IHSAA Student-Athlete Tip of the Week (1-31-22)
"Promoting Education Based Athletics in Indiana"
This past weekend, tennis great Rafael Nadal rallied to win the Australian Open, claiming his record setting 21st Grand Slam title. Here's the kicker--the match lasted a record setting 5 hours, 24 minutes (twice the average time for a match). Nadal stated after the match that he "just wanted to keep believing until the end," even though he lost the first two sets of the five-set final.
Most sports are played with a clock and a time limit. Not tennis.
Just imagine the mental and physical condition you must be in to rally and come back from a 2-set deficit and win such a lengthy hard fought tennis match.
When your body is exhausted, your mental focus should be on winning one point or one possession at a time. Nadal didn't let the heat, his exhaustion or the fact he was nearly defeated stop him. That takes years and years of experience and training. He didn't give up. He kept playing his best and winning points.
Next time you feel tired, overwhelmed, or defeated, you must mentally focus on the next play and nothing else. Mental toughness doesn't happen overnight, it takes time and experience. You may hear athletes described as "mentally tough" and like Nadal they dig deep to perform at their best, even when it appears the game or match is over.
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