What You Need to Know About Mental Toughness

USA Swimming posted a helpful article regarding mental toughness and how parents can help foster mental toughness in their athletes  Continue reading to learn more about what exactly we mean when we talk about mental toughness with your swimmer(s), and what you can do to cultivate that mental toughness within them.

MENTAL TOUGHNESS

What is mental toughness? It’s being in control of your emotions, being poised when challenged and under pressure. It’s the ability to maintain focus and to be resilient through intimidation and being able to bounce back from adversity. Mental toughness is being self-assured and learning how to deal with the fear of failure.

What can a parent do? Don’t demand or expect certain performance levels, condemn failure or equate love with performance. Stay away from undue or harsh criticism. DO encourage and support. Reward effort, not outcome. Realize that the consequences of failure are temporary. Learn and help your athletes learn to enjoy the sport and have fun regardless of outcome.

Discourage statements (and never use them yourself) like: “What if I don’t do well?”, “I can’t blow it now.”, or “I don’t do well under pressure.” Encourage statements (and use them yourself) like: “I’m going to do the best I can.”, “I don’t have to feel pressure. I’ll just do my job.”, and “I’m giving 100 percent and trusting my training.”

This was an excerpt taken from USA Swimming’s Swim Parents’ Workshop.

See this short article on the USA Swimming website: http://www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx?TabId=2208&itemid=4249&mid=11881