A Coach's Diary

How Much Is Left in the Tank? Have you ever felt like you had nothing left — only to discover you could keep going? In Endure , journalist and endurance athlete Alex Hutchinson explores a fascinating question: What actually causes us to stop? For years, we’ve thought of fatigue as a simple physical limit. Your muscles get tired, your body runs out of energy, and you have to stop. But Hutchinson’s research suggests it’s more complicated. The brain plays a major role in deciding when an effort has become too difficult to continue. That doesn’t mean fatigue is imaginary. It means our perception of effort matters. Think about the fourth quarter of a close game. Your legs are heavy. Your breathing is hard. Your mind starts telling you, I’m done. But sometimes, when the stakes rise, you find another gear. That’s the lesson: Feeling exhausted and being incapable are not always the same thing. The next time your mind tells you that you can’t go any further, don’t automatically believe it. P...

Do you ever perform worse when the moment matters most? Dr. Sian Beilock’s research helps explain why. We often assume choking happens because an athlete suddenly “loses confidence.” But Beilock’s research suggests something more specific can happen: we can interfere with skills we have already learned automatically. Think about a skilled golfer standing over a short putt. In practice, the stroke happens naturally. Under pressure, however, the athlete may start thinking: Keep your head down. Keep your elbow straight. Don’t miss. This is called explicit monitoring — consciously focusing on the individual steps of a skill that normally runs automatically. Research by Beilock and colleagues found that pressure can disrupt well-learned motor skills when performers begin consciously monitoring their execution. The leadership lesson is powerful: More thinking isn't always better thinking. Coaches should help athletes build skills through repetition, then teach them to trust their prepa...

David Goggins is known for pushing himself far beyond what he thought was possible. One idea he often talks about is the 40% Rule : when your mind tells you that you’re done, you may actually have much more left to give. Think about the last time you were running, practicing a sport, studying, or doing something difficult. Your brain might have said, “I can’t do this anymore.” But sometimes, your body still has more to give. The challenge is learning how to recognize the difference between being truly unable to continue and simply feeling uncomfortable. Goggins describes the Governor as the part of your mind that tries to protect you. When something becomes difficult, the Governor sends you signals to slow down, stop, or stay comfortable. It’s not necessarily trying to hurt you — it’s trying to keep you safe. The goal isn't to ignore pain or put yourself in danger. The goal is to learn that discomfort doesn't always mean you should quit . The next time your mind says, “I can...

Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to reach an extraordinary level of performance. The bigger lesson, however, isn’t simply “work harder.” It’s that mastery requires intentional practice, opportunity, and the right environment. Think about two athletes with equal talent. One has access to great coaching, quality facilities, supportive teammates, and countless opportunities to compete. The other has talent but limited resources and fewer opportunities. Their outcomes may be very different — not necessarily because one worked harder, but because context matters. Gladwell’s work reminds us that success is rarely just about individual ability. Our development is shaped by the people around us, the opportunities we receive, the environment we're placed in, and the habits we build. But there’s an important distinction: 10,000 hours is not a magic number. Simply repeating something for thousands of hours doesn’t guarantee exc...

We talk a lot about physical recovery in sports: stretching, hydration, nutrition, and sleep. But resting your body doesn't always mean your mind is resting. Researcher Yannick Balk has studied how athletes recover from the physical, mental, and emotional demands of sport. One of his key takeaways is that athletes need opportunities to detach from sport . That means more than leaving practice. It means giving your mind a break from thinking about the last mistake, worrying about the next game, replaying what happened, or constantly thinking about how to get better. Balk's research found that mental detachment is associated with better recovery and greater mental energy. His work also suggests that recovery should match the demand. If you are physically exhausted, physical rest matters. If you are mentally overloaded, you may need activities that reduce thinking and mental effort. If you are emotionally frustrated, you may need something that helps you release those emotions. So...

What makes someone clutch? We often describe clutch athletes as if they were born with something other athletes don't have—the ability to become better when the pressure is highest. But the psychology of clutch performance suggests something more useful: clutch performance is a state an athlete can learn to enter. Keith Henschen's work in sport psychology emphasizes the mental side of performing when the stakes are high. Clutch performers don't necessarily feel less pressure. Instead, they are able to manage their attention, trust their preparation, and stay focused on the task in front of them. Research on clutch states has identified characteristics such as deliberate concentration, intense effort, heightened awareness, and a sense of control. Think about a basketball player shooting a free throw with two seconds left. A non-clutch mindset thinks, “Don't miss.” A clutch mindset thinks, “Same shot. Same routine.” That's the difference. You don't become clutch...

Ever notice how you sit when you're stressed? Probably hunched over, protecting your core, making yourself small. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy proved that our body language doesn't just reflect our mindset — it shapes it. In her groundbreaking research on Presence , Cuddy revealed that expansion equals power — when we take up space, our biology changes. Standing in a "Power Pose" with our hands on our hips, feet wide, chest out — for just two minutes before a stressful event can optimize your brain chemistry: Testosterone (the dominance hormone) goes up. Cortisol (the stress hormone) goes down. This simple biohack tricks your brain into feeling genuinely confident, allowing you to bring your truest, most authentic self to high-pressure moments like interviews, presentations, or tough conversations. But Cuddy’s ultimate takeaway isn't about tricking others; it's about convincing yourself. Don't just fake it until you make it. Fake it until you become it...

