When you watch the nightly sports highlights on TV, you see high-flying basketball players dunking and lightning-fast football players racing past defenders and into the endzone. You may assume they're simply genetically-gifted athletes whose natural talents surpass the vast majority of the population, and in part, you're right. But such inherent talent is hardly the sole factor in athletic success; mental toughness plays a hefty role as well.
The Role of Mental Toughness in Athletic Competition
Mental toughness in a sporting context doesn't refer simply to your ability to shake off a painful tackle or fight through fatigue. It's a combination of preparedness, goal orientation and the will to overcome challenges. There have been many athletes over the years labeled as talented but "soft," meaning that despite having natural gifts greater than most of their opposition, they tend to fold when confronted by adversity. For this very reason, opposing coaches and players will often play mind games with such players, talking trash and calling timeouts to "ice" their nerves before a game's crucial moments, among other tactics. Lesser talented players can sometimes defeat more gifted opponents by simply being more mentally tough and relentless.
Tips
Although mental toughness in sports is not a tangible trait such as speed or strength, it can be practiced and elevated just the same. Develop a pre-game routine that you follow religiously, so that your mind is consistently free of cluttern. Eliminate negative thinking and put a positive internal spin on big challenges, such as hitting a 95-mile-per hour fastball or making a jump shot with the clock ticking down. Remain focused on the task at hand despite potential distractions, and believe in yourself as you would the best player in the world in your specific sport.
Crowd Pressure
Dealing with roaring crowds is another mental challenge for athletes. This is especially true when playing on the road, where the opposition's fans will often make noise as you attempt to make a free-throw or pitch a strike. Opposing fans will often go as far as to heckle you, downgrading your abilities and even screaming personal insults. To prepare for this, try practicing with crowd noise or loud music blaring from nearby speakers. Use the fans' taunts as motivation to perform, aiming to send them home lamenting the loss you just handed their team. However, don't focus on it to the point that it becomes overly personal or distracting.
Forget the Bad
You may watch a baseball game and wonder how a baseball player mired in a 1-for-20 slump or a basketball player who's missed his past eight shots can show the same facial expressions as they do when they're enjoying success. This is part of being successful at sports. You must be able to quickly forget failure. Cornerbacks in football are often referred to as "playing on an island," which means they're by often themselves with no help. Eventually, even the best get beaten by speedy wide receivers. But the NFL's best cornerbacks are able to develop amnesia when it comes to failure; otherwise, their struggles can carry over to the next play, causing them to over-think rather than play instinctually.
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