Remember you LOVE this stuff!

When the going gets TUFF, remember you LOVE this stuff!
By Tami Eggleston (c) - www.DrivingSecrets.com

My primary interest as a sport psychologist is the field of auto racing, but I also meet with a variety of other athletes including softball players, bowlers, golfers, volleyball players, and a few soccer and basketball players. I was working with a very good bowler the other day and he talked about how sometimes the pressure really gets to him, sometimes his coach can make him nervous, sometimes his teammates cause him stress, and sometimes it is hard to regain focus. As I talked to him and many of the other athletes, I find that the thing that can really get you through the tough times, keep you going, and help refocus your brain is to remember why you are there....and ultimately you engage in your sport because you LOVE it....To help you remember why you love your sport to help you do the work that needs that to be done, to help you keep making the sacrifices that any sport requires, and to help you keep focused when the going gets tough, here are some things to ask yourself:

1.) Think back to your earliest memory of performing your sport, how did you feel about your sport, why did you want to keep doing it?

2.) When you are playing your sport, how do you feel about yourself?

3.) What other things in your life give you as much feelings of pride, joy, and confidence as your sport?

4.) I love my sport because.....

When the going gets TUFF, remember you LOVE this stuff!