What Drives Success?

As parents and coaches we all want success for our kids and those we coach. Of course some days are better than others, aren't they? It is easy to marvel at and celebrate a player's or team's success after the fact but what is behind the success? In other words...what drives success on game day? 

Last weekend my 14u team captured our tournament bracket to come home with medals and trophy. Like all successful tournaments Sunday's are long and generally stressful with many close games. Our Sunday was no different as we came from behind to win three straight games, including a 2-1 thriller in the final.

As happens so often a team gets on a roll and their level of play elevates. Look at most any tournament bracket and the deeper into the bracket you go the closer the games get. All of this would seem contrary to common sense as players battle fatigue with each additional game they play, often in less than ideal weather conditions.

So what drives success?

Focus

As I write about often the successful player on game day is one who can exert a high level of focus and energy in the present moment, whether as a hitter, fielder, pitcher or base runner. This mental focus is a product of an athlete's being in a relaxed state, confident...in the zone.

Typically, as I witnessed on my team last Sunday, players step up with the big hits and big plays because they expect to. At the point of impact they have turned off their mind from negative, doubtful or over-analyzing thoughts and replaced them with a "can do," ultra focused mindset.

In the most critical moments of the biggest games the most successful athletes are able to block out all external and internal distractions and simply do what they have been trained to do.

Preparation

Success is also driven by great preparation. The reason an athlete can exert laser focus in the most pivotal moments of the game is because they feel extraordinarily confident that they are ready for battle...ready to be the difference maker. Competition, big at bats, big pitches becomes a challenge they expect to win, rather than moments to be feared.

Superior mental and physical preparation is necessary for game day success. There simply are no short cuts to greatness. Game day success requires high intensity, focus and energy during every practice to build competence as well as confidence.

Desire

Success is, perhaps, foremost driven by desire. On my team last weekend I witnessed so many of my players displaying so much desire -- an attitude of "refuse to lose" -- on elimination Sunday, proving once again that success is a choice. In a game where only one team can emerge as champion desire, effort, passion, energy all take center stage in determining the outcome.

The will to succeed is an amazing human trait to watch in action. I saw it time and again from 13 and 14 year old athletes who were truly driven to succeed.

Watching younger athletes driven to succeed is an incredible thing. In a world where so many take and give little these athletes give everything they have to achieve their individual and team goals. They are wired for competition, molded for success.

The next time you watch your athlete or team play marvel at their effort, their focus, their desire. Playing this game is a blessing for it teaches these athlete exactly how to succeed in the bigger game called life. If your athlete is truly driven to succeed celebrate it! Maybe you can learn a thing or two yourself along the way!

Take your athlete's game to the next level with The Game Changer Program. List $59.97...now only $29.97. This softball specific mental performance program is loaded with over 6 hours of game changing audio lessons, plus John Kelly's top selling ebook, How She Thinks is How She Plays, and more! Click here for more information.

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The Confidence Cycle in Sports

For most younger athletes their game day success, particularly during the most pivotal moments of the game, all comes down to their belief in their ability to succeed or fail. In other words do they have adequate self-confidence on the field or court or not?

As I prepare in the coming weeks to launch what I believe will be a groundbreaking online mental performance course for athletes, parents and coaches, The Game Day Domination Course, my research on the subject of self-confidence for younger athletes (along with my own experiences as a game coach, mental performance expert and former collegiate athlete) has convinced me that self-confidence is not an accident. In fact I have concluded that self-confidence for any athlete is the product of a clearly defined "cause and effect" cycle that is quite predictable. Moreover this confidence cycle is a clear predictor of game day performance as well.

For your athlete to achieve and maintain a high level of self-confidence, and thus a high level of game day performance they will need to be mindful of their own "confidence cycle."

So what is the "confidence cycle" that ultimately propels or sabotages game day performance?

It all starts with how your athlete processes his or her performance. In other words what are the thoughts swirling around in their head before, during and after his or her games?

If those thoughts are expansive, positive, and "can do" they have laid a great foundation for their confidence cycle and game day success.

However, if their mental reaction to their game day performance is highly critical, negative, limiting and "can't do" he or she has created a rocky foundation for their confidence cycle and game day performance.

Below is a flow chart illustrating the cycle between the most important components that make up self-confidence:

The Confidence Cycle

 The cause and effect relationship between the components in the "confidence cycle" can be explained like this:

1. Your athlete holds certain beliefs about themselves and their game. These beliefs in themselves can be expansive or limiting (for example, they may believe they are competent in certain aspects of their game, but not others).

2. How your athlete reacts, via their thoughts, to a game event (in part based on their beliefs) will trigger specific thoughts (positive or negative; motivating or deflating; "can do" or "can't do") that will have an enormous impact on their emotional state.

3. Your athlete's emotional state will either allow him or her body to be relaxed or anxious; able to laser focus on the task at hand (play) or be unable to focus.

4. Your athlete's emotional state, triggered by their thoughts, will dictate in any given moment the level of self-confidence he or she will experience.

