scschroc@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Professional athletes are different. They are bigger, faster and stronger, essentially a superhuman race. But what separates the good athletes from the great ones?

There are physical anomalies in the world of sports, including undersized or abnormally slow athletes. Even more rare, however, is the athlete who lacks mental resilience.

There are common mental characteristics among the best. Emotional control, focus, drive, calmness, and confidence are some of the features of the most successful athletes this world has seen.

A great athlete needs to have drive and desire.

“The best athletes just work as hard as they possibly can,” psychologist Jim Taylor said. “And that drive is usually propelled by intense passion for their sport. They just love playing the game.”

That drive is usually coupled with work ethic, commitment and motivation. Everyone sees the outcome and success of the best athletes, but what most people don’t realize is the amount of time and work they put in to be great. Convincing themselves that they can improve and be the best is vital to their success. As Michael Jordan said, “‘I can’t’ should never be uttered by a pro athlete.”

The best athletes can come off as cocky or somewhat conceited when they are just being confident. Believing in yourself leads to success, and eliminating any doubt can be the difference between an average athlete and the best.

In his prime, Tiger Woods was the mentally toughest golfer. “My mind is my biggest asset. I expect a win every tournament I play,” Woods said.

Remaining calm and handling pressure is vital to being successful. Failure happens in all aspects of life, not just sports, simply because the person can’t control the stress. The greatest athletes have been able to stay cool under pressure and against the best opponents.

“No matter how tough, no matter what kind of outside pressure, no matter how many bad breaks along the way, I must keep my sights on the final goal, to win, win, win—and with more love and passion that the world has ever witnessed in any performance,” said Billie Jean King, one of the greatest female tennis players of all time.

Stress can compromise physical performance, reduce motivation, cause a lack of focus, affect decision-making, and lead to “choking.” Focusing through the stress means controlling the ability to react controllably. That control can make the difference between the regular athlete and the superior one.

Being an athlete is more than physical dominance, and the best athletes have mastered psychological dominance. Controlling drive, focus, confidence and stress is what really makes the great ones memorable.