Craig Sigl, Author at Mental Toughness Trainer

Perfectionism in Sports: Good or Bad?

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:42:30+08:00

Perfectionism in Sports: Good or Bad? “Practice makes perfect!” This is a saying that nearly every youth athlete has heard while struggling to master a new skill or advance performance. However, is striving for perfection really a good goal — especially for the youngest athletes? What constitutes perfection will vary from sport to sport and athlete to athlete. No matter what the case, it is vital that the athlete (as well as coaches and parents) keep in mind that perfection is a goal that is never attained — instead it’s a goal you will forever strive to achieve. After all, [...]

Perfectionism in Sports: Good or Bad?Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:42:30+08:00

8 Great Things About Getting A Bad Youth Sports Coach

Craig Sigl2021-02-18T07:43:50+08:00

What To Do When You're Stuck With A Bad Youth Sports Coach "Craig, Any tips to help an athlete "get through" a season when they are stuck with a bad coach (overly critical, aggressive, demeaning, etc) so they don't lose their confidence?" Yes. I often see athletes in this predicament. The secret is in appreciating the fact that the difficult coach pushes you into seeking some help in building mental toughness and having the opportunity to practice it in real life. I have run into many athletes who go through many years of “good” coaches [...]

8 Great Things About Getting A Bad Youth Sports CoachCraig Sigl2021-02-18T07:43:50+08:00

When To Teach Children Mental Skills

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:41:42+08:00

At what age/competition level should a youth athlete focus on building up their mental strength? Any age! I work athletes as young as 8 years old in person and we have them even younger going through the Mental Toughness Academy along with their parents. The key is to make the learning “age appropriate.” I don’t teach the same way to an 8-year-old as I do to a college athlete but the lessons are generally centered around the same concepts: Focus, Confidence, Determination & Resilience, especially under pressure. That’s my definition of Mental Toughness. Younger athletes learn faster and the messages [...]

When To Teach Children Mental SkillsCraig Sigl2020-09-30T02:41:42+08:00

Sports Injury Mental Impact On Young Athletes And How To Help

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:40:59+08:00

In this article Craig will show the sports injury mental impact on young athlete and how to help. Question: What kind of trouble can a serious injury have on a youth athlete's confidence? Wow, this is a very loaded question as I just finished creating an extensive video training to deal with conquering sports injuries. The thing that parents and coaches need to understand about youth athletes getting injured is that this isn’t just an injury. This is destruction to a young athlete’s identity as a person at a time when that is a primary objective of all kids. The [...]

Sports Injury Mental Impact On Young Athletes And How To HelpCraig Sigl2020-09-30T02:40:59+08:00

The Secret To Coming Back From Defeat

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:38:27+08:00

Why do you think some athletes can suffer defeat after defeat and never let it slow them down, while other players lose all confidence over one mistake? Here is the article of The Secret To Coming Back From Defeat. The true answer is that there are many variables BUT, the most common reason for this difference can be summed up in one word: FEAR. Particularly, fear of failure in all its forms. I often teach that the difference between elite athletes and lesser athletes is that elite athletes want to win and they might even hate losing…but they aren’t afraid of [...]

The Secret To Coming Back From DefeatCraig Sigl2020-09-30T02:38:27+08:00

What Does It Take To Be A Leader?

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:39:24+08:00

Today we are featuring a guest post on coaching leadership from Warren Nye, who is the Founder and CEO of UltimateHockeySource and the UHS ProShop. He has some tips on how to be an effective leader which all parents and athletes can learn from as well. If you have any comments or questions for Coach Nye, please add them to the comments below… What Does It Take To Be A Leader I was asked this question the other day at the rink, ‘As a head coach, what does it take to be a leader?’ I had to step back a [...]

What Does It Take To Be A Leader?Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:39:24+08:00

The Ways Athletes Improve Confidence

Craig Sigl2016-01-14T13:07:39+08:00

Do you lack of confidence in your sport? Learn from our guest Mental coach expert, Gene Zanetti, "The Ways Athletes Improve Confidence". Coaches always tell you to just be confident and to just believe in yourself, but they never tell you actually how to do it. A lot of it is because they were not formally trained in how to do it themselves. The first thing is to realize it is not something you have to have it or you don’t. You can learn it. Most people don’t realize that, yes, you can build confidence with the right exercises. [...]

The Ways Athletes Improve ConfidenceCraig Sigl2016-01-14T13:07:39+08:00

How To Develop Strong Determination

Craig Sigl2021-02-12T04:45:29+08:00

The word “determination” has multiple meanings depending on the context of it’s usage but, for the purposes of sports, the dictionary says: “The quality of being determined to do or achieve something” In simpler terms, it means how much of yourself you will put into making a goal a reality. You must have read lots of stuff dealing with "how to increase self determination," but while they have a lot of good things to say; somehow you still can't relate to them. It’s always inspiring to observe a young athlete who is very determined. This athlete can take [...]

How To Develop Strong DeterminationCraig Sigl2021-02-12T04:45:29+08:00

Learn How Professional Athletes Support Their Kids In Sports

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:44:16+08:00

Here is the next video in the series of interviews with Ethan J. Skolnick Lead Sports Writer covering the Miami Heat and the NBA and Dr. Andrea Corn a licensed psychologist. In this video, Learn How Professional Athletes Support Their Kids In Sports. What I tried to do was interview some athletes that were children of athletes themselves. I was curious to see how they were raised and a lot of them ended up, for instance, Brett Hull ended up playing the same sport as his father, Bobby, which was hockey. He wasn't pushed to hockey. Grant Hill's father, [...]

Learn How Professional Athletes Support Their Kids In SportsCraig Sigl2020-09-30T02:44:16+08:00

Motivating Your Children to Reach Their POTENTIAL

Craig Sigl2020-09-30T02:49:51+08:00

If you have ever heard the word “potential” tossed around about your child, you may have wondered how you could help your child reach that illusive goal. The following tips of "Motivating Your Child to Reach His POTENTIAL" are from Volleyball Momʼs Survival Guide, by Janis B. Meredith of JBM Thinks Sportsparenting. “You have so much potential!” How many times have you said that to your child? Teachers often say that about students. Coaches often say that about athletes. The word potential is such a vague term to me. In fact, I often feel that coaches and teachers use it [...]

Motivating Your Children to Reach Their POTENTIALCraig Sigl2020-09-30T02:49:51+08:00

About Craig Sigl