Softball Mental Game

As the young softball player advances through the different levels of softball- Rec Ball, Travel Ball, High School Ball, College Ball all the way to Professional Softball, not only do the softball skills improve dramatically, the Mental Game starts to take center stage.

There are many factors to consider as you continue to step up to better teams and better arenas.
Examples below:

1. I was the best on my previous team, now I have to step it up to stay competitive with my new teammates.
2. The level of competition has improved and so has the pitching. I'm used to hitting everything, now I'm not doing so well.
3. My new coach has told me that there are 5 girls competing for the position and the best bat will win the position.
4. I have always played a certain position, but my new coach tells me I will never get recruited for that position in college because my feet aren't fast enough or I need softer hands, or I'm not fast enough.
5. I have always started, now I never get to play, much less start.

There are many obstacles that can come in to play when you continue to advance, and every one of those obstacles that you can overcome or adapt to will determine your success at the new level and beyond.

So what keeps people from continuing to advance? The Mental Game takes them out of the game, but the few that rise to the challenge are rewarded over and over.

We have some great resources on this website to help you or your daughter or your player rise the occasion and continue to develop their Mental Game as well as their physical game.

Mental toughness is more than just mental. It's also physical and emotional.
In order to be mentally tough on the ball field, you must have talent and be in peak physical
condition. Your technical skills have to be sharp. It is also important to recognize that the physical, emotional and mental sides of your self affect each other. Mental toughness
training allows players to tap into emotional and mental resources that keep play at its prime
as often and consistently as possible.

Jim Loehr (1993) is a noted sport psychologist who has worked with many top athletes over
the last twenty years. He suggests the following definition for toughness: "Toughness is
the ability to consistently perform toward the upper range of your talent and
skill regardless of competitive circumstances". Toughness is not about having a
"killer instinct" or being mean or cold. Loehr describes four emotional markers of mental
toughness.

ÿ Emotional Flexibility - The ability to handle different situations in a balanced or non-
defensive manner. Emotional flexibility also speaks to the skill of drawing on a wide
range of positive emotions - humor, fighting spirit, pleasure.
ÿ Emotional Responsiveness - You are emotionally engaged in the competitive
situation, not withdrawn.
ÿ Emotional Strength - The ability to handle great emotional force and sustain your
fighting spirit no matter what the circumstances.
ÿ Emotional Resiliency - Being able to handle setbacks and recovering quickly from
them.

Like other aspects of mental toughness, these skills can be learned. It is not something
genetic. For some players it comes more easily than for others. In general, to play at this
level, you probably already have many of these skills. However, for many players, there is
often room for improvement.

By being mentally tough, you can bring all your talent and skill to life consistently. Being able
to use your emotional life effectively will help you perform at your prime more consistently.
The use of thinking skills, imagery, confidence building and other skills described later can
be powerful techniques in reaching a high level of mental toughness.

I hope you enjoyed the books we have shared with you here on Softball Mental Game and hope that if you choose to read them, that they too will help you improve your Softball Mental Game.

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