This blog is written by Brianna Stinnett (@bri.stinnett)
Every single athlete knows the intensity they put their body through to perform at its very best. But do they know that the same intensity and strain is put on their brain too?
This is something I didn't realize as a student-athlete until later on in my career. My goal now is to help athletes everywhere realize this fact sooner rather than later.
I have spent over half of my life running now, most of those years at a competitive level. I was/am an extremely hard worker. My parents taught me how to have a strong work ethic and what I needed to do to excel as an athlete. I always did what I was told by my coaches and mentors even if sometimes I did not agree. I was a great teammate, student, and athlete.
But wasn’t until I was about half through my collegiate career, I realized the importance of having a good mental approach in my sport.
After this realization I spent the next few months thinking about my “why”. I loved how I felt when I ran, I wanted to make my parents and coaches proud, I wanted to see my potential, but other than that I wanted to figure out why I was doing this sport. What got me through those early mornings, hard workouts, and pre-race sleepless nights? All those “whys” I listed above were true and did get me through those hard times, but I wanted a “why” that was more personal to me and unique to my life. Eventually I realized that I ran competitively and loved every minute of it because God gifted me with the strength and stamina to succeed in this sport. When things were difficult, I remembered that this gift, these opportunities I have in front of me are a blessing even if I can’t see why right now. This is my “why” in a nutshell and it has helped me excel in my sport more than I might ever realize.
My entire life I have grown up around sports and that led me to want to be a coach. Until I realized that I was more passionate about how athletes think and feel, rather than just how they perform. This is what led me down the path of sports psychology.
Our brain is a muscle, and just like every other muscle we use to be active in our sport, it needs to be strengthened, and it needs to be rested.
During my time competing in cross country and track I have established lifelong relationships, made unforgettable memories, and excelled in this sport more than I could have ever dreamed. Today my passion is to help athletes use their experiences in their sport to help them excel in whatever the world throws at them.
I am exciting to announce that I am now offering mental skills coaching for FREE. If you would like to setup a free consultation, send me an email bri@crawfordperformanceconsulting.com
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