Maybe It's My Fault - Michael Jordan

“Maybe it’s my own fault. Maybe I led you to believe it was easy when it wasn’t. Maybe I made you think my highlights started at the free throw line, and not in the gym. Maybe I made you think that every shot I took was a game winner. That my game was built on flash, and not fire. Maybe it’s my fault that you didn’t see that failure gave me strength; that my pain was my motivation. Maybe I led you to believe that basketball was a God given gift, and not something I worked for every single day of my life. Maybe I destroyed the game. Or maybe you’re just making excuses.” - Michael Jordan

Mental Toughness in Sports - Up Your Game with Mental Imagery

How Mental Imagery Works

When an athlete imagines himself performing to perfection, he is physiologically creating neutral brain patterns that are similar to small tracks engraved in the brain cells. This enables the athlete to perform certain stratgies, moves, tricks, etc. by mentally practicing those tasks first in his mind. Mental imagery is intended to train the athlete's mind, thus showing the body exactly how to react or perform when during practice or competition

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Practical Application of Mental Imagery

It’s true that we move closer to what we focus on. If an athlete imagines missing a shot, or how good the other team is, or even fears injury, it harms his game concentration and affects the outcome. It’s absolutely essential that athletes visualize success and victory.  Steven Balzac, a psychology professor and former nationally ranked fencer says, “If we imagine success, we prepare ourselves for success because that’s what’s in our heads.” Remember that we if don't beleive in ourself and our abilities, no on else will for us.

It’s important to remember that athletes use imagery in different ways. Their imagery may not involve just visual images, but sounds, smells or touch. It really depends on the person. Another important aspect of mental imagery is for the athlete to watch and study his sports heroes and imagine that he is making those same shots with precision. Does this mean the athlete will always perform at top level? No…we’re human and we all have bad days on occasion. But visualization and mental imagery increases the chance of increased and sustained success.

Results of Mental Imagery

Of course physical practice is always the best way for an athlete to improve his skill level and race to the top of his game. However, mental imagery is better than no practice at all and, incorporated with physical practice, is the best way to see optimal results. Continuous studies are always being conducted to determine just how much mental imagery plays into the increased success of athletes. And, for the rest of us, imagining ourselves more successful is never a waste of time if we are also spending equal or more time physically developing our skill set. The time spent in mental imagery is beneficial not only to the athlete but to the business person, the student, the entrepreneur, and anyone else who desires to develop and increase their level of play. The more mental imagery is studied; more effective techniques can be developed and adapted by athletes…and the rest of us.

 

"So basically it's up to you mentally whether or not you are going to up your game. If you want to land that 1080 on your snowboard, think it out and visualize every aspect from the approach, the takeoff, movements while in the air and a perfect landing. It doesn't matter whether you compete in action sports or mainstream sports, mental imagery will increase your chances of success." ~Kyle Bingham~
 
(Portions of article courtesy of Michelle Hill http://www.winningproof.com/)

3 Keys to Success in Sports

The three (must have) important factors to achievements in any type of sport or activity are excellent instructions, practice and repetition, and most of all – belief in in your abilities.

You must have a good instructor or coach. Many people have a incorrect outlook about teaching a new strategy and setting unrealistic expectations for that athlete. Some coaches think that once they show an athlete a new strategy the person should be able to utilize it right away. Furthermore, some athletes believe that they should be able to make improvements in their activity, and have it pay off right away. Change does not occur instantaneously.

Practice makes perfect. Athletes must practice what they have been taught to be able to put it into into practice. Why? Old routines are hard to alter. So any time you learn something new (or shown something new), it requires a lot of repeating to alter or change.

Learning, practice, and repeating alone sometimes are unsuccessful. The third and most important key to achievements (which is more about the psychological game) is when an athletes truly believes in and understands their abilities and what they have learned. You or your teammates might have excellent skill or strategy, but you must believe in what you have learned in practice through repetition to be able to utilize it against competitors. A deficit of belief in in one's abilities is the top reason athletes cannot do it again during a game, like they do during practice.

What’s the cause for lack of mental toughness and awareness? Several psychological activity limitations can get in the way:

•Fear of failure
•Perfectionism
•Unrealistic expectations
•Focusing on outcomes, rather than the process
•Pressure of being in the big game

So get out of your own way and quit over controlling your body or over-coaching yourself! Keep in mind that change does not occur instantaneously. It requires excellent instructions, exercise and repetition, and belief in in your abilities to have success in sports. Give it time and you will have the ability to reach your goals. This quote by Michael Jordan puts this all into perspective:

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." ~Michael Jordan~

"Winners do what Losers won't!"

"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision."
Muhammad Ali

SKLZ - Your Performance Training Tools Resource

SKLZ is the innovator in athletic training, and is the premier developer and marketer of athletic performance and skill development training products for serious athletes of all ages. The flagship brand of Pro Performance Sports, SKLZ delivers broad lines of training products across a variety of sports, including baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse and more. SKLZ focuses on transforming innovative concepts into effective sports training products that help athletes reach their full potential. With international headquarters in San Diego, California, the company delivers durable, high-performance trainers that can be found internationally at major sporting goods retailers, specialty shops, and mass merchants. (courtesy of http://www.sklz.com/)

SKLZ basically offers 2 different ways to train:

1. Skill - Get better at your sport.

• - Skill Training includes: Baseball, Golf. Fastpitch, Soccer, Basketball, Football, Lacrosse, Racquet and Volleyball.

2. Performance - Be more athletic.

• - Performance Training includes: Speed, Agility, Quickness, Power, Acceleration, Strength, Lateral Movement, Vertical Leap, Balance and Core Strength.

So when you are ready to take your game to the next level, SKLZ is your answer!

New Baseball Training System includes 5 tools to enhance speed, quickness, strength and reaction time.

What's You Deepest Fear?

I don't think that it matters whether you snowboard, skateboard, wakeboard or play basketball, football, soccer or any other sport out there. The problem with taking your skills to the next level is understanding what drives those fears and learn to overcome. I love how the perspective of fear is changed in this quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?" ~ Marianne Williamson ~

Think about it.... once we understand our true capabilities as athletes, we are then ready to that power and elevate our skills to the next level. Now get out there and step it up!

Maybe you're just making excuses!

What an awesome message that Michael Jordan is making to all of us that are trying to become successful in life! This is a perfect reminder that if we truly want to succeed we have to be willing to devote every day of our lives to become better.

"Excuses are the tools with which persons with no purpose in view build for themselves great monuments of nothing." – Unknown

"Ninety-nine percent of all failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses." – George Washington Carver

Simply take a moment and look yourself in the mirror and decide.... Are you doing everything that you can, or are you just making excuses?