Once An Athlete, Always An Athlete Mindset.
Coaching Tip #2
When athletes hang up their skates, retire their helmet, or cross the finish line for the final time, the mental mindset that was developed over their time in sport still lives on.
Post-sport athletes can make use of this mindset to move away from the intensity of daily physical feats, and toward their next set of adventures and challenges. The strengths of this mindset can help athletes get hired, and promoted, post-sport.
To succeed, athletes developed basic skills through dedication, hard work, the ability to process feedback, and being open to learning. They learn to accept that frustration, disappointment and failure are parts of a process of success. Ultimately, they know that they are 100 percent responsible for their actions and results.
This athlete mindset cannot be taught – it must be experienced over and over again, so that it becomes a fundamental way to operate and view the next set of hurdles. It is a part of the athlete, an extension of the self.
In sport, when faced with a hurdle that needed to be conquered, the athlete understood that a coach, teammate, trainer, psychologist, or medical specialist were there to support them through the process. Countless times over their athletic career, they have relied on the people who surrounded them, and the athlete mindset developed through these experiences.
Post-sport, the individual must continue to nourish this mindset, but for new purposes. There will be times when they experience rejection, failure, questioning moments, and feelings of doubt, insecurity or anxiety. This is when they need to put trust in their fundamentals.
I recommend three strategies for the post-sport athlete.
1. Place in your wallet 4 to 5 words or phrases that represent your definition of mindset. In my wallet the words are “hard work,” “accepting feedback,” “be open to learning,” “change what is not working” and “success is a process.” In moments of doubt, remind yourself of these words.
2. Create a new support team that will be honest and direct with you (just like your old support team was). This new team’s purpose is to support your forward process (not revel in your past successes).
3. Be kind to your mindset. You are in a new arena, where you are learning new skills, and meeting new people. Your mindset is still adjusting from the old arena where you understood the required skills, knew most of the players, and were regarded as an expert.