What Trait do all Pro Athletes Have in Common?

One of the most hotly debated topics in the sports world is what separates a good player from a great player.  

But if you’ve watched sports for long enough - or you’ve listened to enough interviews with the world’s greatest athletes - the answer is abundantly clear.

It’s resilience. The key to success in sports is the ability to endure adversity, over and over and over again, without losing focus.

However, elite level resilience isn’t just about refusing to give up when adversity strikes. It’s also a lifelong commitment to continuous self-improvement, and the consistent self-criticism that comes with it.

Elite Athletes Compete with Themselves, Not Their Team 

Elite athletes understand that self-improvement is a never-ending journey. There’s always something about your game you can improve. This mentality requires you to continuously identify and target the weakest aspects of your game.

If you’re the best player on your team and you’re competing with them, there is no work to do. So you will not push yourself and when you move up a level, it’ll be much harder to keep up. Instead, don’t compare yourself to your teammates, compare yourself to your previous self. 

At first, it’s hard to focus on being better than you were yesterday – it’s an abstract idea while it’s much easier to compare yourself to those around you. But if you break your game down into components – I need not have a weak foot anymore, for example, you can see the progress and get the same sense of accomplishment as you did when you compete against others. 

Elite Athletes Target Their Weaknesses Every Day

Elite athletes are able to control their emotions and correct their mistakes during matches because this is exactly what they do every day in training. They are so used to identifying and accepting their own shortcomings that they don’t view it as a negative experience, or an attack on their character. Correcting mistakes and improving weaknesses is just another day at the office.

Elite Athletes Push Themselves Harder and Harder 

If you want to gain the resilience of your favorite athletes, get used to pushing yourself harder and harder in training. When you’re tired, ask yourself: Is this really all I have left, or can I keep going? Same thing with your skill set. Is there a certain technique that some of your teammates have mastered, but you’re not there yet? Trust us: If those teammates want to be great as well, they’re being just as critical of themselves.

At Beyond Goals Mentoring, we understand that constantly poking holes in yourself isn’t fun, but it’s how elite level athletes approach training.

That’s why we’re dedicated to helping young athletes build the resilience to adapt this approach and embrace adversity as an ongoing part of their life. Lots of young athletes possess the physical requirements for success, but the mental component is reserved for a select few.

So, if your athlete could use some help with the mental component of high-level sports, let’s set up a mentoring session today.