It’s been fantastic to see the dedication that our Rush players have to not only become BETTER, FITTER and SMARTER but also with the launch of the new TOUGHER Train @ Home Track, it’s obvious that they are ready to take their game to the next level by building mental toughness and increasing overall performance.
Among the many who have set big goals and taken the challenge to step up their habits to reach them, Coach Michelle Weimer chose Mallory Meighan from Rush WI West U14G as the very first featured player for the new TOUGHER Track.
“Mallory not only set some great goals but she has already started implementing new practices, including mental cues, to help her excel to the next level”
Coach Michelle Weimer.
Here’s what Mallory had to say about the new TOUGHER Training Track and how it’s already helping her think and behave differently.
- What do you like the most about the new Tougher Training Track?
“I have watched a lot of really good players that make a mistake during a game and you can tell that they just become more and more frustrated and continue to make mistakes. Training usually focuses on physical skills but if you don’t learn to take control of your mental game even the best players won’t perform well. The mental part of the game is something that we don’t often talk about or work on improving in practice but it’s a big part of the game”.
- As someone who is working to become a high performance athlete, how do you think building your mental toughness will benefit you?
“Nobody is perfect. We are all going to have times where things just don’t go the way we want them to. I hope building mental toughness will help me turn these situations into learning moments and continue to improve. It’s easy to become frustrated and let emotions negatively impact your game. I want to learn to quickly recover from mistakes and put my focus back on making a positive impact”.
- How has what you’ve learned about mastering your mindset, managing your emotions and maintaining your behaviors affected your performance on the field already?
“I haven’t had much opportunity to use the training from last week yet. We are hoping to start our spring outdoor season next week. I have been able to think of times when I have lost my focus in the past and can see where some of the things discussed in your session could have helped”.
- What high performance habit have you implemented so far that you feel is helping you the most?
“I like the roadmap idea. I know where I want to go or what I would like to do, but if I don’t write it down and have to look at it I don’t work as hard to do it. Seeing it on paper makes me want to work harder so I can mark it off”.
- What is your favorite way to remember your mental cues and keep you taking action to be your best?
“I think using notes will be good. Being able to see it will keep reminding me of what is important. I get busy and think about other things so a note will make me stop and remember what I should focus on”.
We can’t wait to see the fast development and growth of Mallory and the enormous amount of great players that keep working hard at home.
Keep going Mallory and all!
