PEAK PERFORMANCE

THE PROFILE OF A
PEAK PERFORMING ATHLETE
Does Your Daughter or Team Possess These 8 Traits?

John Michael Kelly

By John Michael Kelly, author of America's Sports Confidence Coach and Softball Smarts website at www.softballsmarts.com. Facebook: www.facebook.com/SoftballSmarts

What makes for a great athlete, one who performs at a peak level on a consistent basis? On television we can watch these elite athletes every weekend. However, at the youth softball level...not so much. What then separates the great athletes from those who aspire to be, and how can your fastpitch athlete become a consistent peak performer?

Let's look at the profile of a peak performing fastpitch player to see how your athlete compares:
 

Wesley Wolverines 2014: junior #32 C/3B 

 Kayla Fromal (Middletown, DE).

1. She is proactive in her mental approach and preparation for both her practices and her games filling her head with positive thoughts and statements. She recognizes that how she thinks is how she plays.

2. She has a solid pregame and in-game physical and mental game plan that allows her to remain in the present moment on the field, rather than future or past focused.
 
She possesses rock solid self-confidence that allows her to remain calm under pressure and focus on the task at hand.
 

Wesley Wolverines 2014: junior #8 OF 

Steph Caracozza (Melbourne Beach, FL).

3. Because she is self-confident and does not focus on the results but rather the process she is able to overcome any adversity and looks at such adversity as a learning opportunity to further improve her game.

4. Her mental mastery allows her to play anxiety and fear free, enabling her to consistently perform at peak levels.
 
She knows that she is mentally and physically prepared each game and, as such, she expects success.

Wesley Wolverines 2014: sophomore 

#21 C/3B Whitney Dibb (La Mesa, CA).

5. She possesses a deep level of joy and passion for playing the game she loves, that anyone can easily see by the smile on her face and her body language.

6. She is a poised athlete who recognizes that errors and outs are part of the game.

7. She is able to manage the expectations of herself and others around her in a healthy manner, challenging herself but keeping the game and her performance all in perspective of the bigger picture.

8. She is a leader on her team and the player her teammates look to for inspiration and her coaches looks to for peak performance.
 
She can’t wait to get to the field for practice or games!

Wesley Wolverines 2014: sophomore 

#18 C/3B Nina Marcano (Middletown, DE).

Becoming a consistent peak performer is a journey, not a destination that requires constant effort and practice mastering the same mental skills that Olympic, professional and elite athletes the world over engage in.

It also requires that the adults in her athletic world support the process of mastery, remain patient with her, and look beyond a "results only" mentality.

Thanks for reading! --John Michael Kelly