Being an athlete goes beyond choosing a hobby, it encompasses a way and philosophy of life , where giving up and giving up is not part of the plans.
To achieve this, we need to prepare in all areas. The mind being a factor of great importance, because this is where everything begins. In this section, several professional coaches and athletes share five tips:
1. Set goals . Both in the long term (winning a race, a championship, a contest), and in the medium and short term (training every day, getting up early in the morning, etc.).
2. Have self-confidence . Knowing and trusting your own abilities is essential to achieve your goals.
3. Have discipline . Consistency is what will make the difference between succeeding or failing in our goals.
4. Positive beliefs . It is what will give you strength and allow you to enhance your efforts.
5. Visualization . Acknowledging and accepting emotions for or against your goals is an essential preparation routine.
When mental preparation is accomplished, training and competition as such come into play, this is where two key tips are recommended:
6. In training : try to get a partner or train in a group, in this way you will promote competitiveness. If you decide to train alone, motivate yourself with expressions such as “Come on, courage, you can!”, “Come on, courage, you’re already finishing up!”, “Courage you’re getting it!”
7. In the competition : control previous anxiety, measure the test and the other competitors, avoid negative thoughts and, at the end, assess and evaluate the results according to the objectives you have set for yourself.
Finally, Bob Bowman, coach of US swimming and discoverer / coach Michael Phelps recommends three tips to excel at any sport:
8. Work on technique and skill level . “Regardless of sport, you need to practice the fundamentals and improve basic skills,” he says.
9. Carefully study the strategies of the game . “This is achieved by getting out of oneself and observing the sport from the outside as a whole,” he points out.
10. Take care of yourself outside of sport . “Proper nutrition, getting enough rest and taking care of your body is just as important as training,” he emphasizes.
