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Dear athlete,

March 2, 2017Mike SisselBlog2

EIMG_7663 (2)very day, millions of young athletes arrive at ballparks, gymnasiums, fields, or countless other sporting venues, ready for practice.  Their bags are overflowing with the newest, greatest equipment and their bodies adorn the latest trends in sports swag.  Although they may not embrace the idea of practice, they long for the opportunity to shine in the game.

Meanwhile, coaches tidy up their practice plans, while simultaneously leading the team through warm-ups.  With only a few precious hours to work with the athletes, their minds frantically gravitate toward a single, pressing question – “Are we going to be ready for the game?

Often unbeknownst to both athlete and coach, there’s a much more important game taking place, long before practice even begins.  I call it The Game Within The Game and unlike a traditional sporting event, this unique game takes place between an athlete’s ears.  Some call it mental toughness or mindset training, while others refer to it as emotional intelligence.  Regardless of the semantics we use to describe it, the fact remains that in order for an athlete to truly excel in the game, he/she must learn to manage the complex nature of the human mind.

For the past several years, I’ve had the great fortune of working with young athletes, both individually and in a team setting.  Perhaps my single greatest role as a mental toughness coach is to expose the many limiting beliefs that occupy an athlete’s mind, then work to replace them with empowering beliefs that will ultimately serve as fuel for success. 

Below is an open letter to all athletes, in which I expose the two most common limiting core beliefs that often destroy an athlete’s mindset and even drive them away from sports.

Dear athlete,

Did you know that the most important thing you’ll bring to practice today is not the contents of your bag or backpack (equipment and apparel)? 

I’d like to introduce you to a much different kind of backpack; one that far outweighs the importance of the backpack you’re accustomed to carrying over your shoulders.  It’s called the mental backpack and it contains all of your core beliefs with regard to sports, yourself, or life in general.  Unlike a sports bag, which you can remove from your shoulders at any time, your mental backpack is with you wherever you go.

When you arrive at practice, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the physical preparation for your upcoming game or competition.  Therefore, you spend countless hours working on your swing, your shot, or your dismount.  What you often fail to realize is that your mental preparation is always contributing to (or hindering) your physical performance.      

Below are two limiting beliefs that a lot of athletes carry in their mental backpack, followed by a new, empowering belief.  If either of these apply to you, I encourage you to embrace the new belief and add it to your mental backpack. 

Limiting belief #1- My success is defined a medal or trophy.

Unfortunately, if you watch a lot of sporting events on television, it’s easy to see why you might adopt this belief.  After all, the athletes who win are often glamorized with confetti parades, lucrative marketing deals, and a larger than life reputation.  This is what every athlete longs for, isn’t it?  Or is it?

Here’s what most people don’t realize.  While the trophies and medals are certainly nice to have, they tend to lose their meaning over the years.  Ask any retired athlete what they remember most about their experience and rarely will they point to a trophy or medal.  They’ll talk about the relationships they developed with their teammates and coaches, or the person they became as a result of hours of training and preparation. 

If this is a limiting belief you’ve adopted over the years, I invite you to replace it with a new, empowering belief.

My success is defined by WHO I’ve become (my character), not by WHAT I’ve accomplished (trophies and medals). 

Limiting core belief #2 – I can’t fail.

When I meet with athletes for the first time, one of the first things I say to them is, “You’re going to fail this season, and it’s okay for you to fail.” 

If you think that perfection is possible, then you’re choosing to believe an illusion.  Again, television will have you believe that the ultimate goal of sports is to be perfect.  However, what television rarely portrays are the many failures in the lives of these supposed perfect athletes.

Think about it.  If there’s no room for failure in your life, then there’s no room for risk.  If there’s no room for risk, there’s no room for growth.  If there’s no room for growth, then you’re bound to stay in the safe confines of your comfort zone, doing only the things you know you’re good at.

You see, we all have that little voice in our heads called doubt.  Doubt asks, “Are you sure you can do this?” or “What if you fail?”  You are welcome to continue listening to doubt, or you can choose to talk to it with the voice of courage.  Here’s what courage says, “I’m doing this,” or “I’d rather fail than not try at all.”

At the end of the day, it’s not about the number of failures you make in your sports career; it’s about how you choose to respond to your failures.

If this is a limiting belief you’ve adopted over the years, I invite you to replace it with the following empowering belief. 

I may fail, but I AM NOT a failure.

