Posts Tagged ‘motivation’
Friday, November 25th, 2011
The Quote
“There are no winners, only survivors” – Frank Gifford (American Football Hall of Fame)
The Lesson
Gifford was talking about pro American Football, but the same applies to rugby. We have all played in those games when I given every last effort and almost collapse at the end of the game. We have gone through the pain barrier and emerged victorious. Nothing matches the feeling we get when we pass the test in these encounters. But in order to do that we need to both physically and mentally tough. That doesn’t just happen it comes from years of commitment and pushing our limits. It starts in training and then manifests itself in how we play.
The Action
I will not quit. I will survive. I am a winner.
Tags: commitment, Mental toughness, motivation, rugby mental preparation, rugby mental qualities, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Composure, Concentration, Confidence, Game Preparation, Goal Setting, Mental, Mental toughness, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Friday, October 28th, 2011
The Quote
“To give yourself the best possible chance of playing to your potential, you must prepare for every eventuality. That means practice – there are no shortcuts. You must lay the proper foundation” – Seve Ballesteros (Spanish Golfer)
The Lesson
Practice, Practice, Practice it’s so monotonous, but there is no way to avoid it. Sometimes we might be tempted to miss a training session and think there wil be no consequence. Deep down though we do realise that there is a purpose all the training and practice. We do realise that without it we cannot possibly achieve our potential. It’s therefore necessary to push on when it is difficult and complete that training session in order to meet our objective of being the best we can be.
The Action
Training, although draining at times is invaluable in my quest to reach my full potential.
Tags: Mental toughness, motivation, rugby mental preparation, rugby mental qualities, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Concentration, Confidence, Goal Setting, Mental, Mental toughness, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Sunday, October 16th, 2011
The Quote
“I’ve never had to cheat. I get ‘em with what I got” – Dave Winfield (Baseball Hall of Fame Legend)
The Lesson
Having confidence in our abilities allows us to trust that we can get the job done. Cheating is only for people who aren’t good enough to win by their own merits and ability.
Cheating isn’t just about bending the rules to beat our opponents. We can cheat ourselves, too. Every time we don’t put enough time or effort into a training session we are cheating ourselves.
Cheating or even cutting corners deprives us of an opportunity to learn just what we are capable of. If we give in to the impulse to cheat, we will soon find that we will rely on cheating instead of counting on our skills and experience to keep us going. The truth is that cheating will eventually catch up with you and then you will have nowhere to go.
The Action
Tags: learning new skills, Mental toughness, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Saturday, October 15th, 2011
The Quote
“If you set a goal for yourself and are able to achieve it, you have won your race. Your goal can be to come first, to improve your performance, or just to finish the race – it’s up to you” – Dave Scott (Triathlete and six times winner of the Hawaii Ironman)
The Lesson
It’s important to set goals in all aspects of our lives. Be it a level of achievement in our career, to eat better, or a challenge to lose weight all are targets to aim for day to day. In Rugby too goals are extremely valuable as they help us chart our progress and accomplishment on a regular basis. Because goals are so personal, we should have complete control in setting them. While because we know our own abilities so well, we should be able to set and obtain goals that provide a challenge but are not too far out of reach.
We should approach every training session or game with a goal in mind. Not only will this help to motivate us but it will help us monitor and evaluate are own performance.
The Action
I will set a goal for today’s training that is appropriately challenging and reasonably achievable.
Tags: learning new skills, motivate, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Friday, October 14th, 2011
The Quote
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity” – Darrell Royal (NFL Legend)
The Lesson
Ever had one of those days when everything seems to go right? Your skills and decision making are spot on, you feel strong, quick and can run forever. It’s effortless and enjoyable, it’s your lucky day.
Chances are, we all experience this from time to time. When all the hours of training and practice finally seem to pay off in a single performance. It doesn’t though happen by accident that dedication to practice and prepare make the likelyhood that a quality performance will happen more real. It is then all about grabbing that opportunity hile it is there and producing that outstanding performance.
The Action
Achievements will follow if I continue to train hard and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.
