How old do you have to be to compete as a gymnast in the Olympics? Here are the rules as set by the International Federation of Gymnastics.

Is your young gymnast experiencing fear of a skill in the gym? Learn how to help your child overcome fear as a gymnast. Click here for more.

For more than a century, scientists have studied the psychology behind sports and performance. The study of mental toughness, as an offshoot of that discipline, is a relative newcomer. Here’s how it was developed and who are the luminaries in this short history of mental toughness. Mental toughness provides a way to measure resilience and … Continue reading History of Mental Toughness →

Today’s motivational meme: The pain you feel today will be the strength you feel tomorrow.

Eugenie Bouchard of Canada becomes the first woman to ever make a grand slam tennis final, in only her second full season on the WTA tour, and she did it in style beating 7-6, 6-2 over Simona Halep.   Just last year the Globe and Mail ran a story on Bouchard in which she described … Continue reading Bouchard to Wimbledon Final →

“When weeds come up in your garden, it does no good to say, ‘There are no weeds, there are no weeds, there are no weeds . . .’  It doesn’t help to pretend they’re not there.  It doesn’t matter how much you focus on the beautiful plants that are growing.  The weeds aren’t going to … Continue reading Something to think about… →

There’s not much for me to say here.  The arm chair athlete might have the best strategies and ideas to win, however it’s easy to know what to do when you’re imagining it and not so easy when it’s crunch time.   The only way to get to the top is to get off your … Continue reading The Best Way to Get to The Top →

After sending out last week’s mental toughness tip, one of my former mental toughness coaching athletes sent me an email about how her team used visualization.  She said:

I’m guessing that’s the last picture you expected to see after reading the subject of this Mental Toughness Tip.  I know I’d be like ‘What? I can cut seconds by taking a nap? I don’t get it’  or ‘This is what mental preparation looks like, sleeping?’ Above is my CrossFit Athlete Virginia.  Virg and I … Continue reading Every second counts…. →

It is your mind that determines what’s possible.  You’re so much more powerful, more capable, and more resilient than you think.  Learn to trust your body.  There will always be pain when you’re pushing yourself to the next level.  It’s outside of your comfort zone, you’re entering into unchartered territory, you’re body doesn’t quite know … Continue reading Your mind quits first, but keep going. →

You often don’t know how the competition is going to end I just got off the phone with one of my rockstar athletes.  If you don’t already know, I work with a lot of young gymnasts. Gymnastics is a sport of inches, and mental toughness can really make or break their performance. At the Canadian Provincial Championships … Continue reading If at first you don’t succeed. . . →