The Mark of a Champion

I wrote a powerful book called Locker Room Power (Europe https://amzn.to/2wvXGeo) and (USA/world https://amzn.to/393zxKK)

Locker Room Power (LRP) is the myth that an athlete is better than the reality, an aura developed through attitude and winning that creates fear in others so that often opponents lose in the mind before they play. All champions possess and use LRP to their advantage!

However, no athlete is perfect. Being aware of LRP is also the antidote allowing athletes to free themselves from feelings of inferiority.

What sets athletes with LRP apart is the consistent attitude and positive energy they bring to the arena, no matter what is happening in a contest or in their lives. Once they step onto stage to perform they take responsibility and do their job as well as they can.

What stops you from doing the same?

There is no way of avoiding losses. Everyone loses. However, win or lose, it is the quality of attitude and strategies employed during the loss that opponents will remember. 

Even during a rout, a champion tries to create something to build on. Indeed, losing can become a key facet of consolidating and maintaining LRP. Losing is a great test of discipline, and players who possess true resilience know how to pick themselves up and regroup.

All eyes will be watching to see if an athlete can manage a bad spell without letting it develop into a crisis of confidence. Keeping the respect of other competitors means that a few bad results will be perceived as a glitch, rather than a crisis.

Former British Number 1, Tim Henman, spoke of how he became aware of LRP before a Grand Slam semi-final against Boris Becker.

“We walked out of the locker rooms; Boris stood a few metres from me down the corridor. He just shifted from foot to foot, game face on and waited and waited. I became unsure what to do – wait for him, go first, or wait him out and in these final moments before the match I became unsettled. I realised afterwards that he totally dictated the time – he sent the message that the match would be played according to his terms. I vowed to always be prepared for how I would deal with attempted intimidation and never fall for it again”  

A valuable lesson from a loss that served him well in his stellar career.

Locker Room Power is one segment of the full Mindset College Programme, my online mental skills program, delivering powerful messages in a language that any athlete or coach will understand. 

How curious are you? 

Mental Edge Friday gives you glimpses of the mountain of value that sits within Mindset College. 

Written by David Sammel