Mental toughness

One of the most interesting characteristics I find in people is their Mental Toughness (or at times, lack there of).  If I think back to my time spent with Saluki Softball I know we had a talented group of athletes to work with on our team, but I also know that talent alone didn't get us to the NCAA Division I Sweet 16.  In 2003 Saluki Softball missed a berth to the College World Series by being beat out of the tournament by Alabama. 

Looking back this accomplishment among others reached throughout the 2003 season were set in motion early on by the team fighting through some tough challenges.  Early in the 2002 fall semester, our Strength and Conditioning program pushed us physically and mentally to be better individuals and better for each other.  During that time our S&C Coach put our bodies (and minds) through challenges that bred a Sweet 16 finish.  The determination, dedication to our team, and the mental toughness it took to complete the training prepared us for competition on the field - and in life.  The mental toughness that I gained from the training, the competition and the failures are life's lessons that I call on in my daily life. 

Developing Mental Toughness:
There are a number of ways to go about developing mental toughness and doing so is one of my personal passions.  When it comes down to it people who become mentally tough have one thing in common - they got there because they were faced with and dealt with adversity.  For youth, finding a healthy environment to face and deal with adversity can get them started down the path of developing mental toughness.  One recommendation I have is getting into a true Strength and Conditioning Program and working through and passing their personal threshold can help them begin to develop mental toughness. 

I'm One of the Lucky Ones:
I was blessed, heck down right lucky.  Not only did I land in a program that was fighting to become nationally recognized but I was surrounded by leadership.  Our Head Coach, Kerri Blaylock was a great motivator and leader.  She also had a great support staff around her with Buddy and Skip.  Outside of our coaching staff was the support of our S&C Coach Kline.  I was lucky to be apart of a group of people who bought into the leadership around them and worked for the betterment of the team at an intense level.  When our team finished our training we were ready to go to battle with anyone in the country.  For some training with a team that is dedicated to each other is an option, for most it is not.  With our society thriving on instant gratification it is becoming harder to go against the grain and allow kids, teens, and young adults to gain mental toughness through the ups and downs of life.  Training hard is a lot like life - you have your good days and you have your not so good days but ultimately how you handle them determines what you accomplish in the long haul.

"Mental Toughness is the ability to FOCUS and PUSH through when the PAIN makes you want to QUIT"

-Jen Doehring "JD"