By Nordonia High School Student: Emily Zwegat
To have successful athletic careers, you don’t need to be a professional athlete or an Olympic gold medalist. One of the most successful elements towards an athletic career is maintaining a positive mindset, even Cleveland Indians outfielder Greg Allen thinks so.
“I think it definitely is. Sports, similar to life itself, are filled with failures and shortcomings. And without maintaining confidence in oneself and a positive mindset. You’ll never be able to explore your full potential.” Allen often compares sports to life because they’re filled with mistakes and learning from them.
Before a game, Allen has a routine to get himself into the right mindset. “Visualize success. Along with a heightened focus on my breathing.” He manages to keep his breathing calm and imagines what can happen during a game.
Whether good or bad; Allen also manages to keep a strong mindset in the game when he makes a big error or the Indians are having a bad game. “Understanding how to process failing or mistakes. Things may not always go your way. But one’s ability to use obstacles as a stepping stone rather than a hindrance is what separates the greats from the rest.”
Allen manages to stay humble enough to finish out the game in the correct way when the Indians are winning by a lot. “Focus and intent. It’s not simply about one game, it’s about building habits to be able to produce and compete game after game, moment after moment. So whether you are up by a lot or down by a lot, the process and intent should be the same to build those habits.”
In the end, Allen manages to keep a positive mindset and what it can do to help you overcome any challenges in sports. Thank you, Greg Allen for taking the time to answer my questions via Twitter.
