“…I AM!”

Who do you think you are?

 

I have gone back and forth for about four months when I knew I was starting DanMickle.com on what to write as my first post.  Should I give a general post on what services I am offering?  Should I do a serious post about training methods?  Then it hit me.  I decided to do an “I AM” post.  Before I get too deep into it, you should probably watch this video to have a good starting point:

So what could this possibly have to do with the new site?  Well, for me it is rather simple.  I had a very simple thought process watching this live at the time.  Here is what was going through my mind:

  1. Wow, Pete Weber is in the finals and could win this thing.
  2. Wow, Pete is really bothered by the person in the audience.
  3. Oh Man, there may be a fist fight.
  4. Wait a minute.  Is there REALLY a person in the stands bothering Pete?
  5. Oh man, he actually just made history and won his 5th title.
  6. Now I am sure about it.  There was no one in the stands at all.  He made the whole scene up to pump himself up and focus.

To this day, it would still be hard to convince me that someone was actually in the stands causing an issue.  I truly believe this was a master mental game played by Pete.  He knew he had a tough match ahead of him and was on the verge of history.  History, by the way, that would have him pass his father in the history books.  I mean, really think about it.  This is the US Open.  A MAJOR tour championship.  I would like to think the PBA would have tossed the fan out, had they actually found him (I say him, due to Pete’s comments).

There are a lot of great examples in the sports world (and beyond) of mental focus and training.  However, I always come back to this example.  It was so crazy to even think it could all be made up, yet…It makes perfect sense to me.  That is why I started with this example.  YOU need to do what works for YOU.

There are going to be posts and thoughts on this site that you may think are a waste of time.  I respect that.  Not everything I discuss, use, or talk about works for everyone.  Some of what I will talk about will be attacked in the comments section, and I am ok with that.  I want to have the discussions and talk about all the methods that may or may not work with people.  I will make you the promise that when I post something, there will be a lot of thought behind it, and I will try my best to curb my biases.  I just ask you to do the same.  Take a moment to take it all in, think about, then maybe give something new a try.

I am excited to start this journey, and don’t worry.  The serious stuff is coming, but expect some fun interludes at times.

So until next time…Be a verb and do something.  Also, as usual, #DONTSUCK

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(Photo Credit: The Wealth Record)
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About Dan Mickle

Dan Mickle founded Soul Performance Academy and has been a coach for over 30 years. He holds an M.S. in Sports/Performance Psychology and an M.S. in Learning Technology and Media Systems. Dan is a current NCAA DIII head volleyball coach. He is pursuing his D.H.Sc, focusing on the coaching considerations of neurodivergent populations. He is an Associate Member of the APA, a certified CBT coach, and a certified Mental Trainer.