5. This confidence level will dictate their game day performance, particularly in the most pivotal moments of the game.

To summarize the "confidence cycle," when your athlete believes they can succeed in the execution of a future game event they likely will. Strong beliefs in future success come from: 

1. Previous game day successes.

2. A belief that the athlete has adequately trained or prepared themselves physically for game day success.

3. A supportive environment (coaches, parents, teammates).

4. Use of proper mental performance training to use mental imagery and other mental cues to prepare themselves mentally for game day success. 


An athlete who consistently dominates on game day is an athlete with:


1. Strong beliefs and expectancy for their game day success.

2. Positive, "can do" thoughts that sees every game as an exciting challenge.

3. A clearly defined "pre-game" and "in-game" plan or strategy to heighten both relaxation and mental focus that will allow them to optimally approach each game day situation proactively and by design.

4. Rock solid self-confidence is built from beliefs, thoughts and feelings of success, as well as a calm, relaxed and focused mind and body.


So be aware of the "confidence cycle" with your athlete and whether his or her "confidence cycle" is setting them up for game day success or failure.


Remember game day success is not an accident; it is cultivated and maintained by design and by choice. Supreme confidence is the key to sustained peak performance on game day.


Game day domination requires that your athlete be ultra prepared both physically and mentally. One without the other will never yield consistent game day performances. Find out how to improve your athlete's game day performance here.


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The Secret Formula to Your Athlete's Success

My team played our first tournament of the year last weekend. We held a practice Friday night to get some final swings in the cage and some infield practice. We looked great!

Unfortunately we didn't play nearly as well as I had hoped the first day of the tournament. The confidence and precision that was so evident in the field and in the cage a  mere 18 hours before vanished once my girls crossed the white lines. I turned to my assistant coach and wondered what happened between Friday night and Saturday morning?

I came to the conclusion that the challenges many of the girls faced were, predictably, between their ears. I knew they could make the plays. I knew they could crush the ball...they just didn't.

For any young athlete the pathway to consistent success can be a difficult one for sure. In mastering a game as difficult as fastpitch softball there are sure to be plenty of bumps along the way. But, I believe, there is a formula, a secret path, to insure that your athlete will achieve consistent success on the field.

So here it is: (S = P +  E + A + F + A - J). If your athlete can successfully understand, then implement this formula her on the field success will have no boundaries!

Preparation + Effort + Attitude + Focus + Adjustments - Judgment = Success

Preparation - John Wooden said, "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." Preparation is an ongoing process, both physical and mental, that takes time. How much time does your athlete put into her preparation? Success is the result of massive preparation.

Effort - Like preparation effort is a choice. If your athlete is adequately prepared her self-confidence level should allow her to exert maximize effort. The first thing a coach or scout sees when evaluating a player is effort. The question she needs to always ask herself is "can I do more?"

Attitude - Exceptional preparation and effort create a dynamic attitude that can propel your athlete through adversity and onto consistent peak performance. A great attitude is also contagious and can turn a good team into a great team!

Focus - With preparation, effort and attitude comes the desire for success. A willingness to cultivate laser focus and concentrate on the task at hand is essential to the achievement of sustainable success. Mental focus is also a choice that ultimately separates the good plays from the poor ones and the good players from the great players.

Adjustments - The game requires that every player make adjustments in order to be successful. Whether as a hitter, pitcher, fielder or base runner making the necessary adjustments is a conscious choice that requires attention to details. "ABL" - always be learning; it makes the adjustments that much easier to identify and make.

Judgment - This is the one component that needs to be subtracted from your athlete's formula for success.  Excessive self-judgment can erase much of the benefits created by the other components found in the success formula. Expecting perfection or not seeing mistakes as a learning opportunity can spiral your athlete's game downward in a hurry. In the absence of judgment self-confidence soars and so too will her performance.

Although the single biggest factor towards success is self-confidence I did not include it in the secret formula for success because I believe that self-confidence is a by product of exceptional preparation, superior effort, a great attitude, laser focus and making adjustments. A self-confident athlete is a relaxed athlete; able to perform at a peak level with little anxiety or fear.

This formula may look simple but it will require a lot of work for every element of the formula to become habit for your athlete. But the rewards will be well worth the effort I can assure you. If your athlete can truly embrace this formula she will remain head and shoulders above the competition and soar to the top of the recruiting list (provided she also masters the physical side of the game).

Check out John Kelly's new ebook, Think It and Hit It: 12 Critical Mental Strategies to Improve Hitting. Just $3.97!

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The 12 Traits of a Champion

Whenever I coach or watch nearly any sporting event I am reminded of just how slim the difference between winning and losing really is in athletics.

In most every game played between two fairly evenly matched teams or players success or failure will come down to just a hand full of plays, right? The team or athlete that makes the plays, executes the best wins don't they? If you follow any larger tournament bracket you will find that the deeper the bracket goes the closer and lower scoring the games all get. Why is that?

Teams and athletes that win consistently do certain things that teams and athletes who don't win consistently do not. This is true in every sport for it is always the little things that capture or cost victory.

Let's look closer at what defines a champion with specific traits that can be learned then duplicated by your athlete and their team.

Here are the 12 traits of a championship level team (they are also the traits of a champion athlete as well):

1. Attitude - Championship caliber teams have a swagger about them, an expectancy that they will play well. These type teams literally exude an energy of success. They have a "can do" attitude from the moment they get up in the morning!

Boost her sports confidence and her game day  performance level.

