The Role of Coaching in the Development of Mental Toughness in Athletes

Abstract

Mental toughness is an important emotional skill that can help push athletes through stressful or intense periods of competition. In an athletic setting, athletes spend the most time with their coaches, learn from their coaches, and are affected by their coaches. Coaches can help develop mental toughness in athletes by focusing on building specific elements and behaviors. Coaching strategies for developing mental toughness can be as simple as talking about experiences, to as complex as implementing specific strategies into practice. Currently, coaches understand what mental toughness is, but do not go out of their way to develop it. The strategies that coaches use to develop mental toughness can have both positive and negative effects on athletes, putting importance on the understanding of specific strategies. The purpose of this synthesis is to explore how coaches and coaching can develop and build mental toughness in athletes. This literature review concludes that developing mental toughness in athletes is simple to implement in training, and not time-consuming. Developing mental toughness in athletes will allow for athletes to succeed, inside and outside of the athletic world.