You’re ready to work on your mental game, but you aren’t sure if it’s the right time to work with a mental game coach. Let’s go over a few reasons you might want to switch from DIYing to working with a professional.
Mental game is similar to going to the dentist. If you’re having trouble, it’s better to catch the problem early instead of waiting for it to fester.
Let’s say you have a toothache. If you go to the dentist right away, they can quickly identify the problem and come up with a solution.
You might end up getting a filling, but you’ll only have to deal with minor discomfort.
However, if you procrastinate and avoid going to the dentist, by the time you end up going the problem will be much worse. Instead of getting out with a filling, you might end up with a root canal or getting your tooth pulled.
By procrastinating, you end up putting up with more pain and discomfort than if you had gotten help earlier. Instead of paying several hundred dollars for a filling, you end up paying thousands of dollars for surgery.
Yes, mental game coaching costs money, but so does technical coaching. If you’re miserable on the ice and unable to reach your goals, is it really worth procrastinating to save money?
What is mental game coaching?
Mental game coaching helps athletes improve their performance. It isn’t only for athletes who are at the end of their rope.
In fact, as I said above, the sooner you start working on it the better.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of the types of athletes mental game coaching can help:
- athletes who are starting to or have lost confidence in themselves.
- athletes who are constantly frustrated with their performance.
- athletes who are struggling and have lost their love for their sport.
- athletes who are dealing with an injury or recovering from one.
- athletes who have been away from their sport for one reason or another.
- athletes who have a mental block.
- athletes who feel like something is off.
- athletes who are ready to quit.
What you learn in mental game coaching goes beyond your sport. Everything you learn can be applied to your life.
Distractions, mental blocks, fears, frustration, low confidence, low self-esteem, low motivation, these are all issues that mental game coaching helps athletes address. These issues aren’t exclusive to sports, they are part of everyday life.
In other words, the things you get out of mental game coaching will continue to help you long after you finish competing. It’s an investment that will help you through the rest of your life.
Now, let’s talk about whether it’s the right time for you to stop DIYing and hire a mental game coach.
You want to reach higher
Mental game coaching isn’t only for athletes who are at the end of their rope. The same as an athlete who goes to a jump specialist to improve their skills, or hires a world class choreographer to choreograph their long program, if you’re an athlete who is doing well and wants to get an edge over your competition, it might be worth hiring a mental game coach. After all, competition is 100% mental.
Here are some areas where mental game coaching can help you get an edge over your competition:
- consistency
- confidence
- performance
- mindset
- rate of improvement
- training efficiency
You’re nervous and inconsistent
If you’re an athlete who gets nervous going into competitions or struggles with consistency, mental game coaching can help. In fact, many of the athletes that I work with struggle with these two issues.
If you’re so nervous going into competition that it affects your performance, or if you struggle with consistency during competition or practice, it might be time to work with a mental game coach.
You’re frustrated
Struggling with a skill that you know you’re capable of executing can lead to frustration. And, if you’re frustrated all the time, it can be hard to progress and improve.
Working on your mental game can help. It can help you zero in on the actual cause of your frustration, so you can take steps to deal with it and get back on track.
DIY can work here, but if you’ve tried out different solutions and nothing seems to work, it might be time to start working with a mental game coach. Working with a mental game coach will help you to ensure that you’re on the right track and help you stop wasting time.
You can’t stop overthinking
Do people tell you that you’re overthinking? Do people tell you that you’re always in your head?
Maybe you can’t focus. Maybe you have trouble making decisions. Maybe you’ve lost motivation and feel like quitting. Or maybe you’re just not feeling good about yourself.
These are all great reasons to start working on your mental game.
When you’re in the middle of these feelings, it can be hard to work on them yourself. If you’re struggling with overthinking, and DIY isn’t working, it might be beneficial to work with a mental game coach.
You’re at the end of your rope
This is the most important time to work with a mental game specialist.
When you’re at the end of your rope. When you’re out of ideas. When you’re ready to quit.
If you don’t know what to do. You’ve tried everything, but nothing seems to work.
This is when working with a mental game coach really shines. They can help you find the root of your problem and work through it to get you back on the right track.
Are you ready to work with a mental game specialist?
No matter where you are as an athlete, mental game coaching can be beneficial.
Yes, DIY can work. But, you’re struggling with an issue and nothing seems to work. Working with a mental game coach can get you back on the right track.
Many athletes choose to wait until they’re at the end of their rope to seek out a mental game coach. They see mental skills training as a last resort. But, training your mental skills is as important as training your technical skills, if you don’t do it, it will be hard to reach your full potential.
Start working on your mental game before you reach the end of the rope. In fact, make it a natural part of your training, like off-ice or conditioning. Like good technique, if your mental skills are built upon a solid base you’ll be able to recover from problems and find solutions faster.
So, start working on your mental game now. You’ll thank yourself later.
If skaters took Mental skills training as seriously as they do their on ice technical skills, they would find that their technical skills would improve exponentially.
Start here. Download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.