2. Confidence - Along with the champion's swagger comes extreme confidence; almost cocky but never arrogant. Regardless of the score these teams never stop competing as they are supremely confident they will prevail when the game is over. They trust themselves to make plays, and never hesitate for fear of making a mistake.

3. Relaxed - Along with confidence comes the ability to play the game relaxed. The more relaxed the less chance for mistakes or poor execution on the court or in the field. A relaxed mental state is the result of an expectancy for success.

4. Focused - Championship caliber teams are extremely focused on their goal or purpose (the immediate task at hand). They are able to block out external and internal (mind) distractions during the game that sabotage an ordinary team's success. They anticipate and always have a game plan for game situation.

5. Team - Top teams play as a team. To them their is truly no "I" in team. They are gladly willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes for their team to succeed and reach their goals. They know their role on the team and excel in it. They support one another unconditionally. There is rarely whining or drama on these teams. They play with great pride and passion.

6. Fun - Championship caliber teams have fun! Because they play with such confidence and experience so much success they play loose and it shows. They laugh and smile on the field or court regardless of the score or any mistakes made. They are the epitome of what sports is about...playing great with passion and joy!

7. Relentless - The best teams keep coming at you. They love playing the game and are on "attack" mode from the very first moment of the game/match. They are always looking for the big play, putting pressure on the defense; they play aggressively on offense and defense. Champions sense momentum and when the victory is in sight they go even harder to finish off their opponents.

8. Work Ethic - Champions simply work harder on both the physical and mental parts of their game. When they are tired they remember their goals and dig deeper. The bar for effort is extraordinarily high on these teams and their performances show it. Each player is constantly striving to improve their weaknesses and turn them into strengths. They play with great desire.

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9. Students of the Game - Champion teams are comprised of players and coaches always driven to be their best. As such they are constantly observing the game, the opposition, games on TV, their own team (or personal game videos) in an effort to learn more about the game and themselves. Champions are always looking for any "edge" that will get them to the winner's circle.

10. Poise - Top teams play with extreme poise under pressure. In fact they look forward to pressure games and pressure moments. Because they are relaxed, confident and focused they play poised and under control. Regardless of the game situation they play at a consistent, peak level that assures their success.

11. Extremely Prepared -  Champion athletes and teams all share one common trait...extreme preparation! With both individual and team skill development champions never let any opponent out prepare them. They also recognize the critical importance of devoting substantial time towards the development of their mental game as well as their physical game. In short champions exhibit extreme will power to prepare themselves to dominate on game/match day.

12. Big Picture Thinking - Champion athletes, teams, coaches and parents all employ "big picture" thinking. They recognize that mastery of their sport takes time. They see mistakes and game/match failure as a great opportunity and challenge to get better. They enjoy the journey of becoming a champion by focusing on the process and the effort rather than solely on the results.

Even though you and I may witness errors and mistakes at the most inopportune time as the reason for the close losses, in reality these are just the effects and not the causes for defeat and failure. Each of the 12 traits covered hear play an integral role, is a vital ingredient, in the ultimate success of any team or athlete.

Granted at the lower levels of age and competition poor mechanics may be a viable culprit of losing as well. However, as your athlete progresses in a game that gets faster as she/he gets older it is their personal and team's mental state that will show up as victor or vanquished on game day.

**Check out my new Sports Confidence Blueprint Program to drive your athlete's sports confidence and game performance through the roof!

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The No Limit Athlete in 2012 - Part 2

In my first installment of The No Limit Athlete (Part 1) I covered The Physical side of the "no limit" athlete equation. Today I will share the second crucial part of the no limit athlete: The Mental. Again, physical training without mental training will never produce a consistent peak performing, "no limit" athlete. Like the physical the mental part of becoming a "no limit" athlete is always a choice.

The Mental

While all athletes are accustomed to the rigors of physical training few understand or undertake significant mental training. For athletes and their parents mental skills training can be hard to wrap their heads around (no pun intended). In reality the game is 90% mental and when the rubber hits the road...when the game is on the line physical training alone is simply not going to be enough to get your athlete to the no limit level. Let's look at what mental factors will:

1. Thoughts are things. Building mental skills mastery begins with the recognition that thoughts are things and thoughts are powerful! We each have over 50,000 unique thoughts every day. What your athlete thinks about in terms of her game will determine her level of success. Thoughts can limit or propel your athlete toward no limit status.

2. Beliefs. Your athlete's beliefs about herself are interwoven with her thoughts. If your athlete believes that she can accomplish a certain task or play at a certain level she will likely create thought patterns which reinforce her positive "can do" beliefs. Likewise if your athlete engages in limited thinking, that she cannot accomplish specific tasks or play at a certain level, she will engage in thought patterns which will reinforce her limited beliefs about herself. Beliefs are extremely powerful and become ingrained within the mind. Young athlete's beliefs are often distorted, so question your athlete's beliefs about herself and her game.

3. Resiliency.  Because of the difficult nature of the game your athlete must be resilient and bounce back from the inevitable adversity the game throws at her. This means framing mistakes and less than ideal at bats or pitching performances as opportunities to learn and grow from versus responding harshly towards herself after each mistake, causing a downward spiral in her game.

