Mental Toughness in sports: Is your child hearing VOICES?

July 30, 2012

When it comes to mental toughness in athletes, I am no certified trainer; just a veteran sports mom who’s seen years of mental battles. And after 20 years of watching my kids play sports, I’ve concluded that they are hearing voices.

These voices either help or hinder their success in those mental battles.

The first voice whispers lies:

you suck

you don’t deserve to be on the team

you can’t do this

you’ll never be good enough

you don’t know how

you should just give up

you’ve already tried and failed, what makes you think this time is different?

you don’t belong here

The second voice speaks truth:

you can do this

you’ve worked hard and succeeded before, you can do it again

you are going to keep trying no matter what

you may fall down 7 times, but you can get up 8

you are going to be glad for small victories and look for bigger ones to come

you are not going to give up!

you are not a failure; you are simply in the process of improving

you DO belong!

Help your athlete–whether he is 5 or 15–learn to distinguish between the voice of truth and voice of lies, and then to listen to TRUTH.

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