“Unleash the Power Within: Subconscious Mental Training Propels Athletes to the Top”
“If my daughters said they couldn't do anything, I'd say, yes you can. Nothing is unattainable” - Richard Williams.
The power of your subconscious mind lies on its ability to focus your thoughts and shape your reality accordingly. Dr. Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, believed that the subconscious mind is the most powerful and influential part of the human psyche. He theorized that thoughts, feelings, and memories can exert a powerful influence on a person's behaviour, emotions, and relationships, often without the person being aware of it. While much of what speculated has now been rejected by the modern psychiatric community, there is still much to be gleaned when one considers the role of the subconscious and athletic success.
The subconscious is the part of the mind that knows what to do without you having to actively think about it. For example, once you master the skills of playing a guitar, you don't need to think where you are putting your fingers anymore, you just know. In sports, the subconscious mind is at the heart of your mental game. It keeps record of every outcome, good or bad. It stores experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and accesses them when a similar situation happens again.
Richard Williams, father and coach of Serena and Venus Williams, transformed his daughters into tennis superstars by harnessing the potential of their subconsciousness. He used to write notes and post them on the walls of his daughters' bedrooms when they were young, declaring that they would become the best tennis players in the world.
Williams wanted his daughters to believe in themselves and their potential, and he believed that these notes would serve as a constant reminder of their goals and aspirations. The rest is history, Serena and Venus Williams grew up to be two of the most renowned tennis players having won a combined total of 58 Grand Slam titles and 8 gold medals at the Olympic Games.
The influence of your mindset in sports has a huge role to play. There are many advantages in believing in yourself and your true potential. Developing a strong mental game though, is not easy, and it may take a lot of time, but it is an essential part of the growth of an athlete.
Subconscious mental training can be used as one tool towards this end, and if it was successfully used by tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, why not give it a try?
How we think affects how we feel, in turn affecting how we perform. Thinking of yourself as a winner then, is the first step towards becoming one.
Works cited
I highly recommend that you check out the interview with Rick Macci, where he shares valuable insights on how he coached Serena and Venus to success!