Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

When people go to watch sporting events, they come to see good, hard competition. Whether it is a high school football game or the Olympics in Sydney, all the athletes have one thing in common. They all practice to prepare for the game. However, the element that they may not have in common, is what they put into the preparation. We all know they put in hours of grueling physical practice to get to the next level, but what separates the “great hopefuls” from the “great achievers” is not so much the physical preparation, but the mental. Dewey Simon once said, “mental toughness is the strength to know yourself, to know your own truth, and to put forth even when others tell you you’re wrong. It’s the consistency in yourself (Ferguson 6-17).” For any athlete it is more important to be mentally prepared then physically prepared. The athlete that is both mentally and physically prepared has it all. That athlete has the right attitude, set goals, and has a game plan. They have visualized what could happen and are ready for anything. They are any coaches dream. Almost everyone is given the ability to play sports. Those who maximize their ability, both mentally and physically, are the ones that will excel to th