Is Mental Performance Training Only for the Mentally Weak?

One stigma of mental performance training is that it signals to yourself, your teammates, and coaches that you are mentally weak. This is a detrimental mindset that keeps numerous athletes from improving their game and playing closer to their potential. This blog post is aimed at showing you how mental performance work is simply another area of training, not a sign of a weak mind.

The most direct answer I can give to this question is how mental performance work is simply another area of training that rounds out an athlete’s skill set. A player may have different coaches for development in technique/skills, strength and conditioning, physical therapy, nutrition, and more depending on the sport. A mental performance coach is simply adding to this important system of coaches.

The better the athlete, the more coaches they typically have as each one has a specialized area of training to be able to give the athlete what they need. Take for instance the difference between youth players and professionals - the youth player is still learning the basics and doesn’t have as much capacity to learn about nutrition in addition to all they are working on in their sport. A professional player has been training so long that the need to gain an edge in any department of training they can, whether that’s nutrition, workouts in the gym, or how to effectively think and control emotions, is worth pursuing.

Additionally, the mind increasingly becomes a potential threat as someone grows up and is faced with life’s demands and stressors. The mind can work with a person (their thought patterns and self-talk are positive in nature and focus on functional thoughts/perspectives when faced with challenges and stress). The mind can also work against someone (their thought patterns and self-talk are negative in nature and focus on dysfunctional thoughts/perspectives when faced with challenges and stress).

Athletes can control for this or even get ahead of the mind becoming an enemy by engaging in mental performance work. The brain is plastic, meaning it has the ability to change and adapt throughout life in response to experience. You can think of the brain as another muscle that has a unique way of training that too many athletes ignore because they may feel “mentally weak” if they engage in this work. It’s the opposite that’s true. The athlete who understands the brain is an important factor in determining performance should feel confident about seeking mental performance training and excited at the gains they will make in the process. In fact, the athlete who is so self-conscious of others knowing they work with a mental performance coach that they ignore it needs this type of work the most!

Several decades ago, it was a shock to hear someone go to the weight room to improve their game. It wasn’t popular, and you probably got some weird looks from teammates if you focused on strength and conditioning back then. Today, it’s incredibly obvious that working on muscle strength/endurance is integral to sport performance.

Mental performance work is in the same position today, although it’s climbing quickly. It’s no secret the brain is one of the most impactful factors in feeling confident and playing consistently. In a short time, sports as a whole are going to wonder why training your brain wasn’t always so common.

Summary

An athlete starts working on their mental performance because they want to improve their game, period. Mental performance training would certainly help someone who doesn’t feel confident simply because it’s another area of training that would instill confidence in any athlete. An athlete not engaged in an area of training, like strength and conditioning, is going to feel more confident as they get in the weight room and build muscle.

Most athletes admit the extraordinary role their mind plays in determining performance day in and day out, yet many don’t have a coach in this domain. Working with a mental performance coach helps round out the training an athlete does as they strive to perform more consistently to their potential. Enjoying a healthier mind throughout the journey is an added bonus!