Football
PERFORMANCE
- Inconsistent top performance
- I have been stuck on the bench for too long now
- Mistake management challenges
- Decision making during the game has become a bit slow
- Inconsistent effective energy management
- Teamwork is sometimes challenging
- I am stuck in my comfort zone which is creating a loss of intensity, focus and energy
- I am finding it increasingly difficult to push myself to the limits of my ability
- Under pressure I get impatient and rush penalties damaging the chances of scoring. I know it and yet keep doing it when the stakes are high
GOAL DROUGHT
- Goal drought going on for too long, I cannot figure out why
- Slow psychological recovery from a poor result, a missed penalty, a debilitating injury, a demotion, a failure to make the cut or a red card
- I no longer trust that I can, under pressure, summon up whatever is necessary to succeed, to perform well, and perhaps change the outcome of the game
MENTAL GAME
- Over reaction in times of adversity
- My self-motivation is no longer what it was. I cannot figure out what to do about it
- I struggle to deal with success and failure with a level head
- I am finding it hard to switch off after matches, excess stress and possible burnout
- Difficulty getting into the zone and staying in it
- Frustrated with being “in the wrong team” and unsure on how to progress or move on
- Struggling with coach ability and/or finding it hard to take criticism
CONFIDENCE
- Excess worry and anxiety before important and decisive games
- Internal disempowering dialogues i.e.: “am I good enough?”
- I find it hard sometimes to understand self in relation to others: where do I fit? What’s my role?
- I am experiencing difficulty in remaining calm, confident and focused
- I feel high levels of anxiety when it comes to contract time and that feeling never really vanishes as I feel somewhat at the mercy of team managers’ and manufacturers’ choices and decisions
- “I can’t seem to shake off the disappointment of having missed the decisive penalty all those months ago…”
- Under intense competition pressures I sometimes no longer trust my actions and no longer trust my skill set
CAREER
- Worried about having no plan for after football
- I am getting concerned about being out-manoeuvred in dealings, negotiations and contracting with either coaches, managers, directors, agents or sponsors
- Nothing is wrong I just want to accelerate my career progression to the top






“If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail”
- Mark Spitz
BASKETBALL
MENTAL GAME
- Difficulty staying in the zone
- Overthinking gets in the way of flow, I miss opportunities
- My ability to concentrate somewhat reduces when under intense scrutiny and pressure from coaches, media and rivals
- I no longer trust that I can, under pressure, summon up whatever is necessary to succeed, to perform well, and perhaps change the outcome of the game
- Can’t find a way to get sufficiently well mentally prepared before decisive games
- Lost my impeccable work ethic…stuck in a rut
- I want my invincible spirit back!
PERFORMANCE
- My strong skills now outweigh my weak skills by too much. I have become insufficiently multi-dimensional in play
- Masterful at most skills however struggling to put it all together to create my own unique style
- I am stuck in my comfort zone which is creating a loss of intensity, focus and energy
- I am finding it increasingly difficult to push myself to the limits of my ability
- I seem to have hit plateaus in my progression
- My performance has become inconsistent and I do not know how to fix it before it becomes very noticeable
CONFIDENCE
- Struggling with coach ability and/or finding it hard to take criticism
- I judge myself too harshly and/or compare myself to others too much and my confidence is not sufficiently solid
- I have become afraid of failing
- Under intense competition pressure I sometimes uncontrollably no longer trust my actions and no longer trust my skill set
- Motivation on the field is very strong, motivation off the field suffers
EXCELLENCE
- I’m keen to further sharpen my invincible spirit
- Everything is working fine I just aspire to get to the top of my game faster
- My plan for reaching the top has gotten me this far but I feel it is no longer fully fit for purpose




