Monday, January 7, 2013

Coach Saban's Camp Speech about Attitude and Effort


Coach Saban sharing a message about Effort, Attitude, Relentlessness and other items that are vital for significant achievement.  You can do two things with your time.... Invest it or Spend it

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Program Development IV. (Overview and Mental Training)

Let us begin with a brief overview of what Program Development items we have covered thus far.
  1. Each member of our program goes through a Self Evaluation process each Post-Season, Off-Season and Pre-Season.  These evaluations cover Mental, Physical and Social Skill development.
  2. These Self Evaluations are used for formal Goal Setting sessions each Post-Season, Off-Season and Pre-Season.  The Goal Setting sessions cover Mental, Physical and Social Skill development.
  3. We utilize the SMART method for setting goals.  They must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. 
  4. Each member of the program is asked to determine where they are at on Maslow's Hierarchy. This allows each individual to enhance their awareness of the obstacles that stand in the way of them fully focusing their motivation upon achieving their goals.

So, why are we concerned with the Mental, Physical and Social Development of the members of our organization?   
Simply put, we feel that these elements are vital for our Team's success and the success of our members throughout the course of their lives.  As a program, we want our players to gain mental, physical and social skills that will help to raise their quality of living for a lifetime.


NINE MENTAL SKILLS FOR ATHLETIC SUCCESS

  1. A Positive Attitude.
  2. Self-Evaluate and Goal Set 3 times per year.
  3. Be Self Motivated.
  4. Allow others to facilitate you as you work to reach your goals.
  5. Maintain focus / concentration.
  6. Utilize positive self-talk.
  7. Utilize positive mental imagery.
  8. Manage anxiety effectively.
  9. Manage emotions effectively.
The foundation for mental development / progress is having a positive attitude or outlook.  This journey is about being your personal best.  It is an opportunity for self improvement and progress.  Self-Evaluation and Goal Setting allow you to determine where you are at, where you are going and how you will get there.  It is your personal journey and being self motivated is vital.  You must allow others (coaches, parents, teachers, etc) to facilitate you as you work to reach your goals.  Maintaining focus as you are competing or working towards your goals is of great importance.  When you find yourself lacking concentration you could utilize a key term such as "Lock In" or clap twice to regain focus.  Positive self-talk allows you to regulate your thoughts, feelings and actions during competition.  Mental imagery is the process of you seeing the success before it happens.  If you can see it, you can achieve it.  Anxiety is a part of everyday life and at times it can help you perform well.  The key is reducing anxiety when it becomes too strong without losing your intensity.  This helps to keep emotions under control and maintain a positive attitude that leads to success.


Coach Fowler is the Head Football Coach at Hanford West High School in Hanford, California