If you're an athlete, you've probably heard a coach, sports psychologist, or even a parent tell you that sports are (insert percentage here) mental. We all like to say these little phrases what will supposedly help with the mental side (train smarter not harder, focus on the positives) but no one really focuses on mental training. That's where Joshua Medcalf comes in.
I'm not going to lie to you. When I was a freshman at Adrian College, I didn't really understand why our coach was placing so much emphasis on mental training. None of my coaches at home had ever focused on it, and I didn't see the point. I had always thought that mental training just meant not letting your mistakes get the best of you. It seemed like a solitary activity, not a team event.
Then I started reading Joshua's books, and they changed my perspective. His books taught me what true mental toughness is and how I can be a better athlete mentally. All doubts that I had in the validity of this aspect of training went out the window. I now understood what my coach was trying to teach us.
This past weekend, Joshua came to Adrian College to talk about mental training and how we can be more mentally tough in our lives. It was an inspiring day of exercises, visualization, and learning for all of the skaters. His talk had a central theme: your value comes from who you are not what you do.
He talked to us about how we can reach or maximum potential by seeking fulfillment not happiness, taking yourself seriously, preparing for appointments we have not yet made, controlling the controllables, and many other vital things we can do in our lives. Joshua used his own life experiences to show us that we shouldn't be afraid to do what's not traditional or normal. This seminar opened my eyes and my team's eyes.
Ashley Carlson, head coach of skating at Adrian, has been a fan of Joshua Medcalf for a long time and wanted to share his powers with all of us. When I asked about her thoughts on his seminar, she said "Joshua's teachings had a transformational effect on my life, both personally and professionally.
Our team's mission and culture are directly related to his values, and the impact of training true mental toughness on our coaching staff and student-athletes has been nothing short of profound." I couldn't have said it better myself, Coach. Thank you for bringing this into our training.
Thank you, Joshua, for coming to our tiny school and helping transform our lives, not just our skating. Your words and your wisdom has changed how I approach my training and every aspect of my life. I know that this seminar has changed AC Skating for the better by making us more mentally tough and more prepared to tackle our missions.
As Joshua says, be relentless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.
