One of the most important habits that we work on with athletes at SPMI is developing success by compounding mental toughness. Many athletes get caught up in the comparison trap where they look to see what their peers are doing and then replicate their training approach to the sport. Now in rare cases one of their peers could be exceptional among their training habits to where replicating them is beneficial to reaching their full potential.
Congratulations to SPMI athlete Hailey Baptiste! Just last week Hailey won her first WTA tennis match against the 14th ranked player in the world, Madison Keys. Hailey was able to stay mentally strong throughout several very challenging moments in the match-winning in straight sets, 7-6 (4), 6-2. This match was even more special for Hailey as she was playing in front of her hometown crowd in Washington D.C. Hailey has been working on her mental game with SPMI since she was 11 years old with the 1-on-1 online mental training program and it is so great to see how far she has come!
Wanting to know more is a normal part of human behavior and is also a defense mechanism of the brain. This is why many athletes find it so difficult to perform well under pressure. Especially, during those moments when athletes feel like there is something more to lose. But almost every athlete who struggles with pressure also practices this one bad mental habit that keeps them mentally trapped. This habit is wanting to know more.
Congratulations to SPMI athlete Tom Lewis who this past weekend dug deep after ending the first day at the British Open in 118th place. Tom was then able to work his way through, shot by shot, and hole by hole to finish tied in 11th place in golf's last major of the year! One important lesson for all athletes is that mental toughness isn't just about how well one performs under pressure. It is also about how well an athlete responds when the odds are against him.
During competition, the toughest competitor is most likely the one you see in the mirror, yourself! Many athletes start training with SPMI because they notice a big drop in level from practice to competition. These athletes are already performing at a high skill level but really struggle mentally when the game or competition is on the line. Oftentimes, the biggest mistake athletes make in key moments is they start to over-analyze. Many athletes will perceive a situation as more important.
It's 2019 and you may think that you have your New Years Resolution plans all figured out. But why is it that so many athletes and individuals fall short of achieving their resolutions? This can be explained by looking at one simple, yet often misinterpreted concept called habits and rewards. First off, many athletes, coaches, and parents underestimate just how many days in a row are required in order to turn a positive action into a habit. In fact, when we surveyed over 100 athletes as to how many days are required to make a habit, most said 21 days and some even said as low as 3 days!
Getting stuck is a common trend among many athletes striving to be the best. Athletes work hard and see significant improvement throughout their early stages of competing only to find themselves in performance limbo. So why do many athletes fall short of their full potential? The best answer can be explained through 2 simple formulas.
Formula 1: Talent X Effort = Skill
Formula 1 applies to every athlete who is striving to get better. Although this formula is essential for enhanced performance, it is limited in achieving one's full potential.
Congratulations to SPMI athlete Tom Lewis! Tom won his second Portugal Masters on Sunday. He is the only golfer ever to have won the tournament two times.
Congratulations to SPMI athlete Kira Lewis. Kira has worked very hard on her mental game this year and recently placed 2nd in US Nationals in Wakeboarding held in Monroe, Washington. Kira is now on her way to Japan where she will compete in Worlds. Like most SPMI athletes, Kira trains her mental game through 1-on-1 Online Mental Training.
One question many parents and coaches ask about when getting their athlete started on mental training is how young is too young? The answer to this question is based on several factors such as attention acuity, memory retention, and language development. The majority of the youngest athletes who start training at SPMI begin at ages 8 to 10 years old. Athletes under the age of 10 are also pre-evaluated to see which program they qualify for. SPMI's youth mental training program focuses more on behavioral skills training such as routine development, breathing techniques, and goal setting.