Sometimes it takes loss to teach us hard lessons in life. When the loss is the passing away of someone you love, the lessons can be very pronounced and deep, because of the finality of it. Those of you involved in competitive athletics that care deeply about the outcome, understand this at some level. The loss in sport can be…
I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of change when I like what I’m doing. I’m fine with ordering the same winning combination, at a restaurant, time and time again. I have been contemplating one of the toughest decisions of my life since the end of the high school girl’s tennis season last October. Should I make this next boy’s…
I went to a college baseball game today (University of Missouri vs Mississippi State) in Columbia, MO. The MU Tigers won in the bottom of the ninth inning creating joy for one team and sadness for the other. Midway through the game they had a sign on the scoreboard between innings that caught my attention. It said, “What are the…
I’ve had a 10-year dream come true. I had a vision to create a tennis instructional video to share some of my experience in coaching tennis with other coaches and with tennis players. Not only did I create one video, but instead I created 3 videos. I utilized the V. A. N. Approach which is what I want to encourage…
I inadvertently found myself in a state of flow while hiking on a family reunion trip atop the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. I stumbled across this feeling while hiking in snow while seeing such amazing views of Palm Springs and the surrounding area. I was with my wife Sarah, my son Ben, and my two nephews, Michael and David. The…
Below is a short daily routine that can help you get in touch with the true you in an objective way. Take the opportunity to go to a relaxing, calm state by utilizing your own breath. Look at what you have discovered about yourself and then set some upcoming intentions. The quick and easy way is to not record your…
By Ben Loeb (Nov 2021) with excerpts of this article from Dr. Jim Taylor’s Prime Sports Online Newsletter (Nov 2019) Everyone loves to win. Winning beats the alternative by a long shot. Have you ever seen the team that comes second dog-pile in the middle of the diamond or on the basketball court? Of course not. Winning is certainly the…
My wife and I were in Santa Fe, NM for a get-away before the start of the next high school girls tennis season. The intent of the trip was for hiking, biking, good food, and some relaxation. We stayed at a place called Ojo Santa Fe. It’s a beautiful, tranquil spa resort. It has areas to sit and read, think,…
I am a member of a sport psychologist list serv through Temple University, though I am not a “sport psychologist.” I am a tennis coach that utilizes mental performance strategies with the players I coach and I’ve taught the subject as a course at the high school level. I received a group email yesterday that included opinions on if it…
I was ecstatic while watching Phil Mickelson win the PGA Championship Golf Tournament on Sunday. The pressure he was under to manage the challenging back nine in the final round was immense. Phil did such a great job of managing his emotions by utilizing a breathing strategy to re-focus either after a rare miss or when he was faced with…