4. Managing Expectations.  We put enormous pressure and sky high expectations on our kids today. The current generation of kids have been bred as "super achievers." But in reality they do not wear capes and will experience failure on the field. The no limit athlete manages the expectations of others (as well as her own) by recognizing her limitations and those of the game. No one who ever played the game has been perfect, so lighten up!

5. Controllables. Hand in hand with managing expectations is your athlete's recognition of the factors she has control over: her effort, her attitude and her mental focus. So much of the game is clearly outside of her control, but the effort, attitude and focus she brings to the field are not only 100% within her control but are always a choice she makes. Understanding this key point will allow your athlete to better handle her own expectations for her performance and focus solely on these factors rather than judging her game performance simply by the results alone.

6. Building a laser focus.  The most evident benefit of proper mental skills training is  developing a great ability to focus and concentrate during a game. As a hitter your athlete has about 1/3 of a second to determine pitch velocity, location and movement. Unless she is laser focused she will never be the hitter she is capable of being. Cultivating a higher level of focus is a result of positive thoughts, proper breathing and the ability to shut the thoughts down the moment she steps into the box.

7. Self-Confidence.  At the heart of every no limit athlete is a high level of self-confidence. Self-confidence is a product of having the proper beliefs, the proper thoughts, framing adversity as a learning opportunity, recognizing her controllables, and the ability to block out all "noise" before each pitch is thrown. Unfortunately most young athletes have a hard time doing any of these things, leaving self-confidence as a sometimes thing at best. An athlete struggling with self-confidence will bring up thoughts of previous failures in their head, which leads to further failure. Confidence or lack thereof becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. To break the chain your athlete must stay in the present moment and commit to implementing the points written about in this blog.

Becoming a "no limit" athlete is a difficult path, which is why so few athletes ever achieve no limit status. As I said at the beginning of this post mental mastery like physical mastery is a choice. If your athlete is willing to put in the time and effort to address these crucial mental skills factors she will be well on her way towards becoming a no limit athlete. But beware...ignore the mental side of the equation at your and her own risk! It is always during the most pivotal moments of the game that your athlete will require mental toughness and mental skills mastery to be great. Will she soar or will she implode? Remember...it's always a choice.

Look for the final part of the "No Limit Athlete in 2012" trilogy; Putting It All Together...soon!

The game is 90% mental. How much do you invest in your athlete's mental game? Change her game forever. See how!

**The release of John Kelly's new "ebook" Think It and Hit It is TODAY. Only $3.97!

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Success is a Choice. Find Out Why

In a previous post I talked about how success leaves clue, and it does. But the far bigger consideration for your athlete is that success is a choice. You may say, John...of course my daughter wants to be successful in softball. Well she may well "want" to be a success, but does she makes the choices that it will take for her to truly be a success...to become a consistent peak performer on the field? Let's find out.

These choices will determine whether your athlete will be average, good or great. Ultimately these choices must come from her and the results, her performance, will absolutely reflect those choices. So here are five areas in which your athlete's choices are critical to just how far she will go:

1. Effort - certainly effort is always a choice. To a coach nothing is more disappointing and frustrating than seeing an athlete unwilling to leave it all on the field. Good players work hard in practice, taking 25 ground balls. Great players stay late and ask the coach to hit her another 50 grounders. To be a success requires maximum effort all the time. There is no guarantee in the results but her effort will always put her at the top of the list.

2. Attitude - attitude is always a choice and the proper "mental" attitude is necessary to overcome the inevitable adversity the game with throw at your athlete. An attitude of success is also engaging in the right thoughts, expecting success and doing the mental work to come ready to play. The right attitude looks like acknowledging that mistakes are a natural part of the game and an opportunity to learn and get better. The right attitude looks like being a leader and always supporting teammates and respecting the game.

3. Desire - desire is not commonly associated with success, but deep down having a high level of desire is what motivates your athlete to make the right choices that will all but guarantee her success. Desire looks like digging deep after a long day of practice or games to continue to give 100% effort. Desire means loving the game, playing with a smile on her face, with passion, with hustle. Desire becomes infectious on a team and any coach loves any athlete that plays with a high level of desire. Desire is the fuel for the intensity it takes to become a champion.

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4. Focus - this can be a hard one for young athletes; particularly girls who love to chat it up early and often on the field. However, your athlete's ability to understand and implement laser focus and concentration is the single biggest choice she will make as an athlete. The game of fastpitch softball is too hard and too fast to not demonstrate focus. And this choice of focus starts in practice. If your athlete and her team are not exhibiting focus during practice my guess is they won't be able to during games. Focus is the ability to block out the world and have the present moment awareness necessary to successfully complete the task at hand.

5. Goals - goal setting and creating a definitive "plan" for success is absolutely a choice. For younger players this choice might look like committing to a certain number of hours of practice, or swings in the cage, or pitches per week. For older players it looks like setting specific goals for both physical and mental training, and writing in her softball journal to measure her progress towards achieving her goals. Success is not an accident. having a plan and goals means approaching success by design and not default. Having a clear road map is both smart and necessary to become great.

The path to success is easy to identify, as I have given you a glimpse of in this post. It is, however, much harder to implement. It takes making the right choices, which may be difficult for your athlete some days or all the time. However once she recognizes that she does have the power to dictate her softball destiny through the choices she makes your athlete will be empowered to seize her opportunity for greatness! Carpe Diem (seize the day).