Tags: learning new skills, Mental toughness, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Thursday, October 13th, 2011
The Quote
“Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even” – Muhammad Ali (Former Heavyweight Champion of the World)
The Lesson
Losing isn’t easy, but it can teach us some valuable lessons. Being defeated can teach us how to lose with good grace. It can also teach us that we have to give everything in our power to avoid losing again. When we have tasted defeat it can give us that extra drive and motivation for the next time.
In any sporting contest there will be a winner and loser. When we are in a situation with our backs to the wall and defeat looks certain, this is the time to show an inner strength. Your opponent may be feeling eactly the same as you. You need to be mentally strong.
The Action
I will dig deep and create a win from when a loss looks certain.
Tags: learning new skills, Mental toughness, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
The Quote
“To succeed at the level I want to you have to be focused and serious, You have to have a no bull**** attitude” – Kent Steffes (US Beech Volleyball Olympic Gold Medalist)
The Lesson
To be the best at anything takes time, practice and perseverance. To succeed in Rugby hours is no different. Professional players spend hours doing tackling and kicking practice, not to mention time in the gym. There are no shortcuts to the top. Even if you have been born with got given strength, speed or stamina you need to always to improve and set highe standards. It’s therefore vitally important to set yourself goals and then make an all out effort to achieve them.
The Action
My fitness goals are important to me, and I will put in an all out effort to reach them.
Tags: learning new skills, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
The Quote
“I start towards the plate, and I imagine myself putting the `sweet spot` in the hitting area just as the ball is getting there. It’s important to me to see myself putting that bat there and not just swinging it. When I visualize, I feel my approach and contact” – Reggie Jackson (Baseball Legend)
The Lesson
Visualisation is a great aid to achievement. It allows us to test our abilities before they are challenge for real. It allows us to decide what to do in different situations, and it reinforces the image we have of performing at our best.
Our mind and our imagination are very powerful allies in every performance be it at training or in a game. When we picture ourselves breaking a tackle, kicking a goal or handing off an opponent, we are adding a strong influence to our physical performance. Sometimes we need to accomplish something in our mind before we can do it for real
The Action
I will see it, I will do it!
Tags: learning new skills, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Monday, October 10th, 2011
The Quote
“Concentration, Confidence, Competitive Urge and Capacity for Enjoyment” – Golfing legend Arnold Palmer’s 4 C’s for playing a better game of golf.
The Lesson
When one of the greatest sportsman offers advice on improving performance it is worth taking note. His words of wisdom are certainly applicable to Rugby Union.
Concentration: The ability to focus on the task at hand, without being distracted. The greater our ability to do this the better we can perform especially when under intense pressure or fatigue.
Confidence: The more comfortable we are with our skills and our ability to call on them as needed, the more confident we are. The greater our confidence the more likely we are to play to our full potential.
Competitive Urge: This is a valuable trait and one that helps us grow and improve our skills. It’s the desire to both better ourselves and win when we are placed in a competitive environment.
Capacity for Enjoyment: Perhaps the most important of all. If we are not fired with enthusiasm and having fun we will not put in that extra effort that will help us improve.
The Action
Today I will look for the “4 C’s” in my training session.
Tags: learning new skills, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
Sunday, October 9th, 2011
The Quote
“You can get tired just doing one sport all the time. The body loves variety, it likes change” – Priscilla Welch (British Winner of the New York Marathon)
The Lesson
Most of us have always switched around our training programme if not day to day then certainly from time to time. This sports rotation has a name – it’s called cross-training. With cross-training we can run, swim, ride a bike, wrestle, etc, etc. The list of alternate activities is endless. It is however advisable to combine sports or activities that complement your rugby specific training. In addition balancing lower and upper body workouts is additionally important.
It’s also worth mentioning that the benefits of cross-training also include mental elements. In that it freshens up and increases enthusiasm, especially if this is combined with training in different venues and environments. No one likes Groundhog Day.
The Action
Variety is the spice of life, and cross-training is the variety my conditioning programme needs. Today I will work out in a different way.
Tags: learning new skills, motivation, motivational tips, rugby mental skills
Posted in A, Adult- Community, Age, Category, Coaches, Colts- U18-19, Mental, Player, Role, Ruckipedia, Site Articles, rugby development | View Comments
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