The Power Five: Mental Wellness

The ball cracks off the bat, flying deep into the night sky.  As the outfielder tracks towards the center field wall, they notice a change; the lush green grass fades into coarse red dirt.  The warning track; a shift in terrain to warn the outfielder that they’re close to hitting the wall and that they need to slow down.  If the outfielder pays attention to the warning track, they’ll slow down and adjust accordingly. If they ignore it, they risk an unpleasant surprise.  Warning tracks don’t just exist on the diamond; they’re a part of every athlete’s mental experience, and having the awareness to know when you’ve hit the warning […]

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The Power Five: Physical Wellness

Get enough sleep, eat healthy, embrace the grind. You’ve heard it all.  The concept of physical wellness may seem like a gimme; after all, it’s no secret that taking care of your body correlates with stronger performance on the field and in life.  Yet the endless tales of seven hours of sleep, extra reps before the season, and rise and grind don’t tell the full story; in fact, they corrupt it in some ways.  Physical Wellness..What is it? “When we talk about physical wellness and how it relates to sport psychology, we define physical wellness as any potential action taken to keep your body fueled, healthy, and strong so that […]

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The Power Five: Team Support

There’s truly nothing more fulfilling than being part of a team that functions as a well-oiled machine. We all know that the value of being on a team transcends wins and losses; between all the long bus rides and team gatherings are adversity-defying moments, character-building experiences, and budding friendships, all of which can serve as puzzle pieces that shape an athlete’s life for decades to come. The dynamics of a team can truly shape lives…a vehicle for culture, growth, and learning. Yet in a puzzle, no one piece looks the same…but they all play a critical role in creating a rock-solid final product. The same can be said for the […]

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The Power Five: Performance Mindset

We all want to find ways to increase our mental game to compete our best on game day. And while we can’t always control outcomes, we can control how we prepare and what tools we use to get in the right mind space before and during competition.  Finding that sweet spot requires a performance mindset.  What is a Performance Mindset? A performance mindset is a way of seeing performance as a collection of small, controllable steps and skills, and prioritizing those which are necessary to succeed. Think of a performance mindset like putting gas in your car the night before a long drive.  The task of filling up the tank […]

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Does Your Child Have a Growth Mindset? (And Why It’s Important They Do)

Little League victories, Pee Wee hockey losses, high school soccer titles, and heartbreaking AAU basketball defeats.  Any of these sound familiar to you? The emotional roller coaster of youth sports teaches children lessons and values that span the spectrum; the joy of learning a new skill, the beauty of developing lifelong friendships, and the foundation of being part of something bigger than one’s self.  Those are all incredibly important, yet one of the most valuable growth opportunities to come from youth sports is the ability to deal with outcomes…both good and bad.  Youth sport teaches athletes to win with grace and lose with dignity; sportsmanship, something the world can always […]

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The Power Five: Growth Mindset

Wins and losses. Game-winning three-pointers and clanks off the rim. Picturesque pick-sixes and blown coverages that part the Red Sea.  Regardless of age, level, or skill, sport is a journey often determined by outcomes. The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. Some of those outcomes result in perceived greatness; Stefon Diggs’ miraculous catch to send the Vikings to the NFC Championship in 2018, Maya Moore’s incredible 2013 campaign that led to Finals MVP accolades and a WNBA title for the Lynx, and Kirby Puckett’s legendary walk-off homer in game six of the 1991 World Series just to name a few.  Those are great..but many, if not most […]

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