The game is 90% mental. How much do you invest in her mental game? Give her The Game Changer Program...it will change her game forever!

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Wanna Get Better? Change Your Approach

There is an old saying that defines insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results." This line of thinking definitely applies on the softball field.

Success in a difficult game like fastpitch softball requires that teams and individual players make adjustments in every aspect of the game if necessary. And, as always, it starts with her thinking.

Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:

1. The pitcher keeps throwing the ball on the outside corner (or inside corner) but the batter refuses to swing the bat,  finding herself in an 0-2 and 1-2 count all the time, leading to a ton of strikeouts. Unless she makes a conscious effort of adjusting her thinking she will likely continue getting the same results.

CAUSE: Likely she won't swing at that pitch because she believes she can't hit it (little if any confidence in doing so). She fears failure and the embarrassment of looking bad swinging.

SOLUTION: Trust herself to start swinging at the outside pitch, each time increasing her comfort level in doing so. At a certain point (with much practice) she will welcome the outside pitch as her self-confidence soars.

2. The player who refuses to dive for a ball, causing her coaches to question her commitment and desire; not to mention it costing her team runs.

CAUSE: Again, fear and lack of self-confidence win again. She is either afraid of making a mistake and missing the ball (incurring the wrath of coach or parent), looking bad in the process (embarrassment), or hurting herself (because she's never gotten comfortable with the proper diving form).

SOLUTION: Recognize her fear(s) and the fact that most coaches will reward the effort regardless of the results. Embarrassment must be overcome and the pain of diving can be solved by practice and increased mental toughness.

3. The pitcher refuses to throw a certain pitch on a certain count (maybe a changeup behind in the count) even though her coach reasons the hitter is swinging early and will likely never hit that pitch. She shakes off the catcher, throws something different or executes the pitch poorly.

CAUSE: Again, lack of self-confidence in throwing a certain pitch, fear of the pitch being hit, the embarrassment of looking bad throwing that pitch. Maybe a touch of stubbornness thrown in for good measure.

SOLUTION: Obviously more practice mastering the pitch, but also a willingness to step outside her comfort zone and trust herself to execute. If she thinks she can't she likely won't.

Most failure on the softball field is caused by two things: hesitation due to lack of trust or self-confidence at key, pivotal times of the game; whether batting, fielding, pitching or base running...or due to lack of mental focus and concentration (being distracted or spacing out too much).

To become a consistent peak performer your athlete must be supremely focused in the present moment allowing herself to react without hesitation. The game of fastpitch softball is too fast for her to think about whether she should or shouldn't in the split second she has to react. Her thinking must come well in advance to the moment of truth, cultivated in practice and in her mind creating a solid foundation of self-confidence which makes reactions quicker and results better.

As coaches and parents we get frustrated watching players and teams seemingly make the same mistakes over and over again. Unless she makes the mental adjustments that will improve her self-confidence and her performance the same results will keep showing up like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day!

If your athlete lacks the rock solid self-confidence to make the adjustments necessary to become the consistent peak performer top coaches want on their team the best place to start is The Game Changer Program: A Mental Skills Blueprint to Make Her the Best She Can Be. This multimedia fastpitch softball specific program contains over 6 hours of audio lessons, plus John Kelly's new 174 page ebook, How She Thinks is How She Plays and many other bonuses...all for less than a one hour hitting lesson. The game is 90% mental. How much is your athlete investing in her mental game?

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Does She Use Her Secret Weapon? Find Out...

There are several descriptive ways to say it: Aladdin's Lamp, The Genie, The X Factor, The Game Changer, The Secret Weapon, The Difference Maker, etc. As I write about often what determines greatness on the athletic field and how does your athlete access that on a consistent basis?

Why do some teams seem to have a "magical" season winning all the close games, getting all the calls and all the bounces while others struggle for consistency and success? Why do some players look effortless in their command of the game, displaying exceptional, consistent peak performance game after game while other players hit massive slumps or ride the roller coaster of success and failure almost without warning or reason? 

Certainly talent is an important component in the quest for greatness but talent is in no way a guarantee of greatness simply because an athlete is faster, stronger or quicker than others or possesses a greater command of softball specific skills than others.

Certainly physical preparation plays a huge role in determining greatness as success would be virtually impossible in a game as difficult to master as fastpitch softball unless an athlete and team spend significant time practicing the fundamentals of hitting, fielding, pitching and base running.

But here is where the analysis usually ends...with the physical. If we study almost any great athlete we will discover that the one thing that separates him or her from the competition is their mental preparation.

Simply stated your athlete's success and desire for greatness is found between her ears. And her ability to take responsibility for her thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviors is the true secret weapon that either she uses to advance her game or destroy it.

