The Mental Tenacity of Larry Bird

"Riley poured over tapes of Bird, pointing out specific tendencies to his team, such as Bird's preference to bring the ball up left-handed and his ability to split the double teams by positioning his feet in between the trap. Yet, all the technical tips, Riley knew, would not offset the true strength of Bird's game: his mental tenacity. 'You had to deal with his psyche before you could even discuss the basketball aspect of it,' Riley explained. 'I always told my guys, you will never be able to beat Bird until you understand how much he wants to win and what he'll do to make sure he wins. We had to be above and beyond him mentally, and I wasn't always sure it was possible." 
Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson
When The Game Was Ours 


How mentally determined are you? 
Have you measured your mental stamina?
How are you developing your mental endurance?

Spectator or Player ?

As a coach, have you ever noticed the players on your team who are stepping back, away from the action, and are standing there...watching the game as it takes place right in front of them. It appears as if they are holding back or pulling themselves away from being proactive and actively participating in different game-time situations. The teammates and coaches will remind them of their roles and responsibilities in those situations but they continue to refrain or refuse to step up and into the action.  It looks like they are spectators.

Is their decision to pull back in certain game-time situations based upon negative thoughts or judgments that they have made about themselves or what they perceive as no-win situations? Are they acting like spectators, and not stepping into the action, because they are concerned or afraid of making a mistake, being embarrassed by a better player or looking bad to their teammates or parents who are watching the game? Are they worried more about what they don't want to see happen and have also convinced themselves that they will only make matters worse for their team if they try to do something?

The following are a series of steps that you can take to help these athletes stop being a spectator and become a player:

* Identify their personal strengths as a player and how they can support the team
* Mentally focus on what they want to do or achieve, and not what they fear will happen
* Understand that mistakes will happen and that they can learn from each mistake  
* Create a compelling story about why they want to play this particular sport
* Know what they control and not worry about what they don't control
* Ask questions that put them in a positive and proactive state of mind
* Play in the now and only focus on the present moment

What Do You Believe?

At the 2014 Winter X Games, Colten Moore wins the gold medal for the Snowmobile Freestyle. In a statement on ESPN.com and the Bleacher Report, Colten talks about his brother who died the previous year in the winter games because of a fatal accident during the competition. 

"This is the greatest moment ever, to be able to come back and ride for my brother. And not just for him, but with him, because I know he was out here with me all night. To be able to come out here and get gold is unbelievable. I just give it all to him. I know he was the one helping me do everything I was doing...It's what me and Caleb grew up doing, pushing each other to go for it. I just knew that he'd be riding with me." 

As an athlete, you need to check your beliefs. Are your beliefs engaging and empowering? Do your beliefs make you emotionally stronger and fuel your competitive spirit? 

Map It Out

The Mental Approach to Practicing

"Those key coaching points for managing the mental and emotional aspects of performance include: 1. Creating a statement of purpose that includes why you play the game, what you hope to accomplish, and what sort of person you hope to become. 

This is the map..."

Augie Garrido

Life Is Yours To Win: Lessons Forged from the Purpose, Passion and Magic of Baseball

An athlete can ask these three simple questions in order to create within himself an empowering and compelling picture of attending and participating in practice:

* Why am I here?

* What do I bring?

* Where can I go? 

"Each practice is an opportunity. It is an opportunity to get better, and an opportunity to make a breakthrough and reach a new level."

Jay Bilas

TOUGHNESS: Developing True Strength On And Off The Court

What aspect of your game do you want to work on today? In what area of your game do you want to step up and reach a new level? Where is the breakthrough?

"I wanted every drill to have a mental purpose to it. I made it mandatory for the players to have a clear objective and a plan to achieve the objective before every match."

Craig Manning

The Fearless Mind: 5 Essential Steps to Higher Performance

A player can find the purpose for any drill by creating a full-impact image of how that drill will help him successfully execute a play in a game-time situation. You develop a picture in your mind of your performance on the field or court. In fact, you want to use all of your senses in your visualization...see it, feel it, hear it, say it, then replay it.

The Craft of Mental Conditioning

6 Components to Gaining the Competitive Edge

1. Clarity

    Do you have a clear idea and vision of your goals?

2. Concentration

Do you know how to focus and give your undivided attention 

to the task at hand?

3. Composure

Have you learned how to remain centered, calm

 and collected during the competition?

4. Confidence

Do you believe in yourself and your abilities?

5. Character

Do you know the difference between what is right and wrong 

in playing the game?

6. Courage

Have you learned to face your fears and play with perseverance?  

The Mental Game of Nick Foles

Yesterday, in the Thursday, December 12th edition of the Philadelphia Daily News, John Murrow wrote an article about Eagles quarterback Nick Foles being placed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In reading the article, you see how Foles has been mastering the mental aspect of playing football. He not only is focused on how best to serve his team but also has learned to focus on what's most important when he is on field. According to Murrow, Foles has been able to zone out the "noise from all the extra attention, accolades and honors", and simply focus on the game of football. 

In my work with athletes, I have several mental skills which Nick Foles successfully utilizes as a professional athlete...

Circle of Control - Identifying and understanding the difference between what you control and don't control. To be a successful athlete, it is essential that you always focus only on what you do control: your attitude, your actions on and off the field, the time you put into practice, physical conditioning and studying game films. 

Avoid The Minefields - An athlete has to be careful not to step on the mental minefields of complaining, blaming, doubting, resigning or questioning yourself or your teammates. Concentrate on what you want to accomplish and achieve to make yourself a better player, and focus on the positive and productive thoughts or images of what you are currently doing or capable of doing.

Tune In/Tune Out - As an athlete, you need to learn how to tune into those things that are beneficial and essential to your performance while, at the same time, tuning out whatever will distract you or take you away from your game. You tune into your strengths, what you control, positive thoughts, serving the team, the present moment, and learning from your mistakes. You tune out negative judgments about yourself, questionable calls from the officials, any frustrations from the previous play, and wondering who will win the game.

Gratitude

(Being Grounded)

Sometimes I wonder
 if the most grateful athletes
 are the ones 
who are most grounded. 

When a player comes 
from a place of gratitude, 
he brings a sense of enjoyment
 and enthusiasm 
to every moment in a game. 
 Being thankful for the ability
 to play the game he loves, 
he can not hold himself back 
from wanting to give 
and serve the greater good.

  Being grounded, 
the roots
 of his character 
run deep.
The desire to play
with heart
fuels his courage 
and compassion.

To give thanks
for his teammates,
for all the trainings and practices
for every moment in the games,
for being healthy,
for each memorable play,
for the support of his coaches,
for his strengths,
and for the people he will 
meet along the way.