Learn from NFL QB Russell Wilson’s Mental Conditioning Coach
Many smart people have said this many times, many different ways. Working hard to develop physical skills is nothing more than an entrance fee for success is sports. The typical elite athlete wins because of their mental edge, not because of their physical edge.
Case in point, NFL quarterback Russell Wilson. Today, ESPN.com published a fantastic article sharing some of the details of the program Wilson’s mental conditioning coach does with him. The title of the article is Mental conditioning driving force behind Russell Wilson’s success.
If you ever had doubts about the value of spending less time training physically and more time training mentally, please read this article. Wilson’s mental coach is name Trevor Moawad, and his words speak volumes.
“I’ve lived in this world [of mental conditioning] for 18 years, and superhero gifts are not the defining factor,” Moawad said. “Elite behavior is the deciding factor, and you take people with average talent and great behavior — they’re going to make it. Russell is a collection of world-class behaviors. … He has very good gifts, but he has exceptional behavior. But if he didn’t act the way he acts, he wouldn’t be who he is.”
This is quite profound, and to be frank the first time I have heard someone explain what it takes to be elite as “exceptional behavior.” Moawad is a big believer that an athletes behavior is the #1 determining factor of their success. What’s more, an athlete’s mental skills are what determines whether their behavior is helpful or harmful to their goals.
As stated so eloquently by Moawad:
Every team and player has an equal opportunity to be ‘unequal’ by the decisions and choices they ‘choose’ to commit to.