Your athletes need deep mental toughness because in most sporting contests, the actual “skill” difference between opponents is very small…less than 10% in most cases.

Therefore, it’s not the best athlete who wins on competition day: it’s the athlete who performs the best. And the #1 way to perform your best is to get “in the zone” – the mental place where you are confident, focused, and in a cocoon of concentration.

The problem is that most athletes are never in the zone – and if they do manage to get there, they have no idea how to re-create this state. This is because they are making the same two mistakes over and over again.

The first mistake is that they do NOTHING to mentally prepare for their event. They follow a simple routine (eat, nap, warm up) and then invoke some silly superstition, like wearing the same socks for weeks on end.

This is leaving your performance, and I do NOT recommend it.

The second mistake most athletes make is that when they lack confidence or are hit with overwhelming nerves, they play it safe. They stay inside their comfort zone and play not to lose. They withdraw energy from practice and competition so that they can’t be hurt or disappointed.

Of course, this guarantees a poor performance. In sport, you need to be aggressive and confident, right from the start.

After working with thousands of recreational, elite, and Olympic athletes to help them win over the past 19 years, I realized there are two basic approaches to winning under pressure.

While most coaches are using very traditional sports psychology methods and getting pretty mediocre results, superstar coaches and athletes are using quite different methods and winning consistently (much to the dismay of their rivals).

On one hand, it really bothered me that so many coaches and athletes had no idea about the winning mental toughness strategies of superstars, because they were obviously talented and dedicated.

On the other hand, I was fascinated by what superstar coaches and athletes were doing to dominate their sports.

That’s why I dove deeply into the subject of deep mental toughness. I wanted to learn the REAL secrets of deep mental toughness for eliminating choking under pressure and how to teach them to athletes so they can be flawless in their biggest events.

I’m not talking about traditional sports psychology methods like “relaxation training” where you lie in a room relaxing your muscles (and wondering why) or “positive thinking” where you repeat positive affirmations to yourself that never seem to stick…

I’m talking about a specific, practical mental toughness formula for creating breakthrough confidence under pressure in sport that can be repeated over and over to win.

Discovering this formula made me a 3-time World Champion in my sport and since then, I’ve taught it over 4,200 recreational, elite, and Olympic athletes in over 16 countries worldwide. It’s been my lifelong career.

Today you will learn how to dramatically improve your ability to ability to build deep mental toughness in your athletes so they can win under pressure by showing them how to defeat fear and create confidence instead.

Here’s what you will discover in this webinar:

• The little-known reason why most coaches and parents unwittingly sabotage their athletes (you will shake your head in amazement that you did not see this)
• A fear-busting, mental toughness formula that will cure the root cause of fear in your athletes the moment you share it with them
• The three extraordinary (yet simple) techniques that will get your athletes opening up to you within moments

To start the video, just click on the play button below:

To download a transcript of this session, click here.

Here is a set of ACTION STEPS you can take to immediately help your athletes build deep mental toughness. These steps are based on the first element of the formula I cover in the above video, which is how to diagnose and prescribe a solution for the fear of competing. Ask your athletes these exact questions.

I’ve basically given you a SCRIPT for exactly what to say to your athletes, including what exercises to give them. You can use these scripts in a 1 on 1 setting or while giving a group presentation.

Also, I’ve included a PDF download a the end of this section you can print out that will give you even more examples.

Step 1 – ACTION Step: What Mistake Do You Fear?

What is your biggest fear about your own performance? What is the ONE mistake you are terrified of making? For example, if you are a tennis player, are you afraid of not being able to get to the ball and having your opponent blow shots by you?

I worked with a kayaker once and she told me that her biggest fear was “going swimming.” In her sport, “swimming” means that the kayak tips over and you go underwater until you can right your boat. It’s one of the most embarrassing things that can happen.

Write down the mistake you are most afraid of making in a big competition. Note: do NOT write down something that an opponent might do, or something completely out of your control, like bad weather on the ski hill. Write down a specific mistake that you fear – something YOU are afraid of doing or not doing.

Step 2 – Set A RIGHT FOCUS Goal

Your next step is to set a goal for this competition that will give you the best chance possible of avoiding your biggest mistake.

The way your goal does this is by raising your awareness of your technique or strategy. This is called a RIGHT FOCUS goal.

