Can you teach/coach mental toughness?

[philtenn]

On another thread, it was unanimous that mental toughness is very important. If you're going to be a championship team, you've got to have it.

 

Given that mental toughness is that important, how much time do coaches spend on teaching/coaching it and what do they do to make it develop?

[eyeonu]

Great topic.

 

This topic looks far more indepth at basketball rather than just another thread of this girl is better than that girl or this team is better than that team.

 

Mental toughness is instilled by coaches. Some players have it regardless because it's instilled by parents.

 

Coaches that win and garner respect (by giving respect) create team players who want to win regardless of what it takes.

 

The Jackson Countys of the world have it. It's why they overachieve and get more out of less talent that other programs are able to do. It's why Jackson County won four straight titles. JC didn't have the most talent in the state all of those years, but they did have a bigger will to win than anybody else. They still have it to some extent. I don't know if Jim Brown teaches it, but her certainly instills it in some fashion (maybe just by his conduct, interaction and communication) with his players. I'm sure he has confidence in his girls too, which helps a player when he/she knows that his/her coaches believes in them.

 

Lots of good programs have a measure of it, but the best programs have a greater portion of it. They can reverse the momentum of a game simply by their will to win.

[riverdaleman]

i think mental toughness is somthing that is instilled by not only coahces but parents by instilling the toughness into them for example kids says..mom dad this teacher doesnt like me or this teacher isnt fair or this coach this or this coach that if a parent continues to take the childs side instead of the teacher or coach what does the child learn but if the parent hads the child adjust or "get over it" and do what they are told in my opinion this is a way of helping that child grow mentally

My son plays baseball and he has gotten a lot of mental toughness over the past 3 years he had to work 3 years just to play as a SR now he could have done like a lot of other kids and quit but he stayed with it and so far he will be a starter this year

but that is my 2 cents for what it is worth

[QuiKTiLDeF]

Mental toughness is one thing that you can't really 'teach'. It has everything to do with a person's surroundings and upbringing, but you can't really make a person be mentally strong it's something they have to do for themselves. If you put a person through enough situations though it's one of those things that just gets developed over time. Parents can definitely hurt it though by spoiling kids, and coaches can hurt players by giving them too many breaks. I think that the best way to develop it would be to treat everyone as equals and go from there. The Star player and the Bench player get punished equally for doing the same mistakes.

[coachh17]

I will say that in my coaching career I saw very little change in individual players mental toughness from around 4th grade through their senior years. The "gamers" had it at 12 years old and never lost it. The others never had it and it never came. You could improve their skills, strength, and create a tradition and an expectation of winning, but the "soft" players generally stayed soft all the way through. They still made valuable contributions to the program, but the mentally tough athletes carry you to the big wins.

[philtenn]

In my opinion, mental toughness is really about management of emotions. When we talk about anyone who is "mentally tough" we probably mean the girl who stands at the free throw line with no time on the clock and sinks 3 straight free throws to tie the game (I think shooting for the tie takes more mental toughness than going for the win because missing any of the 3 means the game is over). That means the player cannot let the situation get her too excited or too scared. She has to manage her feelings to the point where there is just enough intensity to not get lackadaisical but also not get so worked up (happy and excited) about what she's trying to do, either. Mental toughness also assumes that the player already has the skill set that is required by the task. In other words, in the example, the girl is known to be a good free throw shooter and has the ability to shoot 3 free throws in a row.

 

Now, if we're talking about managing emotions, then I think it's reasonable to say it can be taught. For example, any parent knows that kids have to be taught to manage emotions. Most parents think about discipline when they are trying to teach a child not to throw a tantrum or not to tear the house apart because they're so excited about that new Christmas toy. Parents are basically teaching their child to not let their emotions overwhelm them. That sounds very close to mental toughness to me.

 

I believe it's true that you must do more than what your average competent parent would do in trying to teach their child not to throw tantrums, for example. But, mental toughness is teachable.

