How can high school athletes get college exposure? There are 3 key elements that combine to give athletes exposure to NCAA & NAIA colleges. Enthusiasm: Bring lots of energy Engage: Get on the radar Events: Show you can play Can You Play College Sports? Take the 4 minute quiz to see if you have what it takes for NCAA sports. Take the QuizClick Here Enthusiasm The first ingredient for getting college exposure is Enthusiasm. Finding the right D1, D2, D3, NAIA or JUCO can be big process and you'll need to keep your energy strong. You control your own athletic career and success rel ..read more

In two months, on May 19, 2013, the staff at EXACT will put their money where their mouth is, literally and physically, by competing in the Chicago Tough Mudder hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces.  The EXACT team will show our ability to #GoMental as we will be tested in all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and teamwork.   Our Tough Mudder team includes EXACT’s coach, operation and technology staff: [table id=17 /]   For every new ‘Like’ on Facebook (check out our EXACT Soccer and EXACT Baseball pages!), EXACT will contribute $1 toward ..read more

Written by Mark Tobin, Ph.D., Principal A basketball team is one point behind as time expires. A player has been fouled with a one and one opportunity. Make both, the team wins. Miss the first, they lose. The player misses the first free throw. Did she choke? The answer is maybe. It depends on whether the missed free throw was due to a psychological or physical error. Understanding the difference between these types of errors is key to performing at the highest level of any sport (or your own personal highest level). Can You Play College Sports? Take the 4 minute quiz to see if you hav ..read more

Author: Mike Margolies Consultant, Sports Psychology Part of the goal in working with athletes either as a sport psychology consultant or as a coach is to produce confident athletes. We know both from practical application and research that confident athletes perform at higher levels than athletes lacking in this competency of Emotional Intelligence (EQ). However, it is important to look at confidence on a continuum from low self confidence to overconfidence. We know athletes fail on either end of this continuum. Enter The Nation's Largest Prospect Database Connect with thousands of coll ..read more

by Dr. Jennifer Gapin Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Health Education at Southern Illinois University  “It’s this wave that you ride, and the greatest athletes in the world either make their peaks and valleys a lot less noticeable or they’re really good at hiding them.” – Mia Hamm Free Guide: The Perfect Email for Recruiting Download our free guide & checklist for sending the perfect email to college coaches. Sign Me Up! Being a confident athlete is easier said than done. Most people think that elite athletes are confident because they don’t doubt their ..read more

by Greg Liberto Bio: Greg Liberto is a Performance Coach at INDARE Golf, professional speaker, and creative writer for the “Thinking Game” blog. With Take it to the Field, we seek to give our coaches the best possible guidance on exercises to utilize with their players to improve their psychological approach. Building confidence in your athletes starts with preparation. Teaching the athlete to focus on what they can control is an ongoing process. Athletes obsessed with the strengths of their opposition (a factor out of their control), rather than their own performance (a factor within their co ..read more

by Simon Clements, Director, EXACT Sports Welcome to the first edition of the Go Mental eJournal.  As I’ve traversed the country speaking to coaches about their ongoing challenge of player development, it’s become clear that there is no accessible publication currently available that provides coaches with ongoing guidance on the psychological frontier. EXACT has built out a strong network of experts in the field, and it’s time to connect them with our vast network of coaches at all levels. The Mental eJournal exists under one premise:  “All coaches are amateur psychologists”. A coach ..read more

Success in the NFL and other sports consists of four core factors: physical prowess (e.g. Julius Peppers‘ power, Calvin Johnson’s quickness), technique (Drew Brees’ throwing precision), attitudinal disposition (Ray Lewis’ competitive intensity), and cognitive functioning (e.g. Aaron Rodgers‘ offensive vision and Ed Reed‘s defensive vision). At EXACT we often get asked about the merits of the “Wonderlic” in measuring football IQ.  As experts in modeling & predicting human athletic performance, we have extensive insight about ‘mental’ evaluations ..read more

With the NBA lockout lasting nearly 150 days, NBA players needed to find something to keep them busy.  Several decided to take their talents overseas, including Deron Williams and Tony Parker, some decided to stay put train here in the United States, and others focused on doing work in the community.  Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Baron Davis, and New Orleans Hornets guard Trevor Ariza had a different idea.  These four decided to head back out to California and re-enroll at UCLA and take classes.  ..read more

In his three and a half seasons as a starter for the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers has almost already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in not only Green Bay Packers history, but in the history of the NFL.  His progression from a mid-to-late first round draft pick into Super Bowl MVP has been nothing short of spectacular.  In this article, I will take you through his career thus far as quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.   Can You Play College Sports? Take the 4 minute quiz to see if you have what it takes for NCAA sports. Take the QuizClick Her ..read more