The Pattern That Keeps Athletes STUCK

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Can you guess what comes next?

Of course you can- it's a pattern!

Patterns are things that predictably and consistently repeat 

themselves. 

The good news? We can break patterns. 

The bad news? The longer a pattern has been in place, the harder it is to break.

Think about your athlete.

The way she focuses on everything she didn't do well, beats herself up, and gets upset during the car ride home.

The way his body language drops after a bad call, getting pulled out of the game, or making a mistake.

The way she starts every game nervous, hesitant, and afraid of messing up.

These aren't just isolated moments. They're patterns.

And unless we intentionally train new responses, those same patterns will likely keep repeating.

Here are two powerful ways to break them.

1. New Words.
   
   Our thoughts influence our emotions, and our emotions influence how we respond.
   
   And often, athletes don't even realize the thoughts running through their minds.
   
   Before a game, an athlete might think:
   
   "I hope I don't mess up."
   
   That thought creates pressure before the game even starts.
   
   But what if they intentionally replaced it with:
   
   "I'm prepared. I'm ready. I trust my training."
   
   The process sounds simple, but the key is knowing how to replace those thoughts and practicing consistently until the new response becomes more natural.

1. New Questions.
   
   Have you ever had someone ask you a question that completely changed the way you were thinking?
   
   I once coached an athlete who had a habit of complaining about things outside her control.
   
   One day, she was frustrated about a teammate who always showed up negatively to practice and rarely gave her best effort.
   
   After listening I asked her the question, “Sounds like your team is lacking great leadership. If you were a great leader, what would a great leader do?”
   
   One question broke the pattern.

At first, athletes may need a parent or coach to ask these questions.

But eventually, they can learn to ask themselves better questions when they feel stuck.

Here's my challenge for you today:

The next time your athlete gets stuck in a negative pattern, don't just tell them to stop thinking that way.

Help them replace the pattern.

Give them new words.

Or ask them a better question.

Which one will you try today?

Dedicated to your success in sports and life,

Coach Andrew Simpson

www.performfree.com