Your Right Focus is:

1. Under your direct control, and
2. Tactical (strategic, not technical)

When I say ‘under your direct control’, I mean just that.

You can control it 100% of the time.

In other words, no one can prevent you from doing it (not even yourself!).
For example…

You can’t control making a shot, winning a point, scoring a goal, or getting a personal best. If you could control these things, they would ALWAYS happen every time you compete, as often as you wanted.

Here are some examples of things that ARE under your control:

Skating low and lateral across the blue line…

Watching the ball the second it leaves your opponent’s racquet…

Looking at the ball while you’re swinging your club…

You get the idea.

The second thing your Right Focus must be is strategic.

It’s the opposite of technical.

For example…

Most baseball players at the plate think about their weight distribution, the location of their hands, or the turn of their hips.

This is a technical focus. They’re thinking about technique.

Hank Aaron, holder of Major League Baseball records for home runs, never did that in games.

What did Aaron focus on?

His strategy.

“I stayed up thinking about the pitcher I was going to face the next day……my whole pattern of thinking would be: “What is good for Koosman, what works good for Koosman, and how is he going to try and get me out?”
But here’s the key…

Aaron didn’t just THINK about his strategy. He visualized it. “I used to play every pitcher in my mind before I went to the ballpark…I would start visualizing myself, like I’m standing at the plate, with runners at first and second, or second and third, whichever, how he’s going to pitch me in that given situation.”

More RIGHT FOCUS Examples

To help you, here are some more RIGHT FOCUS examples…

Let’s imagine that you are a volleyball player and your biggest fear is that you will not make a “kill” (spike the ball and score a point) in the upcoming game.

And, let’s assume that the REASON you don’t make kills when you are nervous is because you get so uptight that you leave early to jump and hit the ball rather than stay calm and get your timing right.

Therefore, your RIGHT FOCUS goal will be to make sure that when you try to make a kill, your timing is “just right.” You are not “too early” or “too late.”

If this is your goal for the entire match, chances are you will get your timing right. And, chances are you will make a KILL.

Here’s another example. Just last week I talked to a goalie who was disappointed by his latest try-out.

GOALIE: “I really struggled in try outs – there were 12 goalies and 6 made it. I should have been able to get noticed more.”

LISA: “What is the biggest mistake you were making?”

GOALIE: “I could have covered my angles more. People have told me that all season – to make sure I’m always following the puck and not the player.”

LISA: “If you DON’T follow the puck and you follow the player, what happens?”

GOALIE: “When I follow the player I’m too far back into my net – I’m almost on top of the goal line, and I let in more goals. When I follow the puck I push out and challenge.”

See, you’d never make a mistake intentionally.

It only happens because your AWARENESS of something is a little bit low. This happens in pressure situations because when your anxiety goes up, your awareness goes down a bit.

In my goalie’s case, his awareness of where he is in the net can get low. To correct it, he needs to set a RIGHT FOCUS goal to follow the puck.

At this point I asked him the obvious question: “Did you have a GOAL to follow the puck?”

I’m sure you can guess the answer: No.

Here are some more examples of RIGHT FOCUS goals:

Tennis
Watch what you opponent is doing (e.g., Is he attacking the net? Playing to your backhand?)

Hockey
Take the puck and drive to the net with speed.

Basketball
Keep the exact right gap between you and your check when on defense.

Volleyball
To communicate with your setter.

Golf
Keep your eye on the ball when putting.

ACTION Step – Your RIGHT FOCUS Goal

Write down the name of your next competition. Then, write down a goal for this competition that is under your control. This is your RIGHT FOCUS goal.

Step 3 – Commit To Your RIGHT FOCUS Goal

Step 3 is the most difficult one of all. It’s to COMMIT to your RIGHT FOCUS goal. By this I mean that you decide that your goal is the most important thing in your life during your competition…and you’ll do anything to achieve it.

Whenever I’m working with athletes, sometimes they will say to me things like, “Lisa, what if I forget my goal?”

At this point I ask them, “Do you ever forget what the score is?”

No, every athlete knows what the score or standings are…because she CARES more about them than anything else.