On the field after 600+ games coaching (and countless I have seen on television) I have witnessed some amazing performances as well as pathetic ones from individual players and teams. I always marvel at the unsung hero of the World Series; usually a guy with limited success during the season who transforms himself into a monster when it counts the most. Why does this phenomenon happen so frequently and what creates the World Series greatness? Here are 10 attributes of greatness your athlete needs to demonstrate to become her team's World Series hero:

1. Laser Focus
2. Expectancy for Success
3. Ability to Overcome Adversity Quickly
4. Supreme Self-Confidence 
5. Trust Herself
6. Give 110% Effort
7. Super Relaxed
8. Utilize Mental Imagery to "See" Her Success Before it Happens
9. Not Burdened by the Expectations of Others
10. Focus on Their Effort, Not Their Results

All of these ideal attributes require mental skills training in order to be consistent in her approach to the game. These attributes of greatness take time to cultivate and will not happen through physical training alone. Mental skills training can give her the tools to insure her the best opportunity for consistent success and greatness in a difficult game.

The upside of proper mental skills training will be a player who can utilize her secret weapon at will to consistently elevate her game from good to great. Her mastery of the game will accelerate as will her desire and joy for playing it.

Your athlete has a powerful secret weapon located between her ears. Is she using it to insure her greatness?

Happy Thanksgiving and thank for reading!

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Learn more about how your athlete can develop her secret weapon today with The Game Changer Program: A Mental Skills Blueprint to Make Her the Best She Can Be, or John Kelly's new book, How She Thinks is How She Plays.

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5 Factors That Will Make Her Great...Overnight !

What defines greatness? We could all probably write a laundry list of traits and factors that we each believe to be the causes for greatness. However, sometimes we look beyond the most obvious factors...the ones that will really make the difference between good and great.

At practice last night I told both my teams, in essence, what I am writing about today; that each of them could be great if they only focused on doing the following:

1. Pay Attention (A.B.L.L. - Always Be Learning & Listening) - During practice my teams were hitting live and the dozen or so girls who were not hitting or in the field were confined to the dugout for safety reasons. Sadly I had to remind them not to turn their backs on the action on the field and yack away, but rather turn around and see what they could learn by watching and observing. Fastpitch softball is a game of subtle nuances that take a long time to learn. By being a student and always paying attention your athlete can master those nuances and her game far quicker than the average athlete with her back turned...guaranteed! This included listening to her coaches...ALWAYS.

2. Give 100% Effort...All the Time - As I always write about...your athlete's work ethic can set her apart in the eyes of her coaches, her teammates, her opponents and the recruiters. And this 100% "leave it all on the field" effort starts in practice, whether on her own, with private coaches or in her team practice. Becoming great takes an certain attitude, a personal drive that pushes her beyond what any other player is doing. If she can challenge herself every time she practices to go beyond what she did the day before she will absolutely exhibit greatness on game day.

***As an important caveat it's crucial that your athlete recognize that she is a unique individual with unique talents. As such her greatness may not be her best friend's greatness. She should strive to be the best Megan (whatever her name is) she can be and not compare herself to any other player.

3. Mental Focus - As a coach nothing is more frustrating than seeing a player fail simply because she was distracted or simply not prepared for the ball to be hit to her, or prepared properly for her at bat or time in the circle. Mental focus is always a choice and 90% of all mistakes on the field are do to a simple lack of mental focus. Mental discipline or "toughness" defines all great athletes. if you athlete can cultivate this focus she will leap frog 80% of the girls in the sport on her way to the top of the recruiting list!

Give your athlete the gift that will change her game forever!

4. Expect Success - This is a subtle factor that can greatly increase your athlete's self-confidence level. The mere act of expecting success with a "can do" attitude will do wonders for her game. Don't confuse this with arrogance. If she is giving 100% all the time she has the right to expect success as a return on her investment of time and effort.

5. Have a Plan - Having a plan can be as simple as knowing the game situation, the score of the game and the umpire's strike zone. It's stepping into the batter's box knowing what is expected of you in that at bat (e.g. looking for a low outside pitch to hit on the ground to 2nd base to score the runner from 3rd). Having a plan means your athlete leverages her powers of expectancy and anticipation to up her game to a different level. The increased production and performance combined with a higher sense of accomplishment that will follow "having a plan" will be mind blowing! It's truly amazing what being prepared can do.

The great news for you and your athlete is that all of these factors are 100% within her control to execute. it is ultimately her choice as to how good she wants to be in this game. Even if she does not possess great speed, power or athleticism she can rise above other athletes with more natural skills simply be leveraging the five factors for greatness I've laid out in this post...the choice is hers!

Thanks for reading! -- John Kelly

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Fastpitch Softball: Can She Will Herself to Greatness?

Before my team's practice last night a took a lap around the expansive community park in which we practice for a little exercise. A youth football team was also practicing in another area of the park and as I ran by I noticed how hard the kids were efforting. For sure football is a game of maximum effort on each play in which strength, technique and will power win both individual battles and games.

So what followed at our softball practice made perfect sense. We challenged both teams to really give maximum effort at practice in every thing we worked on, from leads offs to outfield drop steps, to situational bunting and defense.

You see I believe that your athlete can literally will herself to greatness in the game of fastpitch softball. In my book, How She Thinks is How She Plays, I talk about the three things your athlete absolutely has control over every time she walks on the field (practice or game): her effort, her attitude, and her mental focus. Just how aggressively she chooses to utilize those three will become her personal X Factor determining her ultimate performance level.

In the game of football it is far easier to see effort, attitude and focus in action with every play whereby fastpitch softball is a more subtle game in which the effort, attitude and focus switch must be manually turned on.

