Blog
50 for 50 Idea #3: Stretch More!
January 25, 2018In my last blog post, I wrote about the value and benefits of beginning a yoga practice. This idea resonated with a lot of people, but perhaps you’re like me and you need to pay even more attention to your joint mobility and flexibility. Many people don’t focus on daily stretching, but as I have […]
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50 for 50 Idea #2: Start A Weekly Yoga Practice
January 18, 2018In our continuing series of 50 for 50, welcome to idea #2: start a weekly yoga practice. The first time I did yoga, I hated it. I know that’s a bit of an odd start to a blog post promoting a once a week yoga routine, but hear me out. The class I hated was […]
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50 for 50 Idea #1 – Start a Mindfulness Practice
January 11, 2018Recently, I turned 50 years old (ouch) and to commemorate that milestone, I sent an email to my blog subscribers with 50 ideas for performance improvement in 2018. The response to the list was very positive, so I thought I could do a little “xtra” and write a blog post about each of the 50 […]
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What’s the deal with emotions in college tennis?
June 13, 2017This post has been on my mind for awhile and I’m writing it for all of those young tennis players who aspire to play college tennis. I want you to be prepared for what you are going to experience, and at the same time, I want you to apply the actions and principles of mental […]
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Feeling Pressure? Get Excited!
May 25, 2017As a competitor, it’s a near certainty that you get nervous from time to time, both before you play and during competition. Fear is the emotion that drives your nerves. Why is this? What are you afraid of? I was at a tennis academy recently and I asked the players these questions, and their answers […]
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The Mental Game at the end of the game
April 3, 2017The other night, I happened to tune in to the University of Connecticut versus Mississippi State women’s basketball Final Four game during the 3rd quarter and was intrigued by how close the score was. UConn has been dominating the sport of women’s college basketball for some time, and a close game was a rarity for […]
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Episode 1: Jaime Gaard Chapman
March 6, 2017For some time now, I have been wanting to try a podcast format for the blog and I finally did it. For those of you who are fans of “The Tim Ferriss Show”, I modeled this podcast on his interview format so you’ll probably recognize that. The idea of interviewing coaches and athletes, and finding out what […]
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Super Bowl Breakdown: Patriots vs Falcons
February 9, 2017Hey, did you see that Super Bowl comeback by the Patriots? Pretty amazing, right? Personally, I found it intriguing because of the mental game and how each team handled the competitive pressure. There were a number of mental toughness concepts at play in this game so I wanted to break them down for you so […]
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Don’t React, Act!
January 25, 2017Yesterday, I was having a conversation with a couple of coaches and we were discussing the different types of focus (process goals) that an athlete should have for practice and for a game. One of the coaches has a friend who is a sport psychology professional at a large academy, and he told me that […]
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3 Reasons To Have A Positive Physical Response
December 16, 2016It’s no secret that you need excellent focus to be a great competitor. The best athletes in the world do this well and while they may make it look simple, it isn’t easy to do for long periods of time. There are a lot of things going on that are competing for your attention, and […]
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