in any sport is to simply have fun.

That got me thinking. Not only about young athletes but any athlete. What is it about sports that draws us in? What is it about any particular sport that compels a ten year old girl on a soccer team or a thirty year old professional baseball player to want to play?

I would like to propose that any of us who sign up to play are doing it because we want to or are at least hoping to have fun. The challenge for all of us who are athletes is to make sure that whether we just signed up to learn a new sport or have been playing for fifteen years is that we are still having fun. And for the athletes who are no longer having fun, and enjoying the sports experience, maybe they need to re-evaluate or reconsider why they are still playing. 

So, what does it mean to have fun? It's about finding and embracing that moment when you are fully engaged in what is happening, are feeling a sense of enjoyment and excitement about what is happening, and believe that you have achieved or accomplished something that has personal meaning to you. Putting it all together, there is a strong inner sense of empowerment and elevation. You are on top of the world and nothing can bring you down.

Over time, I think that a lot of athletes have lost the "capacity" to have fun. It's now become about the expectations of others, worrying about being better than the next athlete, wanting to be popular, drowning in a desire to just win no matter what or afraid of stopping because you have already invested so much time, energy and money. And because they don't know how to recapture that feeling of having fun, many of them are mentally and emotionally running on empty.

My hope is that coaches, parents and athletes who serve as mentors, can help athletes learn how to have fun. And one approach to doing this is by teaching them how to "capture the moment". This moment can take place in a practice, playing in a game or even at a team meeting. 

An athlete can capture the moment when he or she takes the following steps:

 Be mentally present to the moment you are in

 Find one thing in that moment that you are grateful for

 Identify your personal strengths that you brought into the moment

  Ask yourself what you can learn by being in that moment

Congratulate yourself for playing in that moment 

  No matter what happens in the moment, say "thank you"

Discover how that moment made you a better athlete and person

By taking these steps, the moment becomes very meaningful to the athlete and thereby is transformed into an extraordinary experience that he or she will want to hold onto for a long time.  

PS. Still have a lot of other thoughts and ideas about this topic. Will continue writing about this in future posts.

Playing From The Inside Out
Being Internally Directed & Driven To Play Your Best 

"Achieving inner excellence is a process. Building mental muscle, like building physical muscle, requires time and effort. The more you work on the inside, the more it will show on the outside."

Gary Mack

MindGym

"The better you are within yourself, the better your chances of playing well."

Rafael Nadal

RAFA

The most competitive and successful athletes play from the inside out. They have an internal sense of ownership with regards to being mentally prepared and conditioned to give their best performance. And while they will take direction and guidance from coaches, they understand and appreciate that their performance on the field or court is ultimately a result of making the smartest split second decisions in any game-time situation. These decisions come from athletes who are internally directed and driven to play their best game.

Athlete-centered coaching proposes that giving the athletes a sense of ownership over their learning will give them the ability to become more self-aware and self-sufficient, and thereby provides them with the necessary skills to make informed decisions; especially when they are competing (Kidman, 2005). By being able to make choices and having some sense of control over what they are learning, these athletes become internally motivated to discover the most relevant and useful ideas and information to successfully perform. And because they are internally directed and driven, they are capable of making the best decisions in a competitive environment. This is essential to athletes who find themselves in fast-paced games where coaches have fewer or limited opportunities to directly speak to their players during the game.

"...informed decisions by athletes are essential to performance success..."

Lynn Kidman

Athlete-Centred Coaching: Developing Inspired and Inspiring People

Mental conditioning, and asking meaningful questions, should be a part of all training and practice sessions throughout the season. These questions will help enable the athlete to appropriately respond and make any necessary mental adjustments because he has identified and practiced those mental skills which give him the ability to make effective and informed decisions on the spot. This commitment to mental conditioning will provide the coaches with a unique opportunity to develop empowered athletes who truly understand and appreciate that their power "comes from within, not from without", can develop a sense of self-efficacy, and, at the same time, will commit themselves to elevating their performance to a higher level (Kidman, 2001).

In scheduling and presenting the training and practice sessions, the coaches should develop and implement a mental conditioning program that shows the players how to mentally prepare themselves for any challenging game-time situation. By collaborating with the athletes, the coaches identify various scenarios in a game that could put the team at a disadvantage, and together, they begin to explore how to mentally control the emotional effects of the pressure and stress which they will encounter during these different situations (Kumar & Urs, 2012). After these scenarios have been identified, the coaches and players will then prepare a series of mental rehearsals in order to practice how they plan to mentally respond and recover.

Learning how to be resilient and resourceful, the athlete is developing the mental capacity to effectively manage any challenging situation that he will encounter during the game. Being mentally tough at that critical moment requires the athlete to be mentally sharp and emotionally strong. He is learning how to be confident and condition his mind to cope with any frustration or negative feelings (Yukelson, 2010). It's being patient with himself, keeping his poise, maintaining the right perspective and persevering until the challenge is over or has been resolved.

