“You are what you eat” might be a popular phrase, but not many people realize just how far this concept extends. Sure, you might not turn into a tomato by eating lots of tomatoes (despite what your grandfather might have told you when you were a child), but the type of food you opt for changes your physical and mental health. Don’t underestimate diet and its impact on mindset. It follows that nutrition can play a crucial role in athlete motivation and help you maintain a positive outlook while training. Here’s why it’s so important. The role of the gut What we eat changes our gut — and the gut ..read more

There is no question that athletic performance is impacted by consistency. Athletes who can maintain a high level of consistency in their training, performance, and recovery are typically the ones who see the greatest success. But what factors influence an athlete's ability to be consistent? This article will explore the psychology of consistency and how your mindset can play a role in achieving athletic success. We will also discuss whether or not a growth mindset can help athletes become more consistent performers. Understanding Athletic Consistency In athletic terms, consistency is defined ..read more

As athletes, there's always that one key element of the game that we all want more of. It's why we train tirelessly, working to improve ourselves mentally and physically. It's our chance to play and help drive our team to victory. You know what I'm talking about; it's player playing time. You've probably heard an athlete complaining about how they didn't get enough time in the game. You may have even felt that way yourself; I know that I have. It can feel like the coach is being unfair, arbitrary, and even spiteful. You'll even see parents getting involved, complaining to the coach that their ..read more

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/923167_d602469f569e41318a54199e9b1bf278/240p/mp4/file.mp4 "As I ran to get that ball, a push sent my body flying and took the wind out of me...and yet, as my body hurt -my only thought was how to put up a brave front and not tell my coach my ankle hurt real bad. As I worked to heal my ankle, I had missed healing my mindset and that showed when I went back after two weeks..." Nobody likes being injured, even if they’re the world’s biggest couch potato — but if you’re an athlete, injuries have a particular sting. Not only does an injury mean you can’t do what yo ..read more

We love eating bad food - candy, fast food, savory treats...but just how much does this affect our health and athletic performance? Our bodies urge us to give in to these cravings for unhealthy food because of the temporary happy feeling it gives us. It tastes great and makes us feel joy, but the results of these poor eating habits have a significant impact on the athletic mindset that many of us don't quite understand or take seriously. Yes, we all want to indulge every once in a while, and that is ok, but it's important to practice moderation, so it doesn't start to take a toll on you mental ..read more

Imagine you’re at a soccer game and it’s your turn to take a penalty. You step up to the penalty spot, place the ball on the ground and slowly walk backwards. As you stand there, looking at the ball and the goalkeeper beyond, what’s going through your mind? Are you thinking ‘I can’t wait to score this penalty’ as you visualize the ball hitting the top left corner of the net? Or are you silently dreading that sensation of failure as the ball flies over the crossbar? Athlete motivation is a massive area of sports psychology, but one of the major questions is whether you’re motivated by a desire ..read more

A parent’s support is so important to kids in sport, and pretty much every kid who plays sports wants their parent’s approval. You want to be the best, to play as well as you can, and to see the look of approval on their face. When I played great, I knew I was playing great. I’d see the look of pride and the smile on my Mom’s face, and that really boosted my confidence. But when I wasn’t playing at my best or made a mistake during a game, I could see the disappointment on Mom’s face, even though she was trying not to show it. I really felt that I’d let her down and that made my confidence suff ..read more

Spring soccer season was just starting. I was ramping during practices, getting ready physically and mentally for the future games ahead of me……. And then…. Coronavirus comes. Luckily, I haven’t caught COVID-19… but I did catch something else that turned me into someone I didn’t recognize. It started because all my practices and games were cancelled. Everything was cancelled — beach trips, bike rides, sleepovers. As the cases started increasing, I realized there was no hope for spring season. — only online school and jalapeno kettle chips. Every day was the same: wake up late, finish “school ..read more

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/923167_6494fc67fa3946419be8c32641daf95b/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Growth is important in your ability to become a better player in the sport you play. The ability to grow stems from how you think about change and progress as an individual player. Athletes like Lionel Messi(soccer player), Michael Jordan(basketball player), Keiran Behan(gymnast), Bethany Hamilton(surfer), and Muhammad Ali (boxer), have gone through many struggles in their past and yet with patience and a strong belief in their dreams, they grew and have become renowned athletes. To have the ability to ..read more

We are down 0-1, and there’s ten minutes left in the game. It’s so hot, my stomach hurts. I’m exhausted, and I’m not even sure we can score to tie the game… but if we can keep them from scoring again, we can still advance in the tournament. (We have enough points from earlier in the tournament to keep going.) Defense, I realized, is super important -- but so is playing smart. I put in the effort to double-team, rather than sprinting after the forward who just passed our entire front and middle...and then...she beats another one of my teammates who I double teamed with. I wanted to sub out. I w ..read more