Wilson’s Mental Toughness
Losing can be particularly difficult to handle. Some athletes take it harder than others questioning their athletic talent or ability to play under pressure.
Nonetheless, adversity will cross paths with every athlete during their career in sport.
How you handle adversity, your level of mental toughness, will determine if and how quickly you rebound from tough times.
Mental toughness helps you rise above the adversity you face instead of allowing a loss to define you.
There is an insightful expression by author Robert Schuller, “Tough times never last, but tough people do.”
The question is then how mentally tough are you?
Few athletes will experience the magnitude of the heart-wrenching loss as did the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
With two minutes remaining in the game and down 28-24, Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson engineered a 79-yard drive to put his team on New England’s 1-yard line and in position to win with 26 seconds left in the game.
The Seahawks appeared on the brink of the second consecutive Super Bowl victory when Wilson threw an interception that ended Seattle’s hope for victory.
After the game, many Seahawk players described the loss as “devastating,” “hurtful” and disappointing… and it was! Losses can be tough and the only way to bounce back is to be tougher, mentally tougher!
Russell Wilson is well-known for his mental toughness. Despite throwing the critical interception, Wilson was positive in his post-game interview.
WILSON: “I can use this [loss] for life, or I can use it for another game. It’s tough to process in the sense of I hate losing… [But] our goal is to get back next year. Our goal is to prepare the right way. Our goal is to keep your mind right, stay strong mentally and just keep fighting.”
An important aspect of mental toughness is to learn from setbacks and use the experience to be a better player in the future.
WILSON: “I want to know everything I can. I want to understand everything… You continue to grow, you continue to learn from the lessons.”
By learning from tough times and committing to improvement for the future, you become mentally stronger.
WILSON: “Every time I’m in that situation again. I believe I’m going to have success again.”
In fact, Wilson refuses to allow the past define him writing on the team’s chalkboard after the loss: Let’s keep the focus on the future, not what’s behind.
Try these tips to become mentally tougher after a loss:
- Take time to process the loss – You can feel bad after a loss but process it and move on.
- Look for the lesson – You should review the loss and determine what you need to do to improve for future competitions.
- Don’t take it personally – you should never allow a loss to define you or how you feel about yourself. Start getting ready for the next competition.
- Take action – You need to commit to action. What will you do to perform better in the future?
A mental coach can help you process the loss and develop a specific action plan to improve future performances.
Successful athletes have learned pregame preparation strategies to stay calm, focused, and perform with poise. We’ve created The Relaxed Athlete, Workbook Program to help you do this.
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- Mental Toughness as an Underdog
- Mental Toughness Tips for Athletes
- The Importance of Mental Toughness
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A relaxed and confident performance begins in the mind! When you are mentally prepared to compete, you can have an optimal level of intensity AND poise!
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