In their quest to become better players, these athletes can acquire six internal gears that will set them apart from the average athlete. They can develop these special gears by learning how to use a specific set of questions to improve their overall approach to playing the game and how to use various mental skills for different game-time situations. By taking a proactive approach to thinking, the athletes provide themselves with the necessary tools to play with confidence and composure, thereby giving them the opportunity to make clear and concise decisions.

An internally directed and driven athlete knows how important these gears are to maintaining his concentration and elevating his competitive spirit. These internal gears compel an athlete to think on his own two feet, and will undoubtedly give him a sense of empowerment at any given moment during a game. He has positioned himself to become a more attentive and proactive player, and thereby has the opportunity to effectively respond and play a pivotal role in changing the outcome of any game-time situation.

1st Gear: Being Intentional
Being intentional is all about being focused. Knowing your goals and understanding the purpose of everything you do. It's being clear about what direction you are headed in and how each step that you take will get you closer to your chosen destination.

2nd Gear: Being Inquisitive
Being inquisitive is about being curious and asking questions that will help improve your game. The more questions you ask, the sharper and stronger your mind becomes. Each question builds your concentration in order for you to play with a clearer and more concise mindset.

3rd Gear: Being Insightful
Being insightful is simply knowing and acknowledging what it takes to successfully play the game - including what you control as an athlete and what you need to tune out to keep your concentration in the game. It's keeping your sights on what's most important to gain a clearer perspective of where you stand in any game-time situation.

4th Gear: Being Intuitive
Being intuitive is learning how to accurately anticipate what may happen and to have the appropriate response to a given game-time situation. In making the best decision in any situation, the athlete begins to assimilate what is happening in the game, anticipates what could happen in the next moment, and then to choose an action that reflects what he sees, what he expects and what he wants. By doing this, he will be able to focus, put things in a productive frame of reference and become a proactive player.

5th Gear: Being Inspired
Being inspired is finding whatever motivates you and pushes you to give your best. It's tapping into anything and everything that fuels your desire to play, and will drive  you to play with great intensity and focus. Maybe, it's a certain word or phrase, piece of music, past performance in a game, visualization or verbal commitment you made that energizes and engages you.

6th Gear: Being Influential 
Being influential is asking yourself how you can serve and support your team. It's believing in yourself and your role to help the team. It's knowing that your team's success depends upon your desire and determination to use your strengths and step up, seize the moment and serve the greater good.

References:
Kidman, L. (2005). Athletic-centred Coaching: Developing Inspired and Inspiring People. Christchurch, New Zealand: Innovative Print.

Kidman, L. (2001). developing decision makers: An Empowerment Approach to Coaching. Christchurch, New Zealand: Innovative Print.

Kumar, B.T. & Urs, S.R. (2012). Relationship of Selected Physiological and Mental Toughness of College Men Volleyball Players with the Game Performance. International Journal of Health, Physical Education and Computer Science in Sports, 7 (1), 119-122.

Yukelson, D. (2010). What is Mental Toughness and how to Develop it? Morgan Academic Support System; Penn State University. www.leaguelineup.com/ridgevb/files/MentalToughness

Mental Conditioning and Meaningful Questions

Enabling Athletes to Become Effective Decision Makers

"...informed decisions by athletes are essential to performance success..."

Lynn Kidman

Athlete-Centred Coaching: Developing Inspired and Inspiring People

For any athlete who plays a team sport, every moment on the field or court requires a quick decision. Deciding how to position yourself, support your teammates, respond to a mistake or turnover, defend, setting up the offense to score, deal with any verbal or physical taunting from the opponent, coming back from being down by five points or trying to stay focused with the distractions. Every decision is, in many ways, based upon the athlete's state of mind and what kinds of questions he asks himself.

To make the best decisions and become an effective decision-maker, an athlete must be able to concentrate, remain composed and play with confidence. As part of a mental conditioning program, these mental skills can be learned, during training and practice sessions, so that the athlete has the ability to make informed decisions when he is competing in a game. This program will make the athlete smarter and mentally sharper so that he can make the necessary adjustments to address any game-time situation.

Making an informed decision in a game-time situation, the athlete needs to know how to assimilate what is happening in the game, to anticipate what could happen in the next moment, and to choose an action that reflects what he sees, what he expects and what he wants. By doing this, the athlete will be able to focus, put things in a positive frame of reference and become a proactive player. He is essentially learning how to read the field or court, and master the moment.

"The key is seeing and doing. If you're focusing on anything other than reading the court and doing what needs to be done, the moment will pass you by."

Phil Jackson

Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior

According to Anthony Robbins (2007), a person will make three decisions at any given moment of the day that will determine his future - deciding what to focus on, deciding what things mean and deciding what to do to create the results one wants. So, in sports, and particularly in a game-time situation, it is important for an athlete to be mentally prepared to make the right decisions. The athlete must know how to mentally manage any moment in order to create the best opportunity for a successful performance. It's being in the right place at the right time with the right move. And it definitely begins with whether or not he is asking the right question and putting himself in the right state of mind.

