Mind And Body- Both Are Important In Sports

The mind, in my opinion, is the most underutilized and underappreciated component of athletic training, but it is also by far the most significant. We will never be able to fully utilize all of the physical development we have gained through training if we do not improve this aspect of our performance. We have all heard the same or a variation of it: the game is 40 percent physical and 60 percent mental. I would choose 30:70, but understanding what this means is more important than the ratio. This idea never occurred to me as a former competitive athlete for much of my professional life. I knew right away that the best athletes always performed, even though the most talented athletes did not always succeed.

Perform because, at the end of the day, that is all that matters, right? As an athlete, we lift every barbell, every practice, and every training session to perform when the lights turn on. We shine, we play well, we "turn up," and we settle in. However, the stakes rise and intensity increases as those lights get brighter. I can assure you that mental toughness is important and that one factor always comes out on top: The capacity to make plays while ignoring all the noise An athlete who possesses a strong presence can focus all of their mental energy on the task at hand. They are completely aware of the present and focused on it; saving a goal, making a catch, pitching, and making a free throw. They are calm amid the chaos. They stand out from their opponent, who lacks presence, because of this. Their opponent is anxious, unsure, disoriented, afraid, contemplating the possibilities, and wishing for the best. While the other is submerged in the vast ocean of their mind, the former is fully immersed in the present and solely focused on the task at hand.