Learning to Cope With Covid-19 Delays
COVID-19 has posed a challenge for all people throughout the world. People from all walks of life are faced with adversity created by the coronavirus pandemic.
The baseball world is also in a state of disarray and it’s not just professional players dealing with tough times.
Student-athletes are faced with a unique set of circumstances. Student-athletes are required to complete their coursework through distance learning which can be monotonous and stressful.
In addition, student-athletes have the added pressure of maintaining their preparedness for the potential start of the season.
Student-athletes need to ask some hard questions at this time about their commitment to athletics.
So, here we go…With your baseball season hanging in the balance and social distancing in effect, what are you doing to stay in shape and be prepared for the moment you are back on the field?
Many ball players have taken it upon themselves to stay in physical shape by going for a run through the neighborhood, hitting off a tee and lifting weights.
Unfortunately, physical training is limited to what equipment you have.
While staying in shape physically has its challenges, mental training is available to you at all times of the day.
Mental training will keep you prepared and mentally sharp for when the season reconvenes. Now is an opportune time to take advantage of your time and fully delve into mental training.
One of the most effective strategies to engage your mind and activate your body is visualization.
Visualization is mentally experiencing an athletic event in your mind through the use of images in conjunction with your other senses.
When you visualize you are both the director and the actor. In other words, you are consciously directing the images and the outcome…And you are the person performing the actions in the visualization experience.
For example, if you are a closing pitcher, you can visualize striking out the final batter with the bases loaded in an away game playing your long-time rivals. Prior to the visualization, you want to create a script in your head to provide direction while visualizing the event.
In addition to creating the scene, you want to live the scene in your mind…what you would feel, see, hear, smell, taste and think.
Visualizing positive outcomes and the feelings associated with those outcomes keeps your mind and body sharp. Visualization is a tool being used by some of the players on the New York Mets roster.
Even though COVID-19 has interrupted the start of the MLB season, New York Mets players J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith are keeping their heads in the game with visualization.
Davis commented in an interview about the uncertainty of the season and the need to adapt despite the current circumstances.
DAVIS: “It is a little bit weird to not really have a date or at least a deadline to kind of work yourself up to get ready… There’s not much to do, it’s very limited. We’ve got to adapt.”
Smith has been making good use of his time engaging his mind and body by combining swing mechanics with visualization.
SMITH: “I take some dry hacks, a lot of visualization…You get to really feel your body, your movements, and stuff like that.”
Visualization is a great tool to keep your mind engaged and prepared.
Tips for Effective Visualization
Be Patient–It can be difficult to hold images in your mind. Stay patient, you will get better with more practice.
Be Vivid–Add as many details as you can to provide a “real feel” to your visualization sessions.
Be Positive–Make sure you “see” yourself producing positive outcomes.
Visualization will keep you in baseball shape mentally and physically. You will be ready once Covid-19 passes.
Get The Mental Edge For Baseball and Softball Players!
Do you (or your athletes) lack full confidence in your skills when you step on the field as if your game disappears at game time?
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What are baseball mental game customers saying?
“Dr. Cohn, I’ve been tearing it up lately!!! Every single thing you taught me works perfectly in every situation I’ve been in. I’ve been so into every game and focusing on the process and not the outcomes and everything falls right into place . In the playoffs I’m 5-7 with 2 run home runs and 5 RBIs. I feel great at the plate and focusing is a breeze now. I just wanted to thank you for everything and keep you posted with how everything was going.”
~Jalen Phillips, College Baseball Player
“With your help, I have been able to deal with stress and pressure of the game of baseball more efficiently. I have learned to help me keep my focus and disregard negative thoughts and energies. This process focus will keep me from getting my head in the way of my performance, from working against myself. Thanks for your help. I look forward to speaking with you again.”
~Keith Donnell, college baseball player
“Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with our team. It was greatly appreciated and really helped a lot. I found myself implementing your teachings in our first practice right after you left. I really enjoyed the way you implemented already known ideas, but gave us a different way of viewing it. Thank you.”
~Amber Prosser, Clark College Softball
Boost Your Self-Confidence And Focus With Expert Mental Game Coaching!
Master mental game coach Dr. Patrick Cohn can help you overcome your mental game issues with personal coaching.
You can work with Dr. Patrick Cohn himself in Orlando, Florida or via Skype, FaceTime, or telephone. Call us toll free at 888-742-7225 or contact us for more information about the different coaching programs we offer!
What are our mental coaching students saying?
“As a college softball coach I experience great pleasure in helping youth league coaches develop their young players. As reversal of that process, I, as the student, look to experts like yourself to give me the “mechanics” of sports psychology so that I may better impart my knowledge to the players and coaches. Your contribution spreads like wildfire and helps hundreds of youngsters as well as us “oldies.” Thanks for your contribution–it means a lot.”
~Tom Moore, College Softball Coach
“A quick note to let you know how effective your programs worked for my son who is 17 and plays varsity baseball in VA. In late 2009, I ordered the Relaxed Athlete program for my son because I saw he was pressing too hard at the plate and had disappointing results for the 2009 season. Thanks to your programs, my son now has a completely new approach to the game of baseball (and school) and it’s more fun for him now. He made all-district player at his position and hit .443 this season. A complete 180 degree turn around from last year.”
~Mark M., sports parent
“Dr. Cohn has put together a program that has enabled myself and our players to approach the mental game in a systematic way that is easy to use and apply. Our awareness level has greatly increased.”
~Marty Hunter, Head Baseball Coach George Fox University
Disclaimer
*Testimonials found on this site are examples of what we have done for other clients, and what some of our clients have said about us. However, we cannot guarantee the results in any case. Your results may vary and every situation is different. No compensation was provided for these testimonials.
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