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Michael Huber Mental Performance Coaching

What does playing like yourself actually mean?

Published about 1 month ago • 1 min read

On Sunday, I shared a story about a high school basketball client who struggled in an important AAU tournament because he was trying to be something he’s not.

👉 In case you missed it​

***

One Thought.

A lot of athletes want to “be themselves” under pressure…

But they don’t always know who that is beyond results.

Most athletes define themselves by things they can’t fully control:

👉 “I’m a scorer.”
👉 “I’m a star.”
👉 “I’m athletic.”

But stable identity is behavioral.
​
👉 Composed.
👉 Decisive.
👉 Relentless.

Pressure exposes unclear identity.

Athletes who stay grounded under pressure usually have a clearer answer to this question:

“How do I want to show up when things get hard?”

One Resource.

I’m sharing a simple Intention Setting Worksheet I use with athletes.

It’s a practical way to help athletes organize their thoughts intentionally before games (or even practices) in 5 minutes or less.

The goal of the worksheet is to help athletes reconnect to:

Who they are.
How they want to compete.
The behaviors they want to embody under pressure.

👉 Get it now​

One Question.

Athletes, what are 3 behaviors that make you feel most like yourself when you compete?

Parents, what are 3 behaviors your athlete exhibits when they look most like themselves?

***

P.S.

Confidence tends to become more stable when athletes build it around behaviors they can repeat…

Instead of outcomes, they can’t fully control.

Michael Huber Mental Performance Coaching

Helping young athletes become confident problem solvers in sport and life.

This community is for young athletes, parents, and coaches who want to understand what mental performance coaching really looks like on the inside.

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