What is Consistency?
By Brady Greco, Performance Coach — The Mental Edge
A common performance concept that is rarely taught but always referred to by coaches is playing a more consistent game. You hear coaches all the time say, “play with more consistency day in and day out.” There is no problem if a coach makes this statement and communicates to the team about what needs to take place in order to become more consistent. However, the majority of coaches fail to explain in detail what consistency even entails, making it impossible for a player to understand how to become more consistent in their play.
Consistency can be described in the sport’s world as a level of quality play over an extended period of time. Every competitive athlete has experienced a game where they performed very well. In turn, every athlete has encountered what it feels like to perform poorly, making the concept of consistency very tricky. Here is a checklist of five keys to focus on as an athlete that will help maintain consistency throughout your personal journey as an athlete:
- Awareness: Reflect on your performance and determine what areas you did well in and what areas you need to improve upon.
- Good Habits: Practice good habits throughout the athletic season. This means staying disciplined and remembering to do the ‘little’ things both on and off the athletic field or arena.
- Pre-game Routine: For an athlete to become mentally prepared for a game/practice, they must take the proper procedures. This means an athlete must find a comfortable and effective personal routine they go through on days of games/practice. Establishing a good pre-game routine will enable an athlete to be prepared mentally which will create a better chance of optimal performance. Don’t be afraid to ‘mess around’ with your routine if you feel something is not working.
- Imagery: Imagine yourself accomplishing the task at hand. Picture yourself already playing the game and making the right plays in every situation.
- Positive Self-Talk: Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself. Tell yourself ‘I am the best, I am the best’. This will create encouraging thoughts to flow through your mind to remain positive.
At the Mental Edge, we can teach you mental toughness skills like these to empower you on your journey as an athlete.
Brady
