Mental Toughness

Mental Toughness

Mental toughness is not something you have on game day. It is a habit of mind that becomes a part of your pride and your self image. It is something you carry with you everywhere: patience in a line of traffic, attentiveness in a classroom, a nobility on the practice floor. It's a quality of mind.

What do you care if you are fouled going for a shot in a pickup game? What do you care if the court you are playing on isn't very will-lit or if the temperature isn't just right? What do you care about how well your uniform fits?

What do you care about referee's calls, length of practice, or the criticism you get? There are thousands of potential complaints, and there is also a certain kind of nobility that surmounts it all. You don't need to worry about all the tiny things, the minor problems, the childish complaints.

Develop a noble quality of mind. Learn to do your best quietly, methodically, without regard for tiny problems and adverse conditions. There are players who ignore all the negatives and give EVERY game, EVERY practice, everything they do their best shot. That is what mental toughness is. That is what every player should strive for.