I ask you to challenge your athlete to raise the bar of her practice performance, to give maximum effort, to have a "can do" attitude, and double down her concentration and focus when her coaches are instructing or critiquing. As I saw again last night it is easy for young players to see practice as part softball and part goof off or social time. However, greatness is built one practice at a time. Greatness is never handed to you because you are a good athlete or a good person...it takes having a clearly defined plan. Like I tell my athletes, "Practice and play with a purpose."

Autumn in Cali

Despite the culture of the team in general or for just that one practice your athlete can choose to elevate her game any time she wants by just willing it. In my opinion most young athletes I coach do not give maximum effort, do not prepare themselves to be mental ready each pitch, and do not maintain the "can do" attitude in the face or adversity or failure.

The great news is that effort, attitude and focus are all a matter of personal choice. Excuses come out of peoples' mouths when they are not prepared and don't give their best effort. It's all too easy to point the finger outward and blame others or "circumstances" for one's failure. Like I always say, "It is easier to do it than explain why you didn't."

At your athlete's age she needs to recognize and embrace the fact that she does have control over her future both on and off the field and the best place to start is by her giving 100% effort, 100% focus, with a 100% "can do" attitude.

I believe your athlete can will her way to greatness. Is it an easy path? Certainly not, but it is a path with proper support and guidance she can travel successfully to achieve whatever softball (and life) goals she has for herself.

Listen to a FREE audio lesson from the must have Game Changer Program: A Mental Skills Blueprint to Make Her the Best She Can Be.

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The Profile of a Peak Performing Fastpitch Player

What makes for a great athlete, one who performs at a peak level on a consistent basis? On television we can watch these elite athletes every weekend. However, at the youth softball level...not so much. What then separates the great athletes from those who aspire to be, and how can your fastpitch athlete become a consistent peak performer?

Let's look at the profile of a peak performing fastpitch player to see how your athlete compares:

• She is proactive in her mental approach and preparation for both her practices and her games filling her head with positive thoughts and statements. She recognizes that how she thinks is how she plays.

• She has a solid pre-game and in-game physical and mental game plan that allows her to remain in the present moment on the field, rather than future or past focused.

• She possesses rock solid self-confidence that allows her to remain calm under pressure and focus on the task at hand.

•  Because she is self-confident and does not focus on the results but rather the process she is able to overcome any adversity and looks at such adversity as a learning opportunity to further improve her game.

• Her mental mastery allows her to play anxiety and fear free, enabling her to consistently perform at peak levels.

• She knows that she is mentally and physically prepared each game and, as such, she expects success.
  
  
  Give your athlete the gift that will change her game forever!

• She possesses a deep level of joy and passion for playing the game she loves, that anyone can easily see by the smile on her face and her body language.

• She is a poised athlete who recognizes that errors and outs are part of the game.

• She is able to manage the expectations of herself and others around her in a healthy manner, challenging herself but keeping the game and her performance all in perspective of the bigger picture.

• She is a leader on her team and the player her teammates look to for inspiration and her coaches looks to for peak performance.

• She can’t wait to get to the field for practice or games!

Becoming a consistent peak performer is a journey, not a destination that requires constant effort and practice mastering the same mental skills that Olympic, professional and elite athletes the world over engage in.

To learn more about how your athlete can become the very best visit us at Winner's Edge Softball where you will find plenty of free mental skills resources.

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Using the "Three Second Rule" for Her Success

 Three seconds...that's all the time it takes to turn your athlete into a consistent peak performer. Really. However, before you think it's that easy to accomplish or you accuse me of being an idiot for even suggesting it read this post carefully.

Actor Woody Allen is purported to have once said, "80% of success in life is just showing up." While I'm not entirely sure what he meant by that I am fairly confident he was referring to the commitment of showing up every day and working hard;  that success is a journey,  not a destination.

I'm going to steal Woody's quote and modify it for this blog post: "80% of success in softball is being able to focus for just three seconds at a time." You see the game of fastpitch softball requires that your athlete be able to summon and concentrate her mental focus for three seconds just prior to each pitch in order to be successful.

Woody Allen

Although mental focus and anticipation are required at all times your athlete is in the field, in the circle, on the bases or in the box in reality it is those precious three seconds that make all the difference in your athlete's performance. The athlete that can best execute 100% present moment focus on the task at hand, repeatedly during the game, will become an elite athlete.

Why is three the magic number? Let's face facts, kids today have a difficult time maintaining their attention for longer than a few seconds! More importantly three seconds gives your athlete adequate time, whether in the circle, the field, the bases or the box to prepare herself for the next pitch and play. However, during those critical three seconds your athlete MUST block out all distractions, all negative thoughts, all anxiety or day dreams and BRING IT! Her inability to do so will doom her to mediocrity.

Give your athlete the gift that will change her game forever!

Here's the great news: every young athlete can focus for three seconds. As a coach that is what I ask and expect of my players. Before and after the play look around, relax, space out a bit if you like...but be ready to flip that three second laser focus switch back on.

