Why was the iQ Mental Toughness Profile developed?
We wanted to give the athlete more tools to help her grow as a player and to help her market herself to college coaches! We found that many players, team coaches, and college coaches wanted to know how mentally tough an athlete would be on the field. Because of the overwhelming response, we contacted a sports mental coaching expert in Australia to help us develop a profile that could give insight to an athlete's mental toughness.
THIS IS A HUGE SUBJECT right now. I really feel that the kids today are not nearly as mentally tough as they were 10 years ago."
- quote from a College Coach who took our survey
Who developed the iQ Mental Toughness Profile?
Our staff researched for months through different methods and approaches for how to measure an athlete's metal toughness. Everything we looked at failed to give us an efficient way to give the athlete, team coach, and college coach insight into a player's mental toughness.
We were introduced by an Olympic athlete to one of the most experienced sports performance experts in the world, Wayne Goldsmith. Wayne works together with his wife Helen, and they were very intrigued by this project and are passionate about its results!
Wayne has been working in Sports Science for 18 years, and his wife, Helen Morris, has been working in Psychology with special interests in sports performance for 14 years.
Together they have influenced some of the world's leading athletes, coaches, and teams. They have worked with many of the world's leading sporting organizations including: United States Olympic Committee, United States Swimming, Australian Rugby League, Swimming Australia, Swimming South Africa, and many more... For more information on Wayne & Helen visit www.sportscoachingbrain.com
*Coming Spring of 2012 - Mental Toughness Coaching for Athletes
How was the iQ Mental Toughness Profile developed?
We stuck to what we always strive to do: We listened to what the College Coaches wanted and designed the Mental Toughness Profile around it!
1.) We developed a survey to be sent to College Coaches to gain insight into their thoughts of mental toughness.
2.). The survey was then sent to 50 Fastpitch College Coaches and a few High Profile Instructors across the country asking them the following questions, and we have included some of their responses below:
a. What they believe mental toughness means and how it relates to competitive sport.
Mental toughness is the strength of the mind to overcome in a particular pressure situation and to be able to focus at any one moment and to be at their peak performance as often as they can. It relates to competitive sport as it is probably the most important piece to an athlete's arsenal of tools."
- quote from a College Coach who took our survey
b. How they evaluate whether an athlete is mentally tough.
I watch how they react to bad calls, how they behave if they make an error, how they are when their parents are around. I watch body language. What kind of "vibe" do they give off when things are going their way and when things are not going their way? When I get a chance to talk to them, I pay attention to what they say and how they say it. Are they positive or are they negative?"
- quote from a College Coach who took our survey
c. We had them rate the importance of select mental skills.
I personally do not have a written evaluator. I observe players from the outside and challenge them and their mental capabilities to the game."
- quote from a College Coach who took our survey
d. If they believed mental toughness could be coached/taught or is it an inherited trait.
I believe it could be a bit of both. I strongly believe you have to be surrounded by the right influences to learn mental toughness. I can see it in the kids that I work with. Some are mentally tough and others are not. I see the influences in their lives/I hear the words that are being said to them."
- quote from a College Coach who took our survey
e. And asked them for any insight into the topic of mental toughness that they wanted to share.
I think the mental part of athletics is something that is not touched on enough. It's a huge part of competition and can sometimes make or break a team and the successes it can have. You can have a lot of talent but if you don't have the mental game to match it can be detrimental."
- quote from a College Coach who took our survey
3.) We then used their responses, available research, the combined knowledge and experience of our Staff, and the vast knowledge and expertise of Wayne and Helen to develop the iQ Athlete Mental Toughness Profile.
What does the iQ Mental Toughness Profile consist of?
The Profile is broken up into two versions: an athlete's version and a coach's version. This lets us see how the athlete views her mental toughness, along with the perspective of how her own coach views her mental toughness.
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Athlete Version - This is broken up into two sub-categories.
a.) Personal Score (character off the field) - ex: emotions, concentration ability, focus, attitude.
b.) Performance Score (competitiveness on the field)- ex: pressure, fatigue and other challenging situations in preparation and performance.
Coach Version - This also is broken up into two sub-categories.
a.) Personal Score (character off the field) - ex: emotions, concentration ability, focus, attitude.
b.) Performance Score (competitiveness on the field) - ex: pressure, fatigue and other challenging situations in preparation and performance.
These two sub-groups were identified by the survey as the two areas which were most relevant to Coaches as indicators of an athlete's mental toughness.
The Mental Toughness Profile offers unique features:
a.) the athlete nominates their head coach or instructor to do an evaluation of the athlete
b.) both profiles are scored to see how the two compare
c.) comparing both profiles helps the athlete, team coach, and college coach fully understand the mental toughness qualities of that individual.
d.) the athlete will be given details into what their profile results mean to give her insight into her mental toughness ability.
How is the iQ Mental Toughness Profile given?
The Mental Toughness Profile is offered online. Athletes and Coaches will be given their own personal ID to access their portion of the profile.
What happens to my results?
Your results will be placed online in your personal account for your access only for 12 months from the time you register. You are given the option to show College Coaches your Physical and MT profile results, or keep them private. During that 12 month period you will be able to see how your Physical Test results compare to other athlete's across the county and find out which areas of your game you need to improve on.
The IQ Mental Toughness Profile is not a formal psychological test and should not be used as a mental health diagnosis tool. Athletes requiring a formal psychological testing program should consult a suitably qualified and licensed mental health services provider.