Article

The Benefits of Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) Training

by Brian Cain, MPM

“What exactly is Mental Performance Training?”

It’s a question I get asked a lot. My response?

Do you want to know what it is? Or what the benefits are?

Mental Performance Training is the art and science of overcoming the barriers that get in the way of performing at your highest level.

Meh. Okay … 

Here’s the message that gets me pumped:

Mental Performance Training helps you ACHIEVE YOUR BIGGEST GOALS.

Yes!

So much better.

You are here because you have BIG goals for yourself and the athletes you coach.

Can I tell you a secret?

Mental Performance Training is what’s going to get you and your athletes to achieve those goals.

Are you working hard or working smart?

Because if you’re working hard, you might get somewhere. But if you’re working smart, you’ll get to where you want to go.

Mental Performance Training is the GPS and the gas needed for driven coaches and athletes.

Last road trip I took I needed a GPS and gas to get there.

Sure, I could have pushed my car to where I thought I needed to go … but honestly, who wants to do that?!

Nope.

I like to set my destination, follow the directions on my GPS navigation, pump some gas in my car on a regular basis, and sit back knowing that I’ll reach my destination.

Yeah. I’ll have to drive there. But, I’ve got a soundtrack, some podcasts to catch up on and some snacks to smash. So, I’m looking forward to the drive.

That is the benefit of Mental Performance Training. 

It ensures the work you and your athletes do is intentional and effective but also plans for fun along the way.

When your process is tight and you know you’ve got the right systems in place, then there’s time for fun.

Time for fun. Enjoying the process.

This is the secret to success and joy.

Who wants to work hard and be miserable?

Not me. 

Well, not me anymore.

In college I worked hard. Because I thought I had to get stronger, faster, better. So, I worked. A lot.

And then I ran out of gas.

But, what if I knew about Mental Performance Training earlier?

Could I have gone further in my baseball playing career?

Maybe. But that’s okay. My struggles in college led to my successes now.

Now, I have the best job in the world.

Because now I get to coach athletes and their coaches in Mental Performance Training.

I built a 10-Pillar System that takes the vision of Mindset Training out of the clouds and plants seeds in the dirt that can be tended to, nourished and grown.

I equip athletes with the exact drills they need to do to achieve their goals. Big goals require big and consistent actions.

Your athletes will need focus and awareness, self-control and discipline, a process for their task/day/week, and routines and habits of excellence. 

Bad news: We are not born knowing how to do any of those things.

Good news: We can learn.

All of these skills can be learned.

And my Mental Performance Mastery (MPM) Coaches Certification Course shows you how to teach your athletes to develop these skills.

For example, here are some excerpts from my MPM Certification.

Focus and Awareness: I have a concentration grid training tool your athletes can use to help develop their focus. Do they need to build up intense focus for 40-80 seconds in order to deliver a pitch or drive a ball? My concentration grid exercise gives them the practice they need to be able to master those 40-80 seconds.

Self-Control and Discipline: We all step into bad habits. But, how long we stay in those bad habits is what matters. I have a drill called recognize, release and refocus will help your athletes develop the capacity to self-coach. You can’t always be there for every single second they might need you. So, you need to equip your athletes to recognize when they need help, release what’s getting in their way, and refocus on the task at hand.

A Process for their task/day/week: The outcomes we want are often long-term goals. You’re not going to win the championship game and take home the trophy on Day 1 of the season. But Day 1 of the season matters. So does Day 2. So does Day 3.  All the days matter. And if your athletes don’t have a process in place for each and every day, then they won’t even get to the championship game and be able to compete. I have a daily checklist for success I implement with my clients. It’s a big part of my first session with them. I recommend an app called the Way of Life app. It’s a habit tracker that encourages your athlete to take all the actions that matter. All the actions that will get them to that outcome they desire.

Routines and Habits of Excellence: If what you do in your day matters, then how you start your day really matters. After setting up the Success Checklist with my clients, I make sure part of that checklist includes morning routines. Calling into the Success Hotline (973-743-4690) with Dr. Rob Gilbert is one of those habits I suggest. Checking in with your 168-weekly-plan to make sure your day can still transpire the way you originally planned is another morning habit I encourage.

The doors just closed for my May certification session, but I open the doors again in November. Click here to get on the insider’s list and save $200 or simply fill out the form below.