Now this is still not an easy task for players to succeed at. The game of fastpitch can be slow and monotonous at times, particularly during a long inning in the field. When I was patrolling centerfield in college those long innings would find me gazing up at the blue sky looking for the minutest of things to occupy my attention between pitches (I loved when a bird or flock of birds flew by!). But when the pitcher readied for the pitch I stepped into position on the balls of my feet and EXPECTED the ball would be hit to me every time.

Three seconds is all it takes to become the best she can be, and it's such a simple thing to do. Mental focus is definitely within your athlete's control, however it must be cultivated. Long, hot days with multiple games can cause the "three second rule" to be much harder to employ, but that is where your athlete's mental skills mastery comes in. Either she will or will not be able to engage in laser focus for three seconds each pitch/play. Believe me...the college scouts will be watching!

I hope you will encourage your athlete to begin using the "three second rule" in her games this weekend. Again her ability to execute this plan 100% may take time, but once she starts telling herself "three second rule" enough times her mind will comply and she will be well on her way to becoming a consistent peak performer!

Visit us at Winner's Edge Softball for plenty of free mental skills resources, including a sample chapter of John Kelly's new book, How She Thinks is How She Plays, to help your athlete become the very best she can be!

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Effort Over Outcome...They Listened!

The summer of 2009 was a magical season for a 12u fastpitch team I coached. My team accomplished a level of success that our organization had never known before, finishing 1st or 2nd place in seven of ten tournaments we played, plus a 3rd place finish in the State Tournament and 7th place in ASA Nationals. These results are easy to be impressed with and in a culture where performance and results are "king" we had an epic season.

The real secret behind my team's success was planted much earlier in the story...on the very first day of practice. I decided to implement a new coaching philosophy that I had been working on for a few years. I knew I had an excellent core of players that, like so many other teams from our organization in previous seasons, had never achieved their true softball potential. I truly believed we had the makings of a very special team on that first day we assembled.

So what was so different about my new coaching philosophy? Historically I, and most coaches I am afraid, was focused on results. Game scores and a "W" or "L" were all that really mattered to me. It was as if my team's results defined me as a coach and a person. After many years of this type of thinking I came to the realization that the pressure and expectations of results only thinking was actually hurting my team and all the players on it.

Give your athlete the gift that will change her game forever!

Instead I began to implement a new coaching philosophy that focused solely on my team's effort and not the outcome or results. It was unfamiliar territory for both my players and myself, but it felt right. I told my team that we would not focus on the score of the game nor the results of the game (including focusing on any errors or poor at bats), but rather would focus only on two things: 100% effort and 100% mental focus; both of which my players had 100% control over.

I believed that if my players concentrated on those two things the results we all so desperately desired, and too often fell short of in past seasons, would magically happen...and boy did they! We had numerous come from behind wins, continually got off to early leads and had a lot of fun playing together. Even the parents and coaches got along like one big happy family!

My team was not saddled with burdensome expectations and results driven thinking and they played that way. We quickly moved to 11-1, then 21-3 early in the season. My team played relaxed with poise, confidence and joy. The new coaching formula clearly was working. The girls were becoming consistent peak performers because they were focusing on the task at hand, each inning and each batter. The mold was cast and the rest of our season was a very cool experience for everyone.

The secret was simple, although it took years of doing it the wrong way before I figured out the right way! My athletes played as champions, with passion and joy. More importantly we created great memories that will last a lifetime!

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Barking Dogs and Softball

At this very moment I am suffering through about two consecutive hours of a neighbor's barking dog. I have a ton of work to accomplish today yet this dog is taking me off my game in a big way! The dog has gotten in my head and it has been impossible to keep the present moment awareness I so desperately need today!

Why do such little and inconsequential things affect us so badly sometimes? Not only has the dog taken away my focus from the tasks at hand but I'm finding it hard to let go of my frustration caused by the dog.

As I write about how essential it is for an athlete to let go of the things she has no control over I know this is true, but at this moment I recognize how hard that can be to execute! It is so easy for negative thoughts to take hold and the downward mental spiral to commence. And it is normally the smallest of things that can set us off, isn't it?

For adults, and your athlete, it all starts with mostly a rigid set of expectations. Like today my rigid set of expectations were that I would be able to record numerous audio lessons critical to launching The Game Changer Program in four days! However, with the dog's intrusion into my best made plans I now need to adopt a mentality of flexibility.

Just the same your athlete needs to allow for the flexibility of "Plan B" to take over when unforeseen circumstances take her off her game. Something as little as not being able to find her cleats as you are rushing out the door for the game, making her late, can set her (or you) off.

One's mental state can be a fragile thing leading to all kinds of negative thoughts which can emotionally and physically drain the body of both focus and energy.

Today I must push through the sound of my neighbor's dog and get my tasks completed while doing my best to come back to the present moment awareness I need. The next time your athlete is distracted by the "barking dog" remind her to employ more flexibility in how her game and her day unfolds!

P.S. -- If you hear barking in the background of any of my audio lessons you'll know why!

Learn more about why physical training simply isn't enough to make her the very best she can be at Winner's Edge Softball.

Learn more about all of our cutting edge original information products like How She Thinks is How She Plays, The Game Changer: A Mental Skills Blueprint to Make Her the Best She Can Be, The Secret Weapon Audio Collection 1, and 21 Killer Fastpitch Softball Winning Strategies and our new Mental Skills Tele-Classes coming in late October.

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