This really does not make any sense at all!! At first sight, this title makes no sense whatsoever. Athletes train very hard to perform at their best. They compete to win and establish mental goals to achieve their dreams. So, how could it be possible that they would accept defeat in order to win? The burden of needing or wanting to win is extremely high, regardless of whether it is a young athlete or an …
Athletes that play against weaker opponents tend to become overly confident and fall into the trap of counting victory too soon. Players and coaches quite commonly prepare to compete against weaker opponents under that strong assumption that success is a forgone conclusion. Unfortunately, we all know by personal experience or by watching top athletes’ performance how such a mental approach ends up biting them back. In a recent squash match, a physically strong player stepped …
If I could mange distractions during my sports performance, I’d be able to achieve my peak potential! Distraction and losing focus are very common experiences that athletes find challenging to manage. For example: A tennis player lost the last four games and, during the changeover, he starts having uncontrollable negative thoughts. Elizabeth is bound to shoot her best round of golf and, as she is about to tee off, she pays too much attention to …
Sports injuries can be devastated for any athlete. Hopes and dreams to achieve big goals can disappear in just a second. Immediately after the injury, some athletes may fall in a negative thinking spiral that affects not only any hope to coming back, but also a psychological damage that further delays the healing process. It is right after injury takes place that immediate psychological support can provide a huge favorable outcome. Research has found that …
This past weekend, we witnessed an unprecedented come from behind win by the U.S Women’s golf team as they defeated the European side despite the huge odds against them. Needing to win 8 ½ points out of 12 being disputed, they faced the highly favorite European team with total focus and determination. In the early morning on the last day of play, Sunday, an unfortunate sportsmanship incident prevented the U.S. team from possibly earning a …
