I think it is important for each individual to have a specific set of goals in purposes towards their sport, and what they hope to achieve.  In order for us to achieve what we want to in sport, or anything in life, we must know how we are going to achieve it.  It is important to focus on the moment at hand on a consistent basis to achieve long-term goals and purposes. 

If we want to establish a fun environment in sport, we must find a way to make sure that we are providing a fun environment on a daily basis.  The same goes for any other objective that we seek to achieve.  We cannot simply say that we want to establish a purpose on the first day of practice, and then put it in the back of our minds for a few weeks.  We must make a conscious effort to let our actions correlate with what we want to accomplish.  Our daily activities become our habits, and it is our job to make sure that our daily habits reflect our values and beliefs. 

To me, two of the many purposes of sport are discipline and determination.  I believe that these two aspects are exactly how we all achieve our goals.  Certainly, there are differing circumstances with each individual which can lead to, or prevent, success.  But, in examining the things that are within each individual’s control, discipline and determination are constants. 

As stated by my professor and Sports Psychologist, Dr. Richard McGuire, almost nothing done in sports is instinctual.  But, all athletes train tirelessly to try and make their actions seem as though they are instinctual.  A pitcher does not have a natural instinct to cover first base when a ground ball is hit to his first baseman.  But through repetitive practice and training, we make it become as instinctual as we possibly can.

It can be easy for each and every athlete to only focus on what they want to accomplish one year, two years, or even three years down the road.  But, in order for each athlete to achieve what they want to in that time span, they must first set a series of attainable short-term goals that will allow them to build up to their ultimate goal. 

In talking about short-term goals, I believe that one can even benefit from setting daily goals.  This includes wanting to get something accomplished on each day and at every practice. 

If you are a baseball pitcher, don’t be satisfied with improving your pick off move by the end of the week.  Improve your pick off move today, and then improve it again tomorrow.  By the end of the week, your pick off move will be that much better than if you had put off a goal that could be accomplished immediately. 

In making our habits and actions as instinctual as we possibly can, we put ourselves in position to react and adjust to anything that is thrown our way. 

Failure is a part of sport, and a part of life.  All of us will encounter it many times.  When failure occurs, we must find our own way to get back into a successful mindset. 

The way that we can quickly reacquire the feeling of success is by trusting in our routine and letting that push us through our failures and setbacks.  But, in order to rely on our routine, we must first establish one.  It must be one that we trust and believe in to put us in the best position to succeed.  The rollercoaster of emotions that occur in sport can be difficult to overcome if we try to react separately to each situation.  But, in creating a constant, positive reaction to failure, we establish consistent success.

For all of us, talking about doing a task is much easier than actually doing that task. 

We can all talk about what we want to accomplish with sport.  But, none of that will carry any weight unless we are willing to take the necessary steps to put it into action.  In order to accomplish our goals we must allow ourselves to not only become creatures of habit, but creatures of positive habit.  By that, I mean that we must become regimented in habits that will allow us to fulfill our established goals and purposes.

Rick Allen talks to Dr. Chris White, Director of Coaching & Development of The Flippen Group, about their work with professional, college, and high school athletes. 

Chris shares the top 5 traits that athletes need to excel in their sport and gives advice on how to develop the mental skills to be successful both on and off the field. 

The Flippen Group are proven leaders in the sports psychology arena and work with athletes  to help them develop to their full potential.  They focus on increasing performance not just by identifying strengths, but more importantly, by eliminating the constraints that hinder performance.

Chris White, Ph.D. developed the statistical model that is the basis for the coaching program and is the co-author of the book The Flip Side:  Break Through the Behaviors that Hold you Back.

While the discussion specifically mentions baseball, this information is pertinent to an athlete in any sport.  

Please note:  This product bundle includes the actual audio file plus a PDF transcript.  After payment is processed, you’ll receive an email with the download link for both items.  If you have any questions, please call Informed Athlete at 918-994-7272. 

Ryan Allen – Peer Mentor for Athletes

The many experiences that I have encountered as a college athlete are ones that I once thought to be very unique.  In the last 14 months since my playing career ended, I have seen many other athletes endure the same struggles and heartaches that I had as a player.  

As a baseball instructor and a Peer Mentor for Informed Athlete, there have been numerous instances where I have given advice that I realize I did not follow when I was still an athlete.  This process has motivated me to help share with current student-athletes what I would have done differently, and what they can still do differently to allow themselves to increase their chances for success both on and off the playing field.   

At the age of 17, I was among the majority who had to go sell myself to any coach that was willing to take a look.  It was a time of angst, confusion and stress.  But, at the end of the day it led to one of the greatest experiences of my life, and allowed me to achieve a long time dream of mine of playing baseball in the Big 12 Conference. 

While things worked out great for me in the end, there is no denying that this process could’ve been made much easier had I been able to seek advice from others who had gone through that same situation before I did. 

As a rising senior in college, I was again faced with a crossroads in my life and baseball career.  I was coming off a rough junior season and had just lost my baseball scholarship for my senior year.  Having only a month to find a new school, I was immediately filled with panic and doubt about what to do with my final year of eligibility.  Luckily for me, I had some family and friends that new the right people to help me land on my feet quickly and finish out my baseball career at the University of Central Missouri.  

I know that many of you that are reading this, are either in a similar situation, or know someone who is.  Having gone through this process myself, I can promise you that the right situation will present itself, if you look for it the right way. 

Being proactive about putting yourself in the best possible position for success is what I believe to be the most important part of the battle.  While my situation may vary from many of you out there, I can relate to the stress and anxiety that goes with such a big decision, as well as how to properly combat it and give yourself a chance to succeed.

If you are a high school or college athlete and in a situation where you’d like some advice or guidance through a tough recruiting, transfer or general student-athlete situation, please call Informed Athlete at 918-994-7272 to set up an appointment with Ryan Allen to discuss your situation.

I am the parent of a Division 1 college baseball player and have had the pleasure of talking to Ryan in person, by phone and by email. Ryan Allen is the real deal who has been a Division 1 baseball player and knows the questions to ask and is a tremendous mentor to both athletes and their parents.  Through his college baseball career Ryan learned so much and has no problem conversing with adults by telling them the truth and not candy coating it.  My wife and I only wish we knew Ryan before our journey began because it would have helped us tremendously.  Since he is only a few years older than your son a bond can form between them and they can experience the process with someone that has been there – from falling in love with your first school and not pursuing other avenues (which our son did and regrets) to moving to a Division II for his senior year. 

                                                                             Parent of a 4-2-4 transfer baseball player

Ryan completed his final year of college baseball eligibility in May after playing 3 years for the University of Missouri (2006-2009) and 1 year (2010) for the University of Central Missouri.  He will graduate in May 2011 from the University of Missouri with his bachelor’s degree in Business Management.  He also is a private pitching instructor at Balls N Strikes in Columbia, Missouri.

As a former college athlete, Ryan brings a unique point of view to Informed Athlete that only someone who has “been there” can understand.  He will be providing input on website content and writing blogs & giving advice from the student athletes’ perspective.

Have you ever watched an athlete who obviously has raw athletic skill falter and not achieve his or her highest potential while others who aren’t as athletically gifted excel far beyond anyone’s expectations?