Over the years I have had the opportunity to coach many players and one thing I can say without reservation is that the best players were all mentally tough. It’s a hard concept to explain until you see it, but it’s obvious when you see a player who has it.

To make my point clear, not all top athletes have it. No, all Major League players are mentally tough and there are many who never make it to the Major Leagues who have great mental toughness. It’s not about skill, I’ve trained many great athletes who had no idea to be mentally tough and would give up under pressure. They might perform well when nothing was on the line, but when the game was balanced or the competition was tough, they usually failed.
 
On the other hand, I’ve seen many average-skilled, but mentally tough players play in a way no one thought they could. A decisive strike, a key touch, a great defensive play that stopped a play, mentally strong players get the job done. In fact, the higher the pressure, the better they perform.
 
One thing I have come to understand from experience is that mental toughness is not an innate trait of DNA, but rather develops over time and exposure to adverse conditions. Mental toughness preparation begins with experiences at a young age. Parents can play a key role in beginning the mental toughness training process, but they need help along the way. A disciplined educational system with high expectations and good classroom rules, coupled with tough but fair coaches (or mentors in other activities) with a positive mindset, is essential to a child’s mental development, athlete or not.
 
This is one of the many reasons why it is important for all children to participate in balanced and organized extracurricular activities from a young age: karate, gymnastics, ballet, music, scouts, children and youth activities at church or youth sports will play a big role. part in beginning to instill the discipline and structure that is needed to develop mentally. Notice I said start playing separately. It requires time and preparation.

Developing mental toughness (and leadership skills) is also a reason athletes should engage in a proper training program when they are 14 or 15 years old. A training program not only helps develop power, strength, and agility, but is also important for mental development. Players must be held accountable to a mentor (coach, coach, etc.), as well as to the camaraderie and pressure of a small group of teammates, even if it’s just one or two others.
 
If a player is involved in a training program before the age of 14 or 15, it should be for the purpose of training agility and speed, in addition to teaching proper techniques in strength conditioning without weights. Before beginning any training program, consult your child’s doctor during their annual physical exam, as each child’s development is unique.
 
Definition of mental toughness
Mental toughness is having the psychological edge that allows one to perform at peak effort and efficiency during the demands placed on them during training, practice, or competition. Specifically, when the demands are greater or the conditions become adverse.
Whenever the demands are greater is when the characteristics of mental strength are more evident.

Some of the many characteristics that are evident when a player is mentally tough include:

– Self-confidence
– Self motivation
-Approach
– Approach
– Composition
– Tranquility
– poise
– self control
-Positive energy
– Determination
– Persistence
-Leadership
 
Note that this does not mean that the result is always a win, in many cases these attributes may show up more during a loss, especially a close loss to a difficult opponent or during adverse conditions. But over time and with careful training, the mental toughness of skilled players comes to light in the championships won.
 
Developing Mental Toughness

To become mentally strong, one must practice the attributes that lead to mental toughness. I wish there was a formula to follow, but there isn’t. It takes time and patience under the right leadership to develop mental toughness. Parents, educators, coaches, and other mentors should be consistently involved in the training process.
 
Also, you need failure and the ability to bounce back. Many people develop mental toughness through the experience of failure. Good parents don’t want their children to fail, and I understand that. But today, too many blame others for failure. Parents are quick to blame the teacher for problems in class or the coach when the child doesn’t excel in an activity. Mental toughness cannot be properly developed when blaming others. In fact, the opposite is the case.
 
Here are a couple of examples:

“Every strikeout got me closer to my next home run.” Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth grew up in an orphanage. During his playing career, he struck out a record 1,330 times on his way to hitting a career-high 714 home runs.
                                                                                                               
“Failure makes me try harder next time.” Michael Jordan   

Jordan was only 5’7″ when he entered high school. Due to his speed and athleticism (and an older brother named Larry who the coaches knew well) he was invited to try out for the varsity team, but did not make it. He was placed in the JV team where he routinely scored 25-30 points per game. In his junior year, he was 6’4″ and made the varsity. By then, he not only had the ability to play, but also the drive and determination to succeed, while he demanded the same from his teammates. His older brother, Larry, also had a lot to do with developing his toughness on the court.
 
Edmund Hillary failed three times before finally being the first to climb Mount Everest.
 
Bill Gates and Steve Allen (his Microsoft co-founder) failed in their first business, Traf-O-Matic, which was developed to analyze traffic patterns.
 
Walt Disney’s first animation business in the 1920s failed after only a month, forcing him to take a job with another company at the time. Coaches, you can train your players to become mentally strong, but it takes time, persistence and hard work. But the results are worth it.