“If you didn’t bring it with you, you won’t find it on competition day”
- Jack Nicklaus
rugby
PERFORMANCE
- Feeling overwhelmed or constantly challenged by physical and mental fatigue
- Sometimes when the stakes are high I seem to suddenly be unable to do the very thing I have been practising for years
- Self-discipline has slipped recently and it is at risk of harming my performance
- Heavy/painful personal emotional baggage that I am carrying is affecting my performance on the field
- I am stuck in my comfort zone which is creating a loss of intensity, focus and energy
- I am finding it increasingly difficult to push myself to the limits of my ability
CONFIDENCE
- My strong inner drive is slipping as a result of back to back setbacks and I can’t seem to recover it
- My unrivalled competitiveness, sheer commitment and unshakeable self-belief are not what they were and I am becoming worried
- I feel high levels of anxiety when it comes to contract time and that feeling never really vanishes as I feel somewhat at the mercy of team managers’ and sponsors’ choices and decisions
- I no longer feel “invincible”
- Under intense competition pressure I sometimes no longer trust my actions and no longer trust my skill set
- I no longer trust that I can, under pressure, summon up whatever is necessary to succeed, to perform well, and perhaps change the outcome of the game
MENTAL GAME
- I cannot seem to stop overthinking the game; it is mentally draining and not helping
- I am finding it challenging to remain positive about and perhaps even committed to my team regardless of what happens, win or lose, in good and bad times
- Decision making suffers when under huge pressure to win or make a decisive come back
- I am finding it increasingly difficult to cope with disappointments, like injury and not making the team.
- Pre-competition anxiety too often gets the better of me and affects peak performance
- Struggling to switch my attention away from the sport during off-periods; stress is building up
- Motivation on the field is very strong, motivation off the field suffers
CAREER
- I am worried that I came from nothing and after elite rugby; I might go back to nothing… I have no clear plan for life after rugby
- My strategy for progressing to the top teams seems somewhat flawed; my rugby career path feels stuck





“Champions train, losers complain”
- Johan Taft
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
CONFIDENCE
- My strong inner drive is slipping as a result of back to back setbacks and I can’t seem to recover it
- My unrivalled competitiveness, sheer commitment and unshakeable self-belief are not what they were and I am becoming worried
- I no longer feel “invincible”
- I sometimes feel like an outsider in my own team
- I feel high levels of anxiety when it comes to contract time and that feeling never really vanishes as I feel somewhat at the mercy of team managers’, agents’ and sponsors’ choices and decisions
MENTAL GAME
- I cannot seem to stop over thinking the game; it is mentally draining and not helping
- I am finding it challenging to remain positive about and perhaps even committed to my team regardless of what happens, win or lose, in good and bad times
- Decision making suffers when under huge pressure to win or make a decisive come back
- I am finding it increasingly difficult to cope with disappointments, like injury and not making the team.
- Pre-competition anxiety too often gets the better of me and affects peak performance
- Struggling to switch my attention away from the sport during off-periods; stress is building up
PERFORMANCE
- Feeling overwhelmed or constantly challenged by physical and mental fatigue
- Self-discipline has slipped recently and it is at risk of harming my performance
- Heavy/painful personal emotional baggage that I am carrying is affecting my performance on the field
- I am stuck in my comfort zone which is creating a loss of intensity, focus and energy and affecting the team
- I am finding it increasingly difficult to push myself to the limits of my ability
- I no longer trust that I can, under pressure, summon up whatever is necessary to succeed, to perform well, and perhaps change the outcome of the game
EXCELLENCE
- The fear of potential injury/re-injury is holding me back
- I’m keen to sharpen-up my invincible spirit
- The quality and effectiveness of my “lead by example” and “soft” leadership skills need to improve if I am to progress beyond my current level in the team
CAREER
- I am worried that I came from nothing and after elite football; I might go back to nothing… I have no clear plan for life after football
- My strategy for progressing to the top team seems somewhat flawed; my football career path feels stuck
- I am getting concerned about being out-manoeuvred in dealings, negotiations and contracting with coaches, managers, owners, agents and sponsors





