Too Tough

So, how much do you really know about mental toughness? Sure, we all know about trying to maintain focus and concentration when we are angry. And we know not to let our anger and disappointment affect our performance negatively, but what do you really know of the ins and outs of mental toughness - or even what it really is?

What follows are 12 topics and tips toward mental toughness offered by Dr. Jim Loehr, one of the world's leading sports psychologists, and a source for much of the material we use in our mental toughness training at HP.

1- eye control

2 -rituals

3- winning pace

4- breathing

5- high positive intensity

6- calmness and relaxation

7- mistake management

8- confident fighter image

9- negative self-talk

10 -positive attitude

11- "love the battle"

12- racquet up - "I am up"

I had the good fortune to train with Dr. Loehr and his colleague Lorenzo Beltrame at their location, The Human Performance Institute in Florida, a few years back. I have also attended two certification workshops in instruction techniques and methods for training Mental skills and drills designed specifically for Tennis- offered by Dr. Larry Lauer, the mental skills specialist for USTA Player Development. These expereinces offer a solid foundation for the work we do now in HP, but it is definitely one of those subjects embodied by " the more I know, the more I don't know"

The 12 concepts here are those chosen by Dr. Loehr as important, but only scratch the surface on all that is encompassed by the term "mental toughness". In a recent HP class on the same topic, we challenged the players to go through and rate themselves on the following:

* goal setting

* personal motivation

* practice intensity

* imagery skills

* error management

* positive self-talk

* positive body language

* confidence and composure

* concentration

* routines

* stress management

* sportsmanship

* pre-match preparation

* competitive skills

The scenario was that the players would be "auditioning" for a major national academy in a few days. They would be judged and measured by coaches they had never met on these skills listed here. How do they rate themselves and how will they fare in the eyes of the coaches?

So you see, there's a bit more to this than anger management. Within the scope of an HP mental skills training session, we examine and discuss many such topics and train the kids accordingly.

Lately, as we deal with wet, autumn conditions, I sense a level of hesitation about attending HP on rainy days. It's the ol' mindset that "if you can't hit balls oncourt, the training mustn't be worthwhile." The curriculum on these days consists of much of the material presented here, and up to 1.25 hours of intense fitness training in the yoga studio. I think you'd be amazed at the depth of conversation and exploration maintained by 10-17 year old young people in a mental skills training session. The sessions are very interactive , as opposed to dictatorial, and involve a lot of individual exercises and practice techniques. It also offers an amazing opportunity for the younger players to learn, model, and receive indirect mentoring from their older peers.

But don't take my word for it. Come sit in on one of our trainings. Or better yet, ask yourself or your kid if he/she finds them "important and worthwhile". I think you and your players will come to find that the time we spend discussing and discovering our own mental toughness skills is as, or more important than the time we spend hitting balls. There is no one in our sport who doesn't think that the higher your competitive level goes, the more that winning and losing happens between the ears. I am not aware of how much time our colleagues around Austin spend on this training, nor how well trained their instructors are (nor how much support they receive from their players and families).

But this I do know - we take it very seriously, and we demand and receive total engagement from the players during this training.

In fact, it may be a mistake to only offer this training during wet court days- and that's an option we shall consider. Meanwhile, let's make sure we have total buy in from our HP players and families. As we continue to improve the on and off court skills of our players, we will enjoy continuing to see their improved results..