#40: Mental Training…Your Most Important Investment This Year

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When I think of the word “investment,” I think of something that is going to give me a return for years and years to come.

I think of it as something that will leverage the most important parts of my life and who I want to become.

We can think of investment as:

-Time

-Money

-Resources

-Focus/energy

All with the assumption that we invest NOW in order to reap the benefits long-term.

We have examples of this all the time in our daily lives.

  • I invest my time and money into healthy food and my Peloton because my physical health matters to me.
  • I invest my time, money, and energy in therapy because my mental health matters to me (and impacts everyone around me).
  • I invest my focus in my kids because their development and memories matter to me.

Anything that matters to us is going to be an investment in some way.

Mental training is no different.

Yes, it’s an investment of time, money, energy, and resources.

So is your daughter’s sport!

And I’m here to tell you that the investment in training the mental side of her game is your most important investment this year.

Here’s why:

You’re Already Investing In Your Daughter’s Sport

Ensure you’re actually getting a return on what you’re already investing in.

You are already investing A LOT of time, effort, money, and energy into your daughters sports.

The teams, equipment, training, lessons, etc.

Here’s the deal. Your daughter needs three things to be great at her sport:

Knowledge of the sport

Physical Training

Mental training

Said differently, she can train her body, her craft, and her mind.

We think of it like a multiplication problem. They all multiply each other and amplify one another.

However if one of them is at zero, the whole equation will be a zero.

Your daughter can have a lot of talent and put in the physical work. But if her mental game isn’t there, she will never reach her potential.

At best, she might get good, but won’t get to her potential. At worst, she will burn out or quit (I speak from experience!)

Investing in her mental training ensures that you are actually getting a return on what you’re investing in her athletics.

Her Mindset Skills Follow Her Off the Court/Field

This is more than just her sport.

You already know this. I’m willing to bet that you understand that her sport is more than just learning how to dribble, shoot, tumble, and serve.

You have her in athletics because you see the value in developing skills that transcend the game.

It’s the same with mental training skills.

Yes, there are some “givens” when an athlete joins The Elite Competitor Program.

Her play improves.

She can come back from mistakes.

She’ll take more risks, stop hesitating, and begin performing well under pressure.

But what’s even more amazing are the off court/field “wins” that she’ll experience.

Things like…

-Rising above the drama

-Choosing better, supportive friendships

-Making good choices

-Taking risks

-Speaking up

-Trusting herself and having the confidence to follow through on what she wants

It’s the increased confidence we see outside of the sport that truly inspires us!

The Person She Becomes Later is Being Shaped Right Now

It’s like a seed that is being watered now in order to bloom later.

I want you to think of the person you hope your daughter becomes 5, 10, 15, 30+ years from now.

What do you see? Empowered, takes risks, unafraid to be herself, happy, and confident.

The skills and experiences that lead to these outcomes are learned and practiced now.

You’ll never regret investing in your daughter’s mindset, confidence, and the skills to navigate the ups and downs of her sport and life NOW.

It is not an IF she will handle disappointment, failure, pressure, expectations, and all the other givens of the sport.

It’s when. So when those things happen, will your daughter be prepared for them?

Because once she’s in those moments, it’s too late. The skills need to be front-loaded in order to actually set your daughter up for success.

One last question that I’d like you to consider is – what is the cost of your daughter staying exactly where she is right now?

There’s a cost to everything:

The cost of change.

The cost of staying the same.

So, I want you to fast forward 8 weeks (that happens to be the length of the Elite Competitor Program), 6 months, 2 years from now…

Will she be okay staying exactly where she is right now? Will you have wished that you invested now in giving her the skills to navigate the pressures of her sport?

So, what is the cost of never allowing her to leave that comfortable place? Of never realizing what she’s capable of or actually going after that thing she wants? 

Because if you’re going to consider the cost, don’t only consider the cost of going for it, but what it’ll cost you if you never do.

Remember, everything she needs is in her already. Give her the skills to pull it out and ensure her mental game is her greatest competitive advantage.

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Helpful Links:

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