Brent Just/Electric Umbrella
Luc Mullinder
The single greatest piece of literature I ever read was a book called Mind Gym, by Gary Mack with David Casstevens. It was recommended to me by one of my best friends on the Saskatchewan Roughriders during my time, and it’s also a book that many of your favourite CFL hero’s have invested their time into.
My teammate felt that the book had elevated his game, and I think he knew that I needed the same type of guidance in my life. My only regret was that I had not read it sooner.
Mind Gym is an “Athletes Guide to INNER Excellence” and it hit home so powerfully for me that it was my go-to resource that I would recommended to younger players whenever I felt like I could help them out in some way. I felt it would have been the most selfish move in the world had I not shared this tool.
To this day it’s still an occasional reference point whenever I talk to any of my friends that still play-whom I suggested the book to back in the day.
One of the Chapters in the book focuses on the fact that athletes have to “know their numbers.”Essentially, an athlete needs to understand their own emotional “sweet spot” when it comes to their BEST performance, and do everything they can to recognize the warning signs that lead to them being too high, or too low…If an athlete’s best performance comes when they’re at a 7 out of 10, then getting to a 10 out of 10, or dropping to a 4 out of 10, has a direct negative impact on the way one thinks, and performs.
The reason I thought about this specific chapter in Mind Gym today was because with the invention of social media, and the fact that some really LAME people have access to it (as my boy Lance Frazier reminded me of this week); it’s becoming harder and harder for athlete’s to block out all the “white noise” that surrounds them in a fish bowl like the CFL.
As much as I preach that one has to focus on the things that one can control (which is also something that Mind Gym put into perspective for me) at some point in time one is going to get pulled into the external hype surrounding big games, like the one against the Whaa-Mpeders on Sat.
This is where “knowing one’s number” comes into play.
One can’t lose focus on their personal control this Saturday because it will have a direct affect on one’s play.
It’s one thing to be reading all of the social media feeds and getting all hyped up by passionate rhetoric in the locker room from coaches and teammates, but if all of that gets a player to an 8 out of 10, on the emotional scale, when he plays his best football at a 5 – The Saskatchewan Roughriders are screwed!
A player can hate Bo Levi Mitchell all they want but if one lets that hatred and need to drive him 30ft below the turf over (or under) influence him; it’s Bo Levi Mitchell who is going to come out on top.
If one has grown so sick and tired of watching himself get beat on a certain play from last week, one cannot be so hell bent on making amends during the first chance they get because chances are that it will lead to a play must worse than the one they’ve been stewing over.
There is going to be a number of emotions and feelings that go into Saturday evenings game against the Dry-Snitching Whaa-mpeders.
Good teams consist of players that understand that one cannot get too high, or too low. It will be on the leaders of this team during the phases leading up to, and through, this battle to make sure that everyone understands that the focus and intensity level MUST be at an optimal level in order to get the WIN.
For some players, their best requires them to be at a 9. Others may need to be at a 4. If one notices themselves deviating from that number, 3 huge deep breaths (or something like that) which enables a re-focus may be in order.
Whatever the number, it has to be identified, and kept consistent through 60 minutes. That way the Saskatchewan Roughriders will achieve the right letter…a W!
#MindGym #HighlyRecommended #ProPerspectiveReadingList
