As I See It: Mental Toughness

In every sport, in every age group, there are great athletes. These are the people that can walk out onto the field, and everyone can see their athletic prowess. You can see the great runner, pitcher, or point guard. He has all of the physical attributes. They have the size, strength, speed, or as we say all the measurables in order to succeed. The NFL combine is a great illustration in the science of choosing which athletes should be able to make the jump from college to the professional level. Yet time and again, we see athletes that excel at the combine that fail to live up to the expectations of the NFL. We have also seen complete unknowns against all odds, make and contribute to a NFL roster. Why does this happen?

To me, to be a player or to succeed, whether it is in sports, or in the game of life, you must be mentally tough. You must be focused on the job at hand, and must be willing to sacrifice, both mind and body to achieve this goal. You must exert tremendous effort, to push physical and mental pain aside. You must focus on the job at hand, not letting outside forces sway you or detract you from attaining your goals. You must set your goals high, for true failure is not in achieving the goal, but not having a goal set to achieve. You must be determined, and have the will to succeed, and every breathe that you take should be taken to achieve this goal.

In my household, I call this heart. I preach to my boys that you do not necessarily need to be the best at what you do; you can make the difference up with heart. In order to achieve your goal you must first, want it more. In order to obtain it from those who also want it, you must work harder than those who want the same thing. In order to obtain your goal from somebody who has laid claim, you must impose your will on them. You must make them give it to you. You must, when all hope seems lost, all strength gone, you must will yourself, push yourself beyond the limits that you feel that you can endure, and only then reap the fruit of your toil.

Athletic ability or talent is something that to which you are born. You cannot be a opera singer without some sort of talent. Being born with talent by no means guarantees that you will become a world famous singer. Without some sort of desire or heart, you may find yourself singing in a church choir. Should you have a passion for your music you can develop your talent, and with dedication and hard work may find yourself singing on a stage on Broadway. Dream, set goals, and follow your heart with your entire being. In the words of one of my son’s wrestling coach, Ken Chertow, who has made these words ring true with many youngsters, “Hard Work Makes Dreams Come True”.