While athletes prepare for competition by physically training for hours during practice, weight lifting, or conditioning, how much time do they spend working on mental skills training and increasing mental toughness?

The importance of being mentally tough is something athletes hear often. But what does it mean? How does being mentally tough improve athletic performance?

ental toughness is an acquired skill and mindset that helps you stay calm and collected during competition, so as to boost performance and decrease the likelihood of mistakes or lapses in focus. Mental toughness is built through mental skills training, which includes various techniques and exercises designed to give you a competitive edge. 

Whether your sport is individual or team, mental skills training can help boost your performance potential. Examples of mental skills training include working on:

• Self-esteem

• Performance Anxiety

• Focus

• Emotional Regulation and Arousal Control

• Motivation

• Goal-Setting

• Team Building

Lana is a former Division 1 collegiate athlete and a current high school sports coach who understands various demands and stress placed on athletes and coaches. In addition, she has ample experience working with Division 1 collegiate teams, individual athletes, and coaches on mental skills training and increasing mental toughness. She understands each athlete has unique needs and will work with to figure out how to optimize your sport performance through mental skills training. 

If you are interested in learning more about our sports performance counseling services, please call us at 847.220.6981 or contact us online.