The way elite athletes deal with mistakes is a big indicator of where the mental toughness may be. No one successful can ever say they haven’t made a mistake because failure is apart of the process of being successful.
How can we learn to face and move on from mistakes during performance?
A triple F method of how to move on from a mistake:
1. Acknowledge the mistake: “darn it! That wasn’t supposed to happen” giving it a bit of air is better than trying to suppress it. Suppressing feelings tend to make it harder to move on.
2. Find a fix: give a direction so that it doesn’t happen again or if it does you know how to immediately fix it without giving it too much thought.
3. Forgive yourself: mistakes happen and those who are able to give themselves a break are more likely to be able to practicing mental toughness and find success easier
4. Focus: use a cue word or phrase to get back to it. There is a task at hand and something as simple as “push” or “you got this” can make it easier to let go of the mistake and get back to work.
The biggest advice for processing mistakes is being able to be accepting of the fact that a mistake will happen it’s just the way an elite athlete deals with the mistake that can cause a disruption in their path to success.
A reminder that in addition to Coach Ebonie's squash background, she is a trained Mental Performance Consultant Coach with a B.Sc. in Exercise Physiology and a Masters of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Coach has an unsurpassed academic base for her mental coaching strategies and brings significant value to athletes seeking to maximize their mental game. Coach Ebonie is available for one-on-one consultations to improve players mental games - contact her directly via ebonie@squashtigers.com to arrange a FREE 30 minute needs assessment / either face to face or via Zoom.
