Too often young players don’t allow themselves to take control of their own development. The sooner you take control of your development as a player and person the better off you will be.

The most common mistake I see people make when it comes to improving their mindset is not knowing exactly what mindset training is.

1. Mindset work is NOT the same as counseling or therapy (which are also very important). The terms used in the field are: mental performance, mental conditioning, or mental skills training.
2. This type of training proactively builds self-awareness, creates a plan, and applies these mental & emotional tools. Think of prehab vs only doing rehab.
3. This training is very similar to how a personal trainer would teach you physical exercises. Mindset coaches teach mental exercises that build, clarity, confidence, and resilience.

Let’s be more proactive versus reactive with our mental skills.

This might be a bit foreign to some players as they have always been taught to listen to their Coach. Coaches are an important part of your journey, yes, but you must remember that you are in charge of you. Take everything you can from every coach you encounter. Keep what makes sense to you and trash the rest. You can always pick through the trash later.

Coaches are there to support you on your journey but you have to lead the way. When you figure out what it is that you need to work on, then you can create a strategy and execute it on you own and at your pace.