Resilience
5 min read

How Early are Your Mornings?

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Yesterday on July 15, Mental Coach George Rivers (featured in the picture speaking with tennis athletes) and I observed and coached athletes in something I've not seen in my last 13 years of being a Mental Coach.

In Baytown, Texas (far east Houston) exists a small radical rag-tag group of athletes who are committed to getting better during the summer and summer scorching South Texas heat. It's lead by a local coach who's passionately committed to helping athletes get better.

You're reading, thinking why is this so special? I mean, coaches and athletes are everywhere training hard.

So glad you asked.

This is different. You see... in order for these athletes to make it on time to training, it requires them to set their alarm clocks at 4:00-4:30am. This group starts training on court at 5am and concludes around 7am. As you can see from the picture, the sun's starting to come up and the court lights are still on.

Baytown is no easy place for Coach George and I to get to. It's a solid 1 hour drive. Mind you, both of our respective alarm clocks went off in the 3 o'clock hour. LOL.

We hopped in the car at 4:30am and hit the road, not knowing what fully we were getting into except the Coach's words saying, "I have about 20 athletes who are excited y'all are coming!".

Deal. We're in!

Baytown Texas Tennis - Facebook

So Coach George and I are speaking, training athletes on mindset and how to be at your best get this... at 5:37am.

First question comes in at 5:41am.

My neurons took a moment to wake up and coordinate but training was on. The coach took his athletes and rotated them with us for 10-15 minutes and rotated the next group in for open Q/A and discussion.

I was so impressed with the level and depth of questions at 5:45 to 7am. It was one of the most special and unique experiences I've had in my career. Athletes... up to start their day at 4am, training, mentally switched on and engaged, and having a desire to get better.

When I was digging in personally just trying to get to know the athletes, making small talk, I asked over half of the athletes, "What time did you wake up?"

One answered, "4:15." with a smile on her face.

Another said, "4:00... I'm nervous about oversleeping for this each week."

A 17 year old young man said, "4:30, but I have to go to my job as soon as we're done today too." I asked what he does, and he responded by sharing he's a lifeguard. His shift lasts through the afternoon. After a full morning of tennis training.

I'm impressed and shocked in the same sentence. I'm impressed at the commitment from the athletes and the coach's desire to help athletes out. I'm shocked that these kids have recruited other friends to come train and get better too this early in the summer mornings.

7am rolls around, and training gets shut down. Coach George and I had committed that we'd stick around at a breakfast joint to connect, talk, and provide further training for any athlete who wanted to join.

8 joined breakfast. 8 Stayed for another hour.

Coach George and I took off at 8:45 and was energized and pumped up on our drive home in shock and awe at what we just witnessed.

When you work with team sports, it's pretty common to find teams willing to rally together putting in off season or even in season work at uncommon times. With individual sports, it's difficult to find athletes in the same vicinity willing to come and train together, with only the common goal of wanting to improve.

Reflection:

Gen X and Gen Z have been branded by society at large as being unmotivated, undisciplined, lazy, and entitled. While each of these young people have their own respective flaws, it's not fair to throw these accusations out to our entire population of young people branding them as failures before they even have had a chance to even play the game of life. I'm sure many adults though my generation of millennials were thinking and believing the same things at some point.

I want to commend the athletes for showing up and working hard at 5am. I want to commend the coaches willing to selflessly show up and give back and coach.

Baytown Texas Tennis - Instagram

I want to encourage you right where you are reading. Ask yourself a few simple questions.

1) Am I truly committed to my goals and am I willing to sacrifice early mornings, late nights, or different moments that are necessary to the development and growth of my goals?

2) Am I currently making myself uncomfortable by pushing myself past what others consider to be 'normal'?

3) Do I have clarity on what it is that I'm wanting to achieve?

4) Do I have the right belief system and mental conditioning in place to help me reach my goals?

5) Am I willing to outwork others? Even when it's not convenient?

I'd love for you to follow this program, and check out how they're growing and why I believe what they are doing is so special. I've never seen so many young people smiling and excited at 5:37am in my life. But I can assure you, this won't be the last time that the Hearts & Minds Mental Performance team makes it out to Baytown. ;-)


Keep going guys. You have some new cheerleaders from the H&M Team.

-tc

Learn More!

If you'd like to host the Hearts & Minds Mental Performance team in to speak at your event, practice, or to conduct a workshop, please contact us and we'd be happy to work with you!

Email: hello@hmperform.com