Athlete-centered coaching proposes that giving the athletes a sense of ownership over their learning will give them the ability to become more self-aware and self-sufficient, and thereby provides them with the necessary skills to make informed decisions; especially when they are competing (Kidman, 2005). By being able to make choices and having some sense of control over what they are learning, these athletes become internally motivated to discover the most relevant and useful ideas and information to successfully perform. Athletes will learn how to think on their own two feet, and effectively meet various challenges and problems which they will encounter in a game-time situation.

It would appear that athletes who are internally directed and driven are more capable of making the best decisions in a competitive environment. This is essential to athletes who find themselves in fast-paced games where the coaches have fewer or limited opportunities to directly speak to their players during the competition. One of the key components of athlete-centered coaching that can empower these athletes is the ability to ask meaningful questions. These are open-ended questions which will require the athlete to consider and clarify what he needs to do to become mentally stronger and therefore, a better player in any game-time situation. As part of the mental conditioning program, this process of questioning can build a smarter and sharper mind-set that ultimately gives an athlete the mental and emotional skills to make informed decisions throughout the competition.

In training and mentoring athletes, coaches need to create an environment in which each athlete feels comfortable and, in fact, compelled to ask questions which will give him a greater sense of purpose and perspective. These meaningful questions can bring more clarity, composure and confidence to the athlete who wants to be prepared to think and respond on a "moment's notice" to the ever changing atmosphere of a very competitive game. Incorporating meaningful questions into the mental conditioning program of an athlete provides a valuable opportunity for him to not only gain a greater perspective of his strengths and skills but also to become more proficient in learning how to be mentally prepared to play with a higher level of concentration and perseverance. It is a very effective approach to developing the athlete's ability to make informed decisions. In essence, he becomes a more proactive player.

"You look for opportunities - moments some call risks - and you figure out how to manage those moments to create big moments."

Rex Ryan

Play Like You Mean It

Mental conditioning, and asking meaningful questions, should be a part of all training and practice sessions throughout the season. These questions will help an athlete become a critical thinker and learn how to be more intentional, insightful, intuitive and inspired. During a game, when the coach tells one of his players to "get your head into the game", he will be able to respond and make any necessary mental adjustments because he has identified and practiced those mental skills which give him the ability to make effective and informed decisions on the spot. This commitment to a comprehensive mental conditioning program will provide the coaches with a unique opportunity to develop empowered athletes who truly understand and appreciate that their power "comes from within, not from without", can develop a sense of self-efficacy, and at the same time, will commit themselves to elevating their performance to a higher level (Kidman, 2001).

Throughout the day, we continuously ask ourselves a number of questions. What many of us don't realize is that a lot of the questions that we ask ourselves only make us feel worse, more frustrated, out of control, indecisive and will basically contribute to a variety of negative thoughts, feelings and behaviors from one day to the next. In sports, too many athletes find themselves asking questions that take their power away and therefore, will deplete their mental and emotional energy. They feel drained, disappointed and often discouraged.

How many athletes do we know who are asking questions as "why am I a failure?"..."how come I can never get it right?"..."why am I not as talented as the other player?"..."why do I make so many mistakes?"..."how come the coach doesn't give me more playing time?"..."what's the use in trying?"..."why do the refs always make calls against my team?"..."why won't anyone help me?" If the athlete chooses to ask these kind of questions, then he will be given answers that only reinforce the negative nature of the original question. So, if an athlete asks himself why he is a failure, then his brain will simply give him a variety of examples of why he is a failure. And, if the  same athlete asks why he is not as talented as another player, then he will be given a list of all the different ways in which the other player has better skills and is more talented. Asking negative questions only contributes to an athlete losing his focus, sense of purpose and desire to play.

For the athlete who wants to motivate and inspire himself, it's very important that he chooses questions which make him feel empowered, and provides the positive self-talk and encouragement to give his best in a practice or game. He needs to ask questions like "what are my strengths?"..."what do I want?"..."what can I do today to become a better player?"..."how do I visualize success?"..."how can I support my team?"..."what can I learn to improve my game?"..."what am I grateful for?"..."how do I gain more confidence?"..."how do I make the most of this game-time situation?"

"Answers come from questions, and the quality of any answer is directly determined by the quality of the question. Ask the wrong question, get the wrong answer. Ask the right question, get the right answer. Ask the most powerful question possible, and the answer will be life altering."

Gary Keller

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results

References

Kidman, L. (2005). Athlete-centred Coaching: Developing Inspired and Inspirational People. Christchurch, New Zealand: Innovative Print.

Kidman, L. (2001). developing decision makers: An Empowerment Approach to Coaching. Christchurch, New Zealand: Innovative Print.

Robbins, A. (2007). Awaken The Giant Within. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster.