What does an athlete need in order to perform? 

Different athletes engage in different sports for different reasons. The vast majority of athletes are dedicated to bettering their game and unlocking their full performance potential in their sport of choice. There are many physical and mental skills that are necessary to perform both successfully and at an optimal level. Even if an athlete performs at the recreational level, they possess the same performance prerequisites as competitive athletes so long as they desire to improve their skillset. Some basic, key elements that athletes generally need to perform include physical fitness, various mental skills, skill development, facilities and equipment, proper nutrition, coaching, support systems, rest and recovery, and injury prevention. While some of these elements are self-explanatory, let’s talk about a key performance prerequisite that is necessary for change, growth, improvement, development, progress, and success to occur.

The major prerequisite to bettering performance, furthering athletic abilities, and enhancing personal development is self-awareness. Self-awareness is defined as the ability to recognize and understand one's own thoughts, emotions, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. Self-awareness allows individuals to accurately, honestly, and objectively assess themselves, their abilities, and their emotions, leading to a deeper understanding of their true selves both as a person and as an athlete. Athletes who practice self-awareness gain a full assessment of their performance, stay connected to their performance, and are able to properly reach their unique performance goals. Self-awareness allows athletes to point out both positive and negative aspects of their performance, such as what they are doing well, what they need to improve upon, and what is occurring in their performance both from a physical and mental standpoint. An athlete needs to be able to look both within themselves and outward to their performance outcomes in order to recognize what is happening, why it’s happening, and what they need to do in order to gain the results they desire.

Step one to any avenue of performance improvement and enhancement is self-awareness. How can progress be made in sport if the athlete doesn’t know their strengths and weaknesses in their own performance? If they don’t know what they are doing to increase or decrease their performance, then true growth simply cannot take place. Feedback from coaches serves as a great resource, but athletes should work to be aware of the intricacies of their performance. In this way, steps can be taken outside of practice to further develop specific physical and mental skills that are unique to each athlete’s performance goals. Further benefits of practicing self-awareness include learning from mistakes, identifying thought patterns, managing emotions, handling pressure, practicing effective communication, setting realistic goals, building resilience, enhancing teamwork, tracking progress, and maximizing performance potential. Instead of going through the motions, pay attention to your various thoughts, feelings, and actions. From there, a sports coach can help you reach your physical performance goals, and a mental performance coach can help you reach your mental performance goals. The more you can accurately identify what is happening, the more useful strategies you can implement, and the more success you will attain as a result. 

Take some time to assess where your performance is currently at. What exactly are you struggling with? What has been going well for you? What do you need to do to stay on track with your goals? Before taking any further steps, meet yourself exactly where you are and recognize what you are thinking, feeling, and doing in your performance. Attempt to understand why these things are happening and what you may implement to reach your physical and mental performance goals. If you would like to explore this topic further, please reach out!