Mental Skills Training to Achieve Peak Performance
- I have the pleasure of participating in weekly individual sessions with Dr. John Paul Muczko, a leader in the field of Sport Psychology, building my mental skills in order to achieve peak performance.
- The results I’ve received from putting in the hard work and committing to Mental Skills Training goes beyond athletics. It helps me build confidence, have courage, block out negative thoughts, strengthen my concentration and develop and stick to a plan to achieve peak performance.
Working the program with Dr. Muczko to include visualizations, establishing routines, blocking out negative thoughts, turning adversity into positive and tapping into my inner faith to support my performance along with my teammates.
Here are three phases of mental skills conditioning:
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Intense Mental Toughness allows me to visualize the game as it is being played. My visualizations are so focused that nothing else diverts my attention.
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Next is Focal Point. By picking something out in the field when I’m feeling rushed, I use it as a focal point, e.g., a flagpole or outfield fences. Those focused visualizations, combined with my practice routine, strengthens my quality of game play.
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Lastly, Mental Repetition. I repeat my routine over and over to create muscle memory. Each time I step up to bat or onto the mound, I visualize myself painting corners on the strike zone or barreling up the ball in the batter’s box.
You have to be committed to have intense mental toughness. Your commitment is what you devote and dedicate yourself to athletically, academically, and to your whole demeanor. The more you prepare the better mindset you’ll have. Your mental rehearsal becomes automatic. For example, in baseball, you’ll see your primary visions of locating the ball or the strength of your pitch becomes more consistent. With commitment, self-control, and the mindset of not being afraid to fail develops your own responsibility to replenish and strive for greatness.
Mental Skills Conditioning Facilitator
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I’ve benefited firsthand from Dr. Muczko’s teachings and inspired to share what I’ve learned with student athletes so they may benefit as I have.
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In collaboration with Dr. Muczko, we speak to athletes on topics such as: ‘Sports Psychology: Mastering Mental Excellence for Peak Performance.’
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In February 2023, Dr. Muczko and I hosted a ‘first of its kind’ assembly attended by 200 student athletes, faculty, and coaches at Brookwood School grades 7-12.
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On November 29, 2023, Dr. Muczko and I were asked by Fellowship of Christian Athletes to speak with 71 Thomas County Central High School athletes about Mental Skills Training.
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On March 8, 2024, I hosted a Team Building cookout for Brookwood's Varsity Baseball team. As co-Captain, I shared the importance of mindset, taking breaths, and hitting your spots for achieving peak performance.
“Owen has demonstrated the highly successful coveted aptitude to obtain, internalize, and exhibit both knowledge of and application to basic tenets of mental skill acquisition and sport performance. This was evidenced from the start when I issued him the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI), a highly valued and valid instrument assessing mental skills for coping with adversity. His scores were in the top one percent of his age group. His compassionate character, leadership skills, and intellect all of which I’ve witnessed, is truly a hallmark of his approach to the classroom, sport, and life.” – Dr. John Paul Muczko, April 1, 2024
About Dr. John Paul Muczko:
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A man of faith, Dr. Muckzo is an FSU graduate who completed his master’s at Baylor and received his doctorate from the University of Kansas.
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Since 1995, Dr. Muczko has been a sports psychologist to some of the biggest names in sports working with NFL players and coaches to include the Cowboys, Eagles, and Bucs. He has also worked with Headfirst Baseball Showcase Camps for youth athletes, collegiate men’s baseball leagues including Cape Cod Baseball League and with members of the NIKE Golf Tour.
Recommended Book
Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court
- by John Wooden
