Five Traits of a World Class Competitor

... While I was at the first round of Davis Cup Tennis play in Carson, California, I was struck with inspiration.

I felt compelled to share with you my opinions on world-class athletes, how I think you can benefit, and where we plan to take the Mental Strength Training Center in the coming months.

As I watched Andre Agassi play Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Roddick battle Mario Ancic from Croatia on center court of the Home Depot Training Center, I thought to myself, “Boy, I can do that, I can hit that hard, can move like that and can probably even hit it harder in some cases.”  


...Whammo!...  and this is where the rubber hits the road.

You know... the real difference between being good, and being great.
And that is what struck me to compose these five traits; the core components of a great competitor.   You see, dedicating yourself to become just 5% better in each of these qualities, will exponentially improve your results.  And to help you become better, these five traits will create the foundation of where we will go with the Mental Strength Training Center in the future.

Now, I am being slightly biased here since I am a former competitive tennis athlete, and I really do believe tennis ranks among the most physically demanding of sports.  But these five traits apply to all sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, football, golf, equestrian, and so on.
The sport doesn’t matter.

The Five Traits of a World Class Competitor

1. World Class Competitors are great athletes – And more importantly they work hard at being better on the basics.  Simply dedicating yourself to being better in every main category of sport-specific fitness will make you a better competitor.  Focus on flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, strength and conditioning, performance nutrition and mental strength.  
   
   
2. World Class Competitors have great awareness – These particular tennis athletes all showed great court awareness.  Great athletes are flat-out aware of their surroundings.  They practice being aware.  They are aware of the present moment, can anticipate opponents moves, anticipate ball movement based on spins, weather and racquet trajectory.   They know where they are on the court, or the playing field, and how they relate to where their opponent is.  They are also aware of what the highest probability of options the opponent has based on all the variables.  They see the ball, the court, the opponent and themselves very well.   Dr. Gary Sailes calls it “broad” focus and “narrow” focus, as he and many of the experts at the Mental Strength Training Center reveal strategies in the resources.
   
   
3. World Class Competitors know how to win.  They are confident in their game under pressure.  They understand that winning is an attitude, and a habit.  Winners kick and fight and scratch and overcome, until they do.   And they have usually started this habit as a youngster, so it is deeply engrained in their psyche.  But, this is a habit that you can develop under the right guidance at any age.  Get into the Teleseminars and resources found at the Mental Strength Training Center as there are lots of resources to help you.
   
   
4. World Class Competitors are realistic – Great competitors play within themselves.   They are conservative, but at anytime can turn their “A” games on when they need to.  This is a trait that helped Ivan Ljubicic beat Andre Agassi.  It really is about confidence and conservation -- finding the balance and constantly tweaking the two based on the situation.  Similar to a balancing act.
   
   
5. World Class Competitors know how to deal with injuries when they occur.  As an athlete, injuries are a fact of life.  How you think about injuries, and how you bounce back from injuries play an integral role in your playing time, recovery rate, and your confidence.  If you study the great competitors that have had long careers, you will find that they are masters at dealing with injuries.

If you focus on becoming better at each of the five components, you will find that when you get better at one, you will increase your effectiveness at another.  

Combine these five traits, focus on small, incremental growth in each trait and you will experience improvement faster than you ever thought possible!

About Mental Strength.com

Mental Strength.com has served over 10,000 highly productive people, including business owners, athletes and coaches since 1999. A cutting edge interactive website, packed with discussion boards, valuable downloads, books, resources and rich multi-media tools, MentalStrength.com helps its members maintain a great attitude, network with other productive people and obtain life-long mental strength. Memberships start at just $14.95. The tip of the week is always complimentary for non-members and available for enrollment at www.mentalstrength.com. You can also get Mental Strength.com updates by following us on Twitter @MindStrength.