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Welcome to Coach Traub's Newsletter
Mental Skills Tips
Mental Skills Training = Performance Enhancement and Personal Growth
My goal is to add value to your sporting efforts and inform you of events, services, and products that I provide that can further that effort. I always welcome your comments, questions, stories, or MVP nominations.
This issue's theme:RELENTLESSNESS
"Relentlessness is always a good thing, I don't care what you do for a living."
-Tony LaRussa
Contents:
I Will Give My Best Effort No Matter What; I Will Compete
Coaching Point: Catch them doing it right
"Overheard" from Inside the Minds of Great Athletes
EXTRAordinary Quotes
I Will Give My Best Effort No Matter What; I Will Compete
Today’s Mental Skills Tip – All coaches are looking for signs of leadership and toughness from their players. They'll see these signs when their athletes truly understand what it means to give their best effort one pitch at a time. So often, unfortunately, athletes allow the situation to keep them from this lofty goal. Many don't truly max out their effort until it's perceived to be a particularly important game, opponent, or audience. Some "gamers" coast along early in the contest and truly put out their best effort only when they fall behind or it's close in the late innings. Many others push at the start, then coast if they get a lead
.
Others quit working hard when way behind, subconsciously thinking that a comeback is too unlikely to deserve their best effort. Most have a natural letdown when the opponent is perceived to be weak.
Coasting is not the only reason athletes fail to relentlessly give their best effort one pitch at a time. "Normal" competitors have trouble staying confident when things aren't going well, and they don't perform as well when they're not confident. Some athletes become negative when it's too cold, too hot, too steep, too bumpy, too far, too dry, too wet, or too dirty -- even though they know they give a better effort when they are positive and having fun. Many lose intensity in particular situations, like a 3-0 count, 0-2 count, 2 outs and none on, or hitting with none on base (RBI lovers). Some stop putting out their best effort when they perceive (whether it's true or not) that the umpire, a teammate, or a coach is putting out less than his or her best effort.
Whatever the situation, all of these examples represent a lack of mental toughness, a lack of leadership by example, and a missed opportunity to practice giving another best effort performance.
Hopefully athletes learn the dangers of letting an inferior opponent hang around, the risks of taking any situation lightly, and the joys of walking through the door that the other team left open for a great comeback. Hopefully athletes learn to compete one pitch at a time. Now ask yourself: what about relentlessness in practice? (See the Andrew Carnegie quote below.)
COACHING POINT - Make sure your athletes understand that to play the game the right way means to give a best effort performance to whatever they are doing RIGHT NOW. This is the only performance we have any control over, and this is the only way to reach the goal of approaching our potential. Approaching potential is a wonderful top goal because it focuses us on what can be controlled to help us reach all our other goals, such as winning, looking good, getting more playing time, getting recruited to the next level, etc. When you catch an athlete working hard in an environment that provides little external rewards, seize this opportunity to praise.
"Overheard" from the Minds of some Great Athletes:
'Normal' Self-Talk can be transformed into
Fantastic Self-Talk
Change: This umpire is horrible. to
No excuses. I've got to do everything I can do on this next pitch to help us win this game.
Change: This practice isn't as important as Friday's game. to
The only performance that matters is the one I'm giving right now.
Change: I'm tired. to  I'm tired of being less than what I'm capable of being.
Change: It's so hot/cold. I can't believe we have two games today. to
These conditions must be tough... for the other team.
Change: Here we go again. Another losing effort. to
I'll do my part for a comeback that can turn this ship around.
Change: We've got this game in the bag. to
I'm making every pitch count. That's not running up the score, that's playing the game right.
Change: I'll have some extra left in the tank for later to
I'll give my best effort right now.
Change: That play was horrible. to
No excuses. I've got to do everything I can do on this next pitch to help us win this game.
In fact, a good strategy for building relentlessness is to add this idea on the end of any thoughts during practices or games.
I've got to do everything I can do right now to help us win! OR
No excuses! OR
Find a way!
Coach Washburn: You can bring Coach Traub straight to your team!
Probably free. Reply to this email for details.
EXTRAordinary Quotes:
Steve Garvey, "You must be passionate. You must dedicate yourself, and you must be relentless in the pursuit of your goals. If you do, you will be successful."
Evander Holyfield, "To be the very best you can be, you have to have the intellect. My body just does what my mind tells it to. Losers quit. When you have a sound mind, you can do what is necessary."
Carl Yastrzemski, "I'll never look back and say that I could have done more. I've paid the price in practice, and I know I get the most out of my ability."
John Wooden, "Discipline yourself and others won't need to."
John Wooden, "Do not mistake activity for achievement."
Andrew Carnegie, "The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world tips its hat to those who devote more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%."
Buy Coach Traub's Book/DVD Coaches Guide to Winning the Mental Game today!
Coach Art Senato said, "We watch a chapter from your DVD every time the weather keeps us off our field, then we talk about it. Those practices may be our best practices."
Coach Wooden Quote-of-the-Month: "Never make excuses. Your friends don't need them and your foes won't believe them."
Coaches Reminder: "They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
Players Reminder: "You can either find a way or you can find an excuse, but you can't do both."
May your hunt for excellence be fruitful and never-ending.
May you not only hold on to the dreams you’ve had, but also dream greater
dreams than before. May you not only enjoy this land and its wealth, but also
enjoy the wind at your back as you make it a better place to live
by giving and loving generously.
God bless.
Coach Traub
Enjoy your job. Know your job. Do your job!
www.CoachTraub.com
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