Helping Athletes Develop A Winning Performance Edge

What Every Aspiring Athlete Wants To Know About Developing Mental Toughness For Sports Performance

Mark Russell
Head Performance Coach

Are You Tough Enough?

As an athlete, there are certain aspects of sport that you cannot control and some you can only influence - the weather, the pitch, your opponents, and the referee's decisions to name but a few.

You can only focus on yourself and your performance given the cards you're dealt.

From professional athletes competing for medals on the world stage, to high-performing amateurs and pub league players, we are all striving to perform at our best.

Elite athletes know that there is as little as 1% difference between being the best and being a contender.

Top athletes know that a winning performance is determined by your emotional and mental state.

 

Do You Have What It Takes?

And individuals who are mentally tough can deliver consistently high performance levels, even when they are under intense pressure.

They're also able to stay calm, can make the right decisions at the right time and when it really counts, when it really matters, they seem to be able to deliver peak performance.

As an athlete takes on a leadership role, the emotional and mental skills become even more important and are often a clear differentiator between winners and contenders.

These skills necessary for successful leaders and personal peak performance are known as "emotional intelligence".

As a player (or a coach) you should know that your mental and emotional development should be an important and integral part of your training programme.

Mental Skills Coaching That Works For You

As a certified Mental Game Coaching Professional (MGCP) with Peak Performance Sports, I help you uncover the beliefs and attitudes that keep you from performing to your potential. You'll learn a proven mental skills system that builds your confidence and improves your performance in competition to get you into the winner’s circle more often.

I have helped 100s of athletes over the past 5 years to overcome mental barriers, and instill confidence, focus, and teamwork so that they are a better all-round athlete.

The programme is sustainable and the impact measurable and extensive both ON and OFF the sports field.

Working with me enables you to access a new and unique coaching opportunity that's proven to accelerate athlete and coach learning of mental strategies for practice and competition.

A 'blended approach' of assessments and workbooks enables you to learn quickly and get the most out of face-to-face coaching conversations. The workbooks help you grasp the "basics" of mental skills and to continue learning between meetings. Coaching sessions are about 'fine tuning' and discussing the strategies you've learned between sessions.

As a result, you're able to accomplish a much higher level of coaching impact and get help focusing your energies on applying the mental strategies to real situations.

The top 15 mental skills areas that I work with athletes on include:

  1. Mental Game Strategies for Overcoming High Expectations
  2. Mental Game Strategies for Optimal Concentration
  3. Mental Game Strategies for Superior Confidence
  4. Mental Game Strategies for Improving Trust In Your Skills
  5. Mental Game Strategies for Coping With Mistakes
  6. Mental Game Strategies for Coping With Perfectionism
  7. Mental Game Strategies for Overcoming The Need For Approval
  8. Mental Game Strategies for Self-Acceptance in Sports
  9. Mental Game Strategies for Consistent Performance
  10. Mental Game Strategies for Pregame Preparation
  11. Mental Game Strategies for Performing Beyond Comfort Zones
  12. Mental Game Strategies for Coping with Pregame Jitters
  13. Mental Game Strategies for Smart Goal Setting
  14. Mental Game Strategies for Coping with Fear of Failure
  15. Mental Game Strategies for Efficient Practice and Training

As well as one-to-one coaching sessions, the mental skills areas make for great team seminars, training sessions and pre-season education programmes.

The results are phenomenal and work with all athletes not just footballers, rugby players or golfers. Athletes come to coaching sessions more prepared, more organised, and ready to explore mental game strategies for success.

As an athlete you improve your commitment to mental training and accelerate your learning curve with the mental game. At any level, mindset can be crucial differentiator between champion and contender.

Mental Skills Coaching For Athletes That's Measurable!

You can now measure how athletes are using emotional intelligence when practicing or competing. Yes, you heard me right - you can measure and develop an athletes sporting emotional intelligence!

I'm one of a handful of certified mental skills coaches accredited to use the Emotional Intelligence Sports Inventory (ESi) - the world's first assessment tool to measure the key performance competencies.

The assessment compares your performance against the world's top athletes. It provides practical strategies to help you maximsze your potential and become a consistent, sustainable high performer.

The EQ Sports Report helps you:

  • Achieve Peak Conditioning

    Build mental toughness to remain self-motivated and sustain competitive energy

  • Manage Your Emotions

    Enables you to take emotional control in response to frustration and disappointment

  • Develop Strategies

    Learn strategies to stay mentally alert and focused to deal with distractions and competitive stresses

  • Overcome Negativity

    Understand how negative emotions are holding you back in competition situations

The ESi Sports Report measures your key performance competencies and obtain a snapshot of your global emotional intelligence score and your score on each individual competency.

It builds mental toughness so you remain self-motivated and sustain competitive energy.

When the athlete completes the assessment, scores are calculated and a fully customised 18 page coaching report is produced, highlighting strengths and development areas across 10 performance competencies.

In addition to the results, the report provides suggestions and exercises on how to strengthen a given competency.

A personal Action Plan is also provided to help build the skills and resources necessary for responding to the challenges of sports competition.

ESi is used by Global Leaders in Sports

You Can Access Mental Skills Development That Gives You Measurable Results!

Read What Other People Say About My Work...

Steve Shortland

Skills, physicality and tactical ability are key to playing sport well. But I know mindset is important too, especially for elite athletes. That’s why I’d recommend Mark to any coach or athlete who wants to take performance to the next level.

Steve Shortland, Director of Sport & England U16 Rugby Coach Wellington College, Crowthorne in Berkshire
David Muckalt

Mark’s work really helped players to develop an awareness mindset that allowed them to recognise the controllables whilst playing in an International arena.

David Muckalt, Assistant Director of Sport & England U16s Rugby Coach Sherborne School in Dorset
Martin Pepper

Mark’s workshops and programmes help your athletes develop that mental edge to perform consistently and deliver even when under pressure.

Martin Pepper, Director of Sport Barnard Castle School, Teesdale in County Durham

Call +44 (0)20 8798 3433 or email GetResults@MarkRussell.co.uk NOW to book your FREE 30 Minute Consultation and discover how Performance Coaching can make a HUGE difference to your life…

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