When you care as much about your RIGHT FOCUS goal as you care about the score, or your ranking, or the standings, you will find your nerves melt away and choking becomes a thing of the past. This is because you are completely committed to achieving a goal that is 100% under your control, and it’s all you can think about.

Why Committing To Your RIGHT FOCUS Is Difficult

If you’re objective, you can see that as long as you don’t over-think things, coming up with a RIGHT FOCUS is pretty easy.

It’s just that COMMITTING to it is hard. And, often it’s hard for good reason.

Case in point:

The other day, I was playing tennis and chose the simple RIGHT FOCUS of watching the ball religiously.

I did this because my tennis partner is sneaky. I can never tell if she’s going to hit the ball shallow or deep. If I don’t watch the ball from the second it leaves her racquet, I’m toast.

Well, my RIGHT FOCUS of watching the ball lasted for about 20 minutes.

Then, it “spontaneously” left me.

I noticed and ordered myself to re-instate it – NOW.

…No luck.

Instead of chastising myself, I took a break to trouble-shoot my mindset. I asked my brain:

“What gives? Why can’t you keep the RIGHT FOCUS? It’s totally working.”

The answer came quickly. I was exhausted, having just done a 48 hour fast (no food) for a medical procedure.

My body was done, and did not want to be pushed. (Watching the ball religiously has one consequence above all others: it gives me a chance to run down every ball).

When I don’t keep this RIGHT FOCUS in tennis, some shots go whizzing by me. I don’t have to expend any effort at all. (But I don’t hit the ball, either).

You can see that COMMITTING to the RIGHT FOCUS has a price.

Going to the wall physically is just one.

Your RIGHT FOCUS might challenge your comfort zone…or make you face a technical weakness…or anger a jealous teammate who wants you to fail.

Whatever the price, I suggest you pay it, and reach your potential.

To re-cap:

1. Your RIGHT FOCUS is about what you need to pay attention to that’s under your control.
2. To win, you need to COMMIT to your RIGHT FOCUS completely.
3. If you’re having trouble keeping your RIGHT FOCUS, turn inward and find out WHY. What is the price you have to pay, and why is it so hard today?

Resolve to pay the price — in full, and in advance. If you do, intense nerves will become a thing of the past, and success will be within your grasp.

Here is a PDF you can download. It has even more examples you can use and includes some written exercises as well. Just click on the image below:

If you have a passion for mental game coaching, you can teach athletes how to build deep mental toughness and win while creating additional income for yourself in the process. The best way to do this is to become a certified Courage to Win Mental Toughness Coach.

This is our training program for coaches, performance consultants, and personal trainers who want to learn the art and science of mental game coaching with athletes. It’s the next step in your training and will give you the skills you need to bring out the best athletes while increasing your income. To see the details of the curriculum, including the tuition fee, click on the image below:

1. Athletes are afraid of many things including making mistakes, failing, and being rejected by coaches, teammates and parents.
2. Since athletes fear things that they cannot control, they become anxious. The more they pressure themselves to attain outcomes they cannot control, and more anxious they get. When their anxiety becomes overwhelming, they choke in big events, and severely under-perform.
3. The way to eliminate choking is to open to your fear rather than avoid it. If you can listen to your fear and diagnose why you are afraid, your fear will subside, because you are now working on a solution to your performance problem. This is called, “Diagnose Before You Prescribe.”
4. When you act like a doctor and DIAGNOSE why you’re not performing well and then come up with a solution, you cure your fear, eliminate choking, and start performing to potential.
5. Here is the 3-step NEVER CHOKE AGAIN Strategy:

Step 1
What Is Your Biggest Fear?
Identify the performance mistake you are most afraid of making.

Step 2
Set a RIGHT FOCUS Goal
To prevent you from making the mistake you fear, set a RIGHT FOCUS goal that raises your awareness so you stop making this mistake. For example, if you are a hockey goalie and the reason you are getting scored on is because you are backing into the net, you could set a RIGHT FOCUS goal to challenge the shooter and come out of your net.

A RIGHT FOCUS goal is:

1. Under your direct control, and
2. Tactical (strategic, not technical)

Step 3
Commit To Your Goal
When you care about achieving your RIGHT FOCUS goal as much as you care about winning and COMMIT to it, nerves and choking will become a thing of the past.

Your friend,
Lisa B.