Ever feel like your biggest opponent is the voice inside your own head? In The Inner Game of Tennis , Timothy Gallwey introduces a game-changing concept: you have two distinct selves. Self 1 (The Critic): This is your conscious mind. It loves to judge, micro-manage, worry, and give endless instructions. It’s the voice that says, "Don't mess this up." Self 2 (The Doer): This is your unconscious mind. It represents your vast, natural potential, your body’s inherent intelligence, and your capability to learn and execute effortlessly. Gallwey’s core formula is simple yet profound: Performance = Potential - Interference Most of us try to improve performance by adding more information, but Gallwey argues the real breakthrough happens when we reduce interference — specifically, the judgment and anxiety of Self 1. This week, instead of overthinking everything, practice removing all distractions by  quieting your mind. Simply pause when you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath, ...

What is the single greatest constrictor of human potential? It’s not a lack of talent. It’s not a lack of work ethic. It’s a four-letter acronym coined by high-performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais: FOPO: Fear of Other People’s Opinions. The moment you start playing to not look bad instead of playing to win , FOPO has won. In sports and in life, human beings are evolutionarily wired to crave social acceptance. Thousands of years ago, being disliked by the tribe meant exile and death. Today, that ancient software manifests as intense anxiety before a big game, a presentation, or a risky move. We worry about what the fans, the coaches, our parents, or random people on social media will say if we mess up. But here is the truth about elite performance: You cannot play fearlessly if you are constantly holding your breath for applause. When you operate out of FOPO, you play tightly. You play conservatively. You make the safe pass instead of the game-changing play. FOPO turns aggressi...

Dr. Ken Ravizza was a pioneer in sports psychology. His groundbreaking book, Heads-Up Baseball , shifted the focus from raw physical talent to mental toughness and present-moment focus. His core philosophy is simple: "Choose focus over results." In baseball — and in life — you cannot control the outcome. You can't control the umpire's call, the weather, or the spin on a curveball. You can only control your response to the present moment. Dr. Ravizza said there are so many times we play where the confidence just isn’t there, but confidence is fragile for all of us. He said the question is, “Do you have something to go to when you aren’t feeling great?” He said, “Feeling good is overrated.” The Core Concept: The Traffic Light System Ravizza taught athletes to monitor their mental state using a simple traffic light analogy. The goal isn't to stay perfect; it's to recognize when your mind is drifting and fix it. 🟢 Green Light (On): You are fully in the present m...

Do you ever get tired of hearing people tell you to “just stay positive” when things aren’t going right? Sometimes, when life gets really hard, suppressing your true feelings and emotions and forcing a smile isn’t the answer. According to Harvard psychologist Susan David, suppressing difficult emotions doesn't make them disappear — it just makes them grow. In her book Emotional Agility , David argues that true resilience isn't about being happy all the time. It’s about how we navigate our inner world. When a difficult emotion hits — whether it's anger, anxiety, or imposter syndrome — most people react in one of two ways: The Bottler: You push the feeling down, pretend everything is fine, and march on. (Spoiler: It usually explodes later). The Brooder: You lose yourself in the emotion. You loop it on replay, obsessing over the wrongness of the situation, letting it cloud your entire day. In both scenarios, you are "hooked." Your emotions have hijacked your thoug...

Commitment isn’t just about “willpower” — If you want it badly enough, you’ll stick with it. But sport psychologist Tara Scanlan proved that commitment isn't a single emotion — it’s a dynamic psychological formula. Her Sport Commitment Model breaks down exactly why we stay dedicated to a goal, or why our motivation burns out. If you want to master your mindset, you have to understand the forces pulling at your commitment. Scanlan’s research shows that commitment splits into two distinct psychological states: Enthusiastic Commitment ("Want To"): You push forward because of passion, joy, and a genuine desire to see what you are capable of. Constrained Commitment ("Have To"): You keep going because you feel trapped by obligation, guilt, or the fear of what others will think if you quit. The Mindset Shift: While both forces can keep you moving, Constrained Commitment is exhausting and leads straight to burnout. Long-term greatness requires building Enthusiasti...

If you’ve ever watched a video of Jocko Willink — a legendary retired Navy SEAL commander — you know he doesn't care about your excuses. He’s famous for waking up at 4:30 AM every single day to train, and his core philosophy is simple: Discipline Equals Freedom. Most people think freedom means doing whatever you want, whenever you want — like sleeping in, skipping the workout, and eating junk food. But Jocko flips that entirely. He argues that if you let your temporary feelings run your life, you aren't actually free. You are a slave to your moods and your laziness. If you have the discipline to study now, you get the freedom of good options later. If you have the discipline to train hard today, you get the freedom of being strong and confident tomorrow. If you have the discipline to manage your time, you get the freedom to actually enjoy your free time without guilt. Don't wait for "motivation" to strike. Motivation is a feeling that shows up when it wants to and...