Mental Game Coaching- What is it and why do I need it?

I would like to kick off the “Mental Monday” blog series by introducing myself, my name is Coach Kristen and I am a Mental Game Coach.  Usually when I tell people this I get the response “That sounds cool, but what do you do?” So lets clear this up!

All athletes play two games, a physical game and a mental game.  The physical game is what athletes train for every day at practice.  You practice the physical skills to be a better cheerleader; your stunts, tumbling, jumps and motion technique.  But what about your competition mind set?  When the pressure is on and you step on the mat are you 100% confident or do you start to doubt yourself and become nervous?  A Mental Game Coach trains your mind so you are a better athlete.

As a cheerleading coach I come across so many outstanding and talented cheerleaders who choke and crack under the pressure of performing on the competition floor.  They can perform elite skills 10 out of 10 times at practice but somehow when they put on the uniform, the lights turn up and the judges are there with pen in hand they lose their confidence.  If you are sitting there reading this and shaking your head yes, you already know why the mental game is as important, if not more then your physical game. 

A Mental Game Coach can teach you how to develop mental toughness, how to build focus and block out external and internal distractions, help to create calmness when under pressure, help to shake off mistakes and help to reduce mental errors.  As this blog progresses, I will cover many topics within the field of Sports Psychology and Mental Game Coaching. Topics will range from mental exercises, tips and much more. 

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