I believe in you,

Coach Mike

Comments

Georgia Reply
March 3, 2017

Hi Mike, I was writing in my journal this morning and making a copy that appeared in the Corvallis Gazette-Times on Talanoa voted first – team all – Mid-Willamette Conference., this having missed two league games because of an injured ankle. In my journal I wrote that many times if this were to happen to us we would wine and make excuses but for him he just works all the harder and then I caught your article and made a copy for him and my journal…so appropriate! Thanks for your always welcome insight. Georgia

Mike Sissel Reply
March 13, 2017

Hi Georgia. It’s so great to hear from you. I’m honored that you’d choose to share a copy with him. It’s been exciting to watch his journey and I look forward to the great things he’s going to do in sports, but more importantly, in life.

All my love,
Mike

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“Mr Sissel has been such an unbelievably positive presence both at Gold Medal Gymnastics and at our daughter's school, CEE. There is always enthusiasm and excitement when she knows that they will be having a session with him. The topics that he addresses are so important and he helps the kids see not only life's big picture, but also how individually they can make a real difference for themselves and those around them with their choices. We are thankful and look forward to more work with him in the future.”

 

Margo Ingram

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2017-09-14T15:04:38-07:00

Margo Ingram

“Mr Sissel has been such an unbelievably positive presence both at Gold Medal Gymnastics and at our daughter's school, CEE. There is always enthusiasm and excitement when she knows that they will be having a session with him. The topics that he addresses are so important and he helps the kids see not only life's big picture, but also how individually they can make a real difference for themselves and those around them with their choices. We are thankful and look forward to more work with him in the future.”  
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“Mike has an amazing ability to reach our children and to challenge their thinking. His positive outlook and desire to help every child be the best they can be is inspiring. My daughter comes home from her time with him with a smile on her face and new words of wisdom to share with me.  My 13 year old son watches his motivational videos and every time turns to me and says "He is so right. Everything he is saying is so true".  So thankful to have him in my children's lives.”

 

Sally Moore

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2017-09-14T15:01:56-07:00

Sally Moore

“Mike has an amazing ability to reach our children and to challenge their thinking. His positive outlook and desire to help every child be the best they can be is inspiring. My daughter comes home from her time with him with a smile on her face and new words of wisdom to share with me.  My 13 year old son watches his motivational videos and every time turns to me and says "He is so right. Everything he is saying is so true".  So thankful to have him in my children's lives.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/sally-moore/
“The power of positivity is infectious and Mr. Sissel has a real gift of helping others believe that they have the mental strength within themselves to get past whatever they might be struggling with. We were introduced to Mike through Gold Medal Gymnastics and seeing the impact he has made on the lives of so many including our daughter is astounding. He helped her to overcome the feelings of insecurity, feeling bullied and showed her how to focus and 'change her lens' so that she could perform successfully.”

 

Fred Sanchez

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2017-09-14T15:02:28-07:00

Fred Sanchez

“The power of positivity is infectious and Mr. Sissel has a real gift of helping others believe that they have the mental strength within themselves to get past whatever they might be struggling with. We were introduced to Mike through Gold Medal Gymnastics and seeing the impact he has made on the lives of so many including our daughter is astounding. He helped her to overcome the feelings of insecurity, feeling bullied and showed her how to focus and 'change her lens' so that she could perform successfully.”  
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/fred-sanchez/
“Having been in the coaching profession for many years, I’ve gained the most satisfaction by having the opportunity to help shape the character of my players, ultimately preparing them for life beyond baseball. Mike Sissel is a masterful coach who shares a similar passion for the 'game of life'. His ability to connect with athletes is unmatched. If you have an opportunity for Mike to work with your team, it will truly be the 'gift' that will keep on giving. He has been a blessing to my family.”

Pat Murphy

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:46:00-07:00

Pat Murphy

“Having been in the coaching profession for many years, I’ve gained the most satisfaction by having the opportunity to help shape the character of my players, ultimately preparing them for life beyond baseball. Mike Sissel is a masterful coach who shares a similar passion for the 'game of life'. His ability to connect with athletes is unmatched. If you have an opportunity for Mike to work with your team, it will truly be the 'gift' that will keep on giving. He has been a blessing to my family.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/pat-murphy/
“Wow! What an amazing person! We are so fortunate to have Mike Sissel in our lives. Having two daughters that compete, I cannot thank him enough for all of valuable lessons learned. He empowers my girls with tools and strategies to become not only better athletes but better people. He helps them to build strong character traits that will benefit them long after their time in completion has come to an end. He's had a positive influence on the mindset of our entire family and for that we are truly blessed.”

