The Light... at the End of the Tunnel

 Resilience is a show stopper, it's a deal breaker, it's a life changer.  Resilience - NOT "mental strength" is the piece to the puzzle - the LAST piece to the puzzle - the determines success - IMO! What is mental strength?  The most elusive buzz word on the market.  Have mental strength.  Need mental strength.  Train for mental strength.  What does that mean?  How do you "strengthen" your "mind"?  What tools allow you "mental strength", or is "mental strength" the tool??  We can go round and round and round - BUT, all "mental strength" actually means is - does one have RESILIENCE?  What is resilience?  Resilience is the ability to persevere through adversity, over and over and over again.  Resilience is taking constructive criticism, using it to improve, over and over and over again.  Resilience is being able to self-assess, understand one's worth from the inside, and no matter what the "world" (one'...

 I think of this question, often.  "What happens when coaches fail kids, and how do they fail them?" I am sure this question has come up for decades - for at least as long as sports teams have existed! I have my opinions - and I will share them here (because I can, since it's my blog 🤪)  but think about those questions for your own children - what would that look, for your kids?  How would a coach fail your kids?? For me, as a sport coach and as a mental conditioning coach, there are many levels of potential failure.  There's the simple X's and O's.  Do they know the game?  Do they feel the game? The next question - can they TEACH the game - that's where the gift of teaching comes in.  Next - can they lead the team?  Do they develop leaders?  Do they care enough to try?  Lastly - how do they treat the individuals?   Do they rule with a heavy hand?  Do they have the capacity for empathy?  Do they have obvious fa...