020 | MENTAL TOUGHNESS

TRAINING TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TOUGH SITUATIONS ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

The way I describe mental toughness is having that extra 10% left at the end of the game when everyone tired and you’re on the last push, or it can be when your coach takes you out of the starting lineup and having the right attitude to work hard even after tough news.

There are many definitions to mental toughness. I think developing this trait early on can prepare you on and off the field. Many times in my career, it gave me separation from other player. I gained a reputation for being one of the players who isn’t going to give up until the whistle blow or if there was a hard knock at the beginning of the game, I wasn’t going to be the player shying away or sitting out. 

It doesn’t just happen one day, you must build it up over time. It starts with holding yourself accountable to show up in tough situations, giving it 100% every time whether you play the full 90 or just a couple minutes, and even pushing through a tough injury with months of recover. There are multiple ways to improve you mental toughness, so ask yourself what have you been giving to the game? Can you give more? Are you prepared for critical feedback?

There is no drill for mental toughness, but the longer you play more events will come up everyday where you’ll have the opportunity to create your character/mentality on the field. Like most competitive sports, mentality is what separates good players from great players. So when you go out and train this week, think about what kind of player you want to be and how you are going to get there.