Kim Roberts-Johson

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T15:05:04-07:00

Kim Roberts-Johson

“Wow! What an amazing person! We are so fortunate to have Mike Sissel in our lives. Having two daughters that compete, I cannot thank him enough for all of valuable lessons learned. He empowers my girls with tools and strategies to become not only better athletes but better people. He helps them to build strong character traits that will benefit them long after their time in completion has come to an end. He's had a positive influence on the mindset of our entire family and for that we are truly blessed.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/kim-roberts-johson/
“Mike Sissel is an amazing man. With a positive force driving his ultimate vision to help the world be a better place, he reminds young and old what it means to be and do good by finding it in within. His practical steps are accessible to children and admired by adults. Whether he facilitates a retreat, in-service, assembly, or consults, positive and tangible results will be the outcome. I highly recommend him!”

Greg Hebert

KaleidoEye
2018-05-23T09:48:39-07:00

Greg Hebert

“Mike Sissel is an amazing man. With a positive force driving his ultimate vision to help the world be a better place, he reminds young and old what it means to be and do good by finding it in within. His practical steps are accessible to children and admired by adults. Whether he facilitates a retreat, in-service, assembly, or consults, positive and tangible results will be the outcome. I highly recommend him!”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/greg-hebert/
“Mr. Sissel has been an incredible positive influence for my kids! Every time he goes to their school they look forward to learning something new from him! I have a teen and preteen and they have had him for the last several years and have quoted his lessons to us at home. Mr. Sissel has a special gift of teaching ALL ages with passion and dedication and truly knows how to connect with his audience, which makes it fun. I have also recommended him as one on one coaching for my dear friend’s son after she went through a divorce and her son was acting out and his insight truly helped her.”

Judy Salinas

KaleidoEye
2017-09-14T14:39:25-07:00

Judy Salinas

“Mr. Sissel has been an incredible positive influence for my kids! Every time he goes to their school they look forward to learning something new from him! I have a teen and preteen and they have had him for the last several years and have quoted his lessons to us at home. Mr. Sissel has a special gift of teaching ALL ages with passion and dedication and truly knows how to connect with his audience, which makes it fun. I have also recommended him as one on one coaching for my dear friend’s son after she went through a divorce and her son was acting out and his insight truly helped her.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/3596/
"At Nike, I like to say ‘You Own Your Career’, Mike presented to my team and provided them with strategies & tools that inspired them to take ownership of their actions, performance, and careers. It was Motivational Coaching that impacted all attendees – regardless of their roles. All team members learned what behaviors make good leaders, and that all of us can be a leader. Mike was an energetic, passionate and effective presenter. I look forward to seeing my team practicing and implementing these skills into their Personal & Professional Developmental Plans.”

Jeff DuMont

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2018-05-23T09:41:45-07:00

Jeff DuMont

"At Nike, I like to say ‘You Own Your Career’, Mike presented to my team and provided them with strategies & tools that inspired them to take ownership of their actions, performance, and careers. It was Motivational Coaching that impacted all attendees – regardless of their roles. All team members learned what behaviors make good leaders, and that all of us can be a leader. Mike was an energetic, passionate and effective presenter. I look forward to seeing my team practicing and implementing these skills into their Personal & Professional Developmental Plans.”
https://kaleidoeye.com/testimonials/jeff-dumont/
“Our school mission has always been to educate the 'whole child', including their social and emotional development. Mike’s contribution to this mission, through the delivery of his meaningful, engaging lessons, has made a lasting impact on our school culture. In addition to the rich content he shares with our students, the energy he brings to each classroom is contagious. He has been an inspiration to our staff and students and truly lives the leadership principles he teaches.”

Christie Winkelmann

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2018-05-23T09:49:19-07:00

Christie Winkelmann

“Our school mission has always been to educate the 'whole child', including their social and emotional development. Mike’s contribution to this mission, through the delivery of his meaningful, engaging lessons, has made a lasting impact on our school culture. In addition to the rich content he shares with our students, the energy he brings to each classroom is contagious. He has been an inspiration to our staff and students and truly lives the leadership principles he teaches.”
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