Frustration

I've always felt that frustration is just a useless emotion. It's an emotion we see a lot on teams, yet it doesn't do us any good. It makes us worse. Getting upset or angry can sometimes fuel you to work harder or practice better. You can commit more effort. Confidence can drive you to do more. But frustration just makes you worse.

Don't allow frustration in your gym as a coach. Easier said than done, I realize that. We all get frustrated when things aren't going our way. It starts with you as a coach. When you start to feel frustrated, don't let it overcome you. Find a positive way to get out of it. When you see it from your players, nip it in the bud right away. Turn it into something else.

It's okay to get angry, if anger is going to drive you to do better. Turn frustration into a different emotion, one that can fuel you instead of bringing you down. A frustrated player gets worse. A pissed off player tries something different, starts fighting his way back immediately.

Frustration doesn't allow you to move on to the next play. It impacts your approach, and it lingers. It brings negativity into the gym and gives it a place to grow. Nothing you do should make you worse on the next play. If it does, you aren't very mentally tough. And mentally tough teams don't sustain success.

Make it clear that frustration is not accepted in your gym, or in your program. That doesn't mean guys won't get emotional. We all do, and at times that emotion will be negative. Learn to turn it around quickly. Don't accept frustration from yourself, and don't accept it from your players. Make it clear that frustration has no place in your gym and your team's mental toughness will grow.