Perform At Your Best

I'M NOT CRAZY, WHY SHOULD I NEED MENTAL SKILLS TRAINING?

You arrive early for every practice and leave late after watching hours of game film. You practice for hours a day and tell yourself you are ready for competition. You hit the weight room, fuel your body with nutrients, and discuss a game plan with your coaches. Game time approaches, you begin to sweat, your heart races, negative thoughts about your performance begin to race through your mind. Your confidence fades and you begin to feel angry, frustrated, and disappointed. You struggle to understand why you continue to crumble under pressure despite long hours of practice and preparation.

What is it really about? Mental skills training is the other piece of the puzzle. It is the jelly to the PB&J of an athlete's training (the peanut butter being your physical training!). In order to perform at your best, YOU NEED BOTH! Athletes and performers are emotional beings. We feel, dream, and grow passionate about our sport. Which means, success involves your commitment to dive deep, talk about your fears so that you can face them head on.

WHAT IS MENTAL SKILLS TRAINING? WHAT CAN IT DO FOR ME?

Adding mental skills training to your counseling session will first allow for us to identify the mental areas that you may be struggling with. Do you constantly put yourself down (i.e. "I suck" or "Why am I such a failure?")? Do you apply too much pressure to your performance (i.e. "My parents expect me to do well." or "I need to do well in this game so I can get recruited/drafted.")? Do you feel stressed and constantly suffer from injuries? Are you trying to return to your sport after an injury and fear re-injury? Do you struggle to get along with your coach or teammates?

All these questions/issues (and more) can be worked on through:

Decreasing anxiety by teaching the athlete relaxation skills, imagery, yoga stretches, etc.
Increasing self-esteem through the education of positive self-talk and self-confidence techniques
Increasing concentration and focus through the practice of vision/eye movement and concentration exercises
Preparing for the next level of sport by teaching proper goal setting (season, performance, process, and personal goals)
Easing the athlete back into their sport after injury through the education of mental rehabilitation techniques
Increasing team cohesiveness through team building and positive communication exercises

Together, we can work to ease your negative thoughts, pressure, and stress while increasing your confidence, mind-body connection, and truly embrace the love you have for your game.