[coachh17]

philtenn,

This thread is like the one on leadership. I'm still not sure that genetics may not play a part in leadership and mental toughness. I do believe that you can enhance leadership skills and mental toughness, but I don't know that you can create either if they aren't there. Maybe, it is instilled by environment or how they are raised. I am just not sure. What I do know is that in my experience in coaching and my professional life, true leaders and people who are mentally tough are few and far between. This goes for teens and adults. Many fear the responsiblity, accountability, and tough decision-making required of a leader. I think as our standard of living has raised and our dependence on technology has increased we have grown softer as a society. Outdoor activities and competition have been reduced. Myspace, cellphones, and Nintendo have replaced chores, sandlot baseball, and pick up and smear. Look at the current crop of leaders in our country. I can't find any. Where are FDR, Harry Truman, and General Patton when we need them?

[knight2]

I do not think you teach mental toughness after the age of about 9 or 10 if a kid has does not have it by middle school most likely they wont ever get it. It is something that is taught at a very young age.

[bigDintennessee]

QUOTE(knight2 @ Feb 18 2007 - 10:01 PM) 826378386[/snapback]I do not think you teach mental toughness after the age of about 9 or 10 if a kid has does not have it by middle school most likely they wont ever get it. It is something that is taught at a very young age.

 

 

I agree, nothing a coach can do after a certain age as far as developing mental toughness. Some seem to think they can, running kids relentlessly and showing girls how tough they can be but if kids don't already possess those qualities, it only results in thinning the roster. They just quit. Just because the coach makes them cry, doesn't make them mentally rough and tough when they come back for more. They're already tough, or they leave. It's like that quote concerning character, it don't develop it-just reveals it.

[#12fan]

The whole mental aspect of sports & athletes is one of my favorite subjects. I don't believe that it's taught or coached nearly enough by parents or coaches especially at an early age. We spend a lot of time on physical pracitice (in basketball - foul shots, defense, etc: in softball/baseball - hitting, pitching, defense, etc.) but how many parents or coaches teach kids how to think, how to believe in themselves, and so on. It's easy for a coach to tell his/her players to believe in themselves, but how does a player do that? What makes them believe in themselves? How many coaches have a "mental practice" every now & then. I firmly believe in the power of the mind. I believe that your mind controls your body and not vice versa. If more coaches or parents taught their players/kids the mental game of basketball or softball or tennis or whatever sport they play, odds are they would be better on the field or court. I know that learning the mental side of sports and becoming mentally sharper / tougher was one of the greatest lessons of my daughter's life and it continues to serve her well today.

[8675309]

QUOTE(eyeonu @ Feb 15 2007 - 05:35 PM) 826373424[/snapback]Great topic.

 

This topic looks far more indepth at basketball rather than just another thread of this girl is better than that girl or this team is better than that team.

 

Mental toughness is instilled by coaches. Some players have it regardless because it's instilled by parents.

 

Coaches that win and garner respect (by giving respect) create team players who want to win regardless of what it takes.

 

The Jackson Countys of the world have it. It's why they overachieve and get more out of less talent that other programs are able to do. It's why Jackson County won four straight titles. JC didn't have the most talent in the state all of those years, but they did have a bigger will to win than anybody else. They still have it to some extent. I don't know if Jim Brown teaches it, but her certainly instills it in some fashion (maybe just by his conduct, interaction and communication) with his players. I'm sure he has confidence in his girls too, which helps a player when he/she knows that his/her coaches believes in them.

 

Lots of good programs have a measure of it, but the best programs have a greater portion of it. They can reverse the momentum of a game simply by their will to win.

 

 

I am going to have to agree with eyeonyou here, I definately think good coaches can harvest mental toughness in their players, I don't necessarily know if you could say, have a team meeting to teach it, but I think it can be instilled, either by coaches, parents, maybe other players, or other outside people or events. I also think #12fan makes a very valid point. The power of the mind can be big. I have known of many coaches who have tried to make their players understand, and successfully, that your body can do much much more than you think it can, you just have to be able to cross that threshold when your body says "no more", or when you are tired, you have to be able to over ride that, the bad part is the way that most coaches teach this is not too pretty( those ten extra sprints after you think you can't do more) but that's just the way it has to be done, mental toughness breeds physical toughness, therefore like eyeonyou said getting more out of less talent.

 

Great topic

[coachgat]

About 20 years ago I heard my aunt say in church, "as we get wiser, we get weaker". I didn't understand it then, but I fully understand it now. Coachh17 made me remember that. It's amazing how the mind works.