Mental Management Systems

Congrats to Kendall Morris, Miss Texas for her prelim Swimsuit WIN at Miss America!

2012-01-12T11:03:00.004-06:00

Mental Management client, Miss Texas, Kendall Morris, was awarded the Lifestyle & Fitness Award at Miss America last night. Kendall received a $1,000 scholarship for this award. WAY TO GO KENDALL!!

This fitness award shows her dedicated to health and exercise. Her dream is to become your next Miss America promoting her platform of Leukemia: Living for a Cure. Her platform was formed after her father was diagnosed with Leukemia when Kendall was only 16. For more on Kendall go to www.misstexas.org.

Follow Miss Texas and the 52 wonderful state representatives as they via for the title of Miss America LIVE on ABC Saturday Jan. 14th. The entire Mental Management team will be tuning in to see if Kendall can bring the Miss America crown back to Texas. Go to MissAmerica.org to learn more about the Miss America Organization.

(it has been 36 years since Miss Texas has won Miss America - can this mentally tough, driven and passionate young lady bring home the crown? We will be watching to see)

Miss America is the largest source of scholarship assistance for young women in the country. The founders of Mental Management, Lanny & Helen Bassham are a fans of the Miss America System. Heather Sumlin (their daughter) and Helen Bassham were both contestants, directors and judges in this pageant system. Heather now serves as a mental coach and interview coach for women across the country competing in pageantry, teaching the Mental Management System Lanny used to win Olympic Gold to help young women control their minds under pressure during competition.

Best of luck to Kendall on Saturday night!!

Overcoming Doubt through Action - Lanny Bassham With Winning in Mind Story

2012-01-06T08:34:00.004-06:00

Since January is all about goals and becoming we have decided to tell you how "With Winning in Mind" came to be, the struggles behind Lanny's hesitation to write and the knowledge he learned from his mentor who helped him along the pathway to his goal of being an author. Pictured above is Lanny around the time the first version of "With Winning in Mind" was written.

I wrote an essay for a class in high school and up to this point I thought I was an okay writer. For this particular project I spent extra time, put thought into the paper and was proud of what I presented. After receiving a "D" on the assignment I had worked so hard on, I asked the teacher "Why did I get such a low grade on this paper?" I don't remember the words she spoke exactly but what I heard her to say was "Lanny, you just can't write!" I allowed myself to believe that this statement was true about me. "I'm not a good writer" was my Self-Image and it stayed that way for years. That one comment lead me to believe I was not capable of success with a pen. I could talk, I could shoot but I couldn't write.

In college I dodged every writing course. I didn't want to fail so why try? I chose to major in Business because the writing workload was less than other majors I considered pursuing. In all honesty I really majored in Rifle Shooting but got a degree in Business if you know what I mean. I went to school to get out, not to learn the first time around. I didn't push myself to become a better writer. I didn't challenge myself. I accepted that I couldn't write and moved on with my life.

Advance many years to 1977 and the start of this company. Every student I would teach would ask me if I had a book they could purchase. Every time I turned around someone was wanting material they could take home....A BOOK. A Book? I couldn't even write an essay or an article much less a complete book! After a decade of dodging writing again I couldn't help myself and I told someone I was writing a book. I had a deadline, now I was stuck. I had no choice but to write!

Fortunately, I had a friend who was an editor who offered to teach me to write. He knew my fears of writing and that my Self-Image as an author was super poor. He began to meet with me weekly and help me write my book on his word processor. For those of you young folks this was more like a typewriter than a computer, no internal memory. I learned so much about myself through this process and after many months it was done. My last meeting with him was near and I was oozing with excitement! I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. He stood before me holding a floppy disc (do you remember when discs could flop? This dates me.) and he said "Lanny, this is the only copy of your book. It's right here in my hands. I'm going to do you a favor." He took the disc and threw it into the fire! True story. The only copy of my book that took months to write was burning in his fireplace. I thought he had to be kidding but he wasn't. He looked at me with complete confidence and said "Nobody's first book is ever any good, go write your book. But this time keep it short, no one wants to read more than 200 pages. And write about people you know. Write more like you talk and make it easy to read. This will help the reader better connect to your content and retain the information."

Frustrated and defeated I turned to leave. Taking his advice, I re-wrote the book and "With Winning in Mind" was born. The original version was published in 1988. I revised the book 1996 and revised it once again last year which is our new Hardcover edition.

So what did I learn through this process that may help you in the journey to obtaining your 2012 goals? I learned:

You need good mentors to help you when pursuing new and exciting goals. Mentors provide more than just inspiration and motivation, in my case my mentor helped me to develop the skills necessary to succeed in writing my book. He helped me to believe it was doable. He gave me valuable information and guidance. But most importantly, he didn't just tell me what I wanted to hear and allow my first draft to be enough. He knew I was capable of more and pushed me to be my best.

You need a timeline. I hadn't written a book sooner because I didn't have a date of when it had to be finished. It was just a wish. By having a deadline I forced myself to find solutions to completing the book in order to keep my word.

Never allow someone's negative opinion of you to define you. I listened to that teacher and allowed her opinion of my writing ability to determine my belief in my ability to write keeping me from pursuing writing in college. I firmly believe that if I had challenged myself to take journalism classes in college I would have 20 books by now.

Writing "With Winning in Mind" is the best financial decision I have ever made in my life and it amazes me when I look back at how long it took me to believe being an author was even possible for me. Go for your goals this year. Find a mentor. Set a deadline. And don't let anyone's opinion matter more than yours!

Are You Mentally Tough?

2011-12-16T15:50:00.004-06:00

This article by Lanny Bassham was printed in Clay Shooting USA in 2010, Lanny has been a featured writer for Clay Shooting USA for many years. The focus is for sporting clays shooters but the information may also be helpful to people in a wide variety of sports.

Are you mentally tough? Do you think of yourself as being mentally strong when shooting? To my way of thinking in order to say you are mentally tough in competition you should be able to do the following things. First you must be able to handle the variables in Sporting Clays and finally you must be able to handle the constants.

Let’s look at the variables. Many shooters have told me that Sporting Clays offers the most variables to the shooter among the shotgun sports. In Skeet the targets are well known in advance, all Skeet fields are the same and the only target variable is the wind. In Trap the targets always start from the same location and are all going away. You must master the variable of not knowing the angle of departure of course. But for the Sporting Clays shooter, the target possibilities are endless.

How are you doing at handling the target presentations? The target setters are doing everything they can to miss-lead, deceive and force you to do the wrong thing on a station. Some targets have a higher level of difficulty than others. The key is to keep your mental effort constant on all targets. Do not let the mental level drop on the so-called softer targets. They may look easy on the surface but this not a time to shortcut your preparation on them or reduce your focus. The elite of the game often remark, when having a below-par performance, that they hit the difficult presentations well but missed too many of the easier ones. It is equally important not to elevate the natural level of effort on the so-called hard targets as that will lead to over-trying and add to the lost target count. It is probable that you will see target combinations that you have never imagined much less trained on. If this happens break the presentation down into elements that you have had success hitting. This presentation may look different but recall in your memory any presentