Craig Sigl, Author at Mental Toughness Trainer

3 Biggest Mistakes Volleyball Players Make In Training

Craig Sigl2020-09-27T20:04:16+08:00

Training for any sport is a huge factor determining whether or not an athlete will be successful. One of the biggest mistakes an athlete or a coach can make is not utilizing the principle of specificity, where the training must match the physical demands of the specific sport. Volleyball is an anaerobic or stop and go sport requiring quickness, jumping, agility and explosiveness. These types of activities require fast reaction time; movement speed and utilizing fast twitch muscle fibers. The physical training for volleyball needs to match these demands, so jumping activities, sprints and agility drills are important for success. However, [...]

3 Biggest Mistakes Volleyball Players Make In TrainingCraig Sigl2020-09-27T20:04:16+08:00

The One Best Lesson a Coach Can Give the Team for the Season

Craig Sigl2018-04-26T02:11:31+08:00

It has been said that athletics is a great developer and teacher of character. There is a great deal of truth in that statement, but it also is a great revealer of character. I’m sure there are numerous examples that come to mind when you think of high profile What you are as a person is far more important than what you are as a basketball player -John Wooden athletes, in the professional, collegiate and the high school ranks with regard to this both positively and negatively. With that being said, what is it that would seem to [...]

The One Best Lesson a Coach Can Give the Team for the SeasonCraig Sigl2018-04-26T02:11:31+08:00

What To Do When The Nerves Get To You In Sports Competition

Craig Sigl2017-09-28T20:55:18+08:00

Ok, this is part 6 of our series of techniques and strategies for how to play your best game even when under pressure. Let’s quickly review the first 5 tactics shall we? 1. Mentally rehearse being in pressured situations. Plan how you will think at that moment and imagine perfect execution of your skills. 2. Get in the present moment directing your mind to your senses 3. Use comparisons of bigger things in your life to reduce the importance of the event. 4. Have one thing to lock your eyes and mind onto 5. Build trust by using your phrase to [...]

What To Do When The Nerves Get To You In Sports CompetitionCraig Sigl2017-09-28T20:55:18+08:00

How To Stop Sabotaging Your Performance Under Pressure

Craig Sigl2017-09-28T20:53:49+08:00

Pressure tip #5. When athletes or other performers are just about to do their thing under extreme pressure of having to execute their skills, a curious thing happens… A part of your mind tries to take over and guide you to do it correctly. It wants to make sure that you have covered all of your bases and considered everything that needs to be done. If it isn’t bringing you thoughts about your opponent, then maybe it’s reminding you that you have to hold your arm a certain way or make some specific movement your coach reminded you about last week. [...]

How To Stop Sabotaging Your Performance Under PressureCraig Sigl2017-09-28T20:53:49+08:00

Pressure Tip #1: What The Best Clutch Players Have In Common

Craig Sigl2017-09-28T19:18:41+08:00

Michael Jordan Lionel Messi in soccer, Tom Brady in football, Mr. October Reggie Jackson in baseball, Michael Jordan in basketball, Patrick Roy in Hockey… What do these athletes have in common? They are all clutch players who have come through under pressure more than most. Now, you may think that athletes like this are just blessed with some kind of mental ability the rest of us don’t have…and that’s just not true. Here’s the real truth… When you look at stats of world-class athletes in all sports, even those greats I just mentioned, you will find that they actually [...]

Pressure Tip #1: What The Best Clutch Players Have In CommonCraig Sigl2017-09-28T19:18:41+08:00

Mind Racing Under Pressure? – Drive It!

Craig Sigl2017-09-28T19:19:36+08:00

Trouble with video? Click Here To Watch on Youtube Transcript: Like a race car is designed to drive, your mind is designed to think. When coaches and others give you well-intentioned advice to "stop over thinking," they don't realize how futile this directive is. How do you stop over thinking? I guess you could go to the Himalayas and meditate with some Buddhist monks for a few years and you might learn it. Don't get me wrong, meditation is a good thing and I practice it regularly but it's still very difficult for me to slow or stop over thinking...and that's [...]

Mind Racing Under Pressure? – Drive It!Craig Sigl2017-09-28T19:19:36+08:00

Get Perspective to Diminish Pressure

Craig Sigl2017-09-28T19:55:27+08:00

Let me remind you from my first pressure tip that pressure affects ALL athletes negatively, even world-class athletes. It tenses you up and hurts your ability to think strategically. If you want to perform better, you want to minimize those effects, right? Why do us athletes feel pressure in the first place? What is pressure and where does it come from? Simply put, as humans, we attach more meaning, more importance on certain events than other events in our life. Here’s a simple example in sports: a baseball pitcher throwing a ball in practice is not near as important as throwing [...]

Get Perspective to Diminish PressureCraig Sigl2017-09-28T19:55:27+08:00

Extreme Focus To Deal With Pressure

Craig Sigl2017-09-28T19:54:01+08:00

Today I’ve got Technique #4 for How to perform brilliantly under pressure. Have you gotten the idea from me yet that the key to performing under pressure is to prepare for and practice mental skills BEFORE you ever get to the pressure situation? I’m still amazed that in this day and age there are athletes wanting to get to the next level of their sport and they do next to nothing for their mental game. Sports psychology is now a science, it’s not a bunch of quotes from successful athletes. You may be blessed with a mind that is wired to [...]

Extreme Focus To Deal With PressureCraig Sigl2017-09-28T19:54:01+08:00

What Parents Need To Know About College Recruiting

Craig Sigl2020-09-29T02:54:48+08:00

The college experience is, in many cases, the most important four years in our children’s lives, as it will shape their personal and professional direction for a lifetime. That being said, securing admission to a college or university that best match a student’s desires, strengths, and aspirations is essential. Student-athletes bring a unique quality to the table when it comes to college admissions. They offer a “special talent” that can improve the institution’s visibility and raise the level of popularity among future attendees. College officials understand this and in many cases, offer strong support to student-athletes both in admissions and financial [...]

What Parents Need To Know About College RecruitingCraig Sigl2020-09-29T02:54:48+08:00

3 Best Exercises for Off Ice Hockey Training

Craig Sigl2015-04-06T01:57:03+08:00

Coach Nye Talks Hockey… The ‘How To’ to better development of a hockey player can be very complicated. There are so many off ice hockey instructions and exercises out there we wonder who to believe. When I am speaking to young hockey players I always suggest keeping things to the basic movements in hockey which include certain muscle groups. You can't go wrong with these: The muscle groups I am speaking of are, stomach (core), quads (major muscle in the leg) and your hamstrings. Of course there are minor muscles that are used as well which is explained in each of [...]

3 Best Exercises for Off Ice Hockey TrainingCraig Sigl2015-04-06T01:57:03+08:00

About Craig Sigl