Happy Halloween! 🎃
Today, we’re talking about self-talk.
Last friday, we had Maryland head coach Cathy Reese on the podcast and she said something that resonated with us; most of us let our minds run, but there are methods to training this. Just like physical skills, we have mental skills as well that we can train. We’ll break down using the mental skill of self-talk to help build confidence.
Let’s get into it. Happy Friday ☕️,
Matt & Deemer
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📧 Coaches Corner: Defining a Quality Shot
🎙️ Podcast: Cathy Reese: Maryland’s Recipe for Confidence, Growth & Winning
Cathy Reese: Maryland’s Recipe for Confidence, Growth & Winning
⭐️ Self-Talk: Training Your Mental Skills
“I’m really big on how we talk to ourselves. I think you’re going to act and react the way that your mind is telling you to.”
This past week, we had Maryland Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach Cathy Reese as our guest on our podcast. We wanted to highlight one segment of the podcast because it sheds light on something that all of us do: self-talk.
Photo via Maryland Athletics.
Self-talk is how you think about yourself and how you speak to yourself. It’s that internal monologue that goes on in your head.
The problem is that for many athletes, and people in general, their self-talk is negative. Negative self-talk is easy to fall into. In fact, it is well known that humans have a negativity bias. We’ve written about this in the past here: Navigating Negative Thoughts.
It is easy to compare yourself to others or to think you’re not good enough. It is a common trap that all of us have found ourselves in.
If you do not catch yourself when you start this negative internal dialogue, it will affect your play, whether you know it or not. It will lead to doubt, lower your confidence, and that negative self talk will be amplified any time you make a mistake.
Reframing Your Inner Dialogue
Coach Reese advises that you keep it simple. Every player has unique thoughts, concerns, or insecurities. What works for player X might not work for player Y. It is important that you reflect on your own thoughts and come up with something that will make a difference for you.
“Even something as simple as, ‘I score my 8 meters.’”
It is important to remember that despite someone’s previous accomplishments, negative self-talk is something that everyone experiences. The skill here is learning how to manage those thoughts. It starts with positive affirmations.
“We all struggle with it in whatever area it is. We could be going to speak at some event, and I have to sit there before I go. I’m like, ‘I’m going to crush this’, you know like, ‘I got this.’”
Going back a few weeks, we had a weekly thought based on the idea that confidence comes from preparation.
When it comes to self-talk, this can be a powerful tool to silence your fears. You can remind yourself of things like:
“I did put in the work.”
“I do have good technique.”
“I can score from that spot.”
“I do have the stick skills to throw that pass.”
“I can guard him or her.”
Sometimes, it is as simple as trusting yourself. Trusting what you did to get here, remembering the hardships you already overcame, and believing in yourself.
“Stop worrying about what you’re doing if it doesn’t work out and focus on making it work out.”
Sometimes, it is as simple as trusting the process. Growth does not happen overnight. Lean on your teammates and trust that in the same way they got better, overcame doubts and became confident that you will too.
Buy into the idea that you are hammering away at a rock. It may not crack on the first 100 strikes, and it is not magic when it does crack on that 101st strike. It was the culmination of all of your efforts that led to that rock cracking.
Focus on winning the day. Focus on being the best version of yourself today. Trust that if you can sustain that mindset and effort, it will make a difference. You will become the player that you want to be.
Recognize that you might not see progress if you compare yourself on Monday to yourself on Friday. Embrace it. Understand what your end-goal is, but focus on what you need to do to get there, not that you are not there yet.
Coach Class and Coach Dunn
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Women’s 2029 BIC Fall Showcase All-Stars
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🎥 DEFINING A QUALITY SHOT
Check out our post from our “Coaches Corner” newsletter on defining a quality shot!
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