The Importance of Mindset

By: John Klessinger - South River High School (MD)

Originally Published in: A Coach's Manual

Provided by: Championship Productions

"Confidence is a very fragile thing, and it certainly is something that has to start with your mental approach and your ability to respond and stay focused and not allow negative thoughts to enter into your own mind. When you're successful, it's easier to expect success. All of a sudden, it's not there; it becomes more of a challenge." - Bill Cowher, Super Bowl Champion Football Coach, Pittsburgh Steelers

Like many of these topics, a few pages will not accurately convey the importance of mindset training. Being a former high-level high school and Division I college wrestler, I have learned the importance of developing the right mindset in my athletes. Unfortunately, I did not learn it as a competitor. I have learned it as a coach. In the 1990s, coaches did not spend much time discussing mindset with their teams. We didn't discuss goal-setting, self-talk, or any specifics to the mental side of sports. It was believed - like being tough - you were either mentally tough or not. It wasn't until the 1980s that the U.S. Olympic Association began incorporating mental training with their athletes. My failures and disappointments as an athlete led me down the road to figuring out why some can perform to a high level when the pressure is on, and some do not.

Through 20 years of relentless study, reading hundreds of books, listening to dozens of audio programs, and hearing countless successful people talk about the subject of performance, I have narrowed it down to a shortlist of effective strategies to develop mental toughness.

1. Gratitude - Being thankful and appreciative almost instantly uplifts us and frees us to perform better. It puts the focus on the good and deemphasizes negative self-talk.
2. Self-talk - Being optimistic and positive is learned. The problem is kids don't learn it at school or home. They (and you and me) are conditioned to think negatively. Society tells us why we are failing. Parents tell us what we are doing wrong or frequently tell us we are better than we are. Self-talk is the crux of any high performer. It creates belief, and belief turns into freedom to play and not be bogged down by our mind.
3. Develop Physical Toughness - When we get physically tougher and able to endure more challenges, we become mentally tougher. Do hard things! Difficult physical tasks require mental strength and make us tougher in our minds.
4. Make it "Fun" - Change your vocabulary to empower you, not limit you. We defeat ourselves with what we say to ourselves. Substitute words like "fun" instead of "hard." "Opportunity" instead of "have to" or "challenge" instead of "fear."
5. Feed your mind with inspiration, motivation, and positivity - By default, when done often, being positive becomes who you are. Mindset or mental training needs to be done consistently and daily. Set reminders on your phone to be happy, positive, smile, and read. Watch inspirational videos. Flood yourself with good stuff.

Almost daily, I spend a few minutes discussing the right mindset for success. I share stories of success. I make photocopies of useful articles I've read and flood them with belief throughout the practice. We have finished every practice for the past 18 years, saying "believe" when breaking out the practice. It is a tradition and a subtle reminder that "belief" is necessary to be successful.