ATHLETES WHO PASS ON A GOOD THING

As a sport psychologist I am biased about the value of the services offered by me and my colleagues. Of course, I have the Thank you’s of the many athletes I have helped, and a high number of Olympic athletes employ the help of sport psychology to prepare them for competition on the highest stage in sports.

I am always curious when athletes (and coaches, too!) elect NOT to work with me as to why they would pass on a proven service. When I told one basketball player that I could help him pinpoint some of the mental areas where improvement would have a near immediate pay off, he replied, “That’s okay; I’ll just work on EVERYTHING.”  Which to me meant he would actually work on NOTHING.

I have had many players tell me they can’t afford my services. I have worked with players for free, and the moment (after several sessions) when I tell them I really need to start charging for continued work, they are “out the door.”  I have told other players that I would charge them as little as 5 Euros/$10 just to just get them on board with the benefits of what I have to offer and they still say they can’t do it… and you know these guys easily spend double that without batting an eye on a snack or a movie.

Recently I have been coming across another reason guys don’t take advantage of this.  Last summer I ran a Big Man Camp in Europe with former Detroit Pistons “Bad Boy” Rick Mahorn.  The camp was very successful (as proof, every single guy from last summer plans to come back AND they all asked to make the camp longer this year!) and Rick did a phenomenal job. Apart from his teaching and drills, his playing experience that he shared with the guys was a treasure.

(The fact that this is the only high level basketball camp that includes mental coaching is worth mentioning – though I understand that Rick – and not me – is the primary attraction!!)

Several European players, including guys playing in U.S. colleges during the season, told me that they have a personal coach they work with during the summer.  While this can be valuable, in my estimation what this kind of work primarily does is help guys execute better IN PRACTICE!!!  It is NO GUARANTEE of how they are going to perform IN GAMES – WHEN IT MATTERS!!

In my opinion… a big reason that an athlete would not take advantage of a situation that can help him step up his game is that he is NOT READY TO VENTURE OUTSIDE OF HIS COMFORT ZONE.  Working with his personal coach is kind of a predictable affair. It is kind of like when trainers say that after a while if you run the same distance at the same speed day after day your body adjusts and the continued benefit becomes increasingly minimal.

Sure, venturing outside of our comfort zone can be uncomfortable… but I have never talked to an athlete who regretted having done so! Hmmmmmmmmmm……

So what do you think? 

SEE THE NEXT ENTRY ON THIS BLOG… “Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone” … to help you explore some of your own possible resistance to taking steps that could help YOU to step up your game.