It’s need to coach the mind to compete

Although many coaches recognize the decisive role played by the mind in favor/hinder the sport performance, there are still many who think that mental difficulties are overcome by training more or participating in more competition. Typically those who think in this way are convinced that at some point the athlete will be unlocked and will start for him/her a new winning phase of  the career. Briefly, you have to compete, gain experience and then, won the first tournament, things will settle. I meet many athletes and they tell me stories like these one but with a different and negative end,  because they still have the same problems, affecting more and more their self-confidence. They say that they train well and in competition they always repeat the same mistakes. I then explain, what I have repeated hundreds of times and that is that to have the technical skill (whatever sport) does not mean to know how to cope with the race, which is a different thing. When these athletes become aware of this difference, usually calm down and at this point I can explain to them that follow a program of mental coaching is really helpful to learn how to drive your own mind in the race.