Developing Mental Toughness – Part 1

A player or person who is mentally tough is someone who is not easily distracted or distraught, someone who is consistent and persistent, someone who is confident and decisive, someone who, when adversity comes, keeps his or her composure and acts with an inner strength and freedom that others look to and, in fact, might envy.

Mental toughness (MT) then, is a state of mind, an internal quality that some have and others don’t. Or better yet, mental toughness is an internal quality that everyone has to varying degrees of strength and consistency.

I think that last sentence is really the key. For mental toughness is not something that some are born with and others are not. It is not simply the product of being a firstborn or having a certain kind of parent. Sure, those things might have their place, but there is no need to think that when it comes to mental toughness, there are the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’ Instead, it is wise to recognize that MT–a sweet inner intellectual and emotional strength–is something that every athlete can develop for the good of all.

Think about it: Most athletes spend thousands of hours developing their physical skills, while leaving their mental abilities left untapped or at least, unworked. Athletes develop their jump shot or fastball, but neglect the development of an inner toughness, an inner consistency of mental and emotional strength that oftentimes is the difference between success and failure. Coaches themselves spend countless hours developing unique practice schedules, all the while imagining the mental aspect of the game will take care of itself. Or maybe they think it is just not that important.

I have come to believe that this is a big mistake. For in the end, if you can make 9 of 10 in practice, what does it matter if, when you get into the game, you aren’t strong enough mentally to shoot the ball with freedom and confidence? If you are an athlete at any level, you know the difference between “practice players” and “gamers”, between those who perform well in practice and those who perform well in the games. Don’t you know instinctively that that difference is found within?

I will say more, but on this topic of mental toughness, I want to introduce at least three convictions on MT.

First, mental toughness is something that can and must be developed.

Second, mental toughness must be especially cultivated away from practices and/or games.

Third, you can only be as mentally tough as you are free from fear.

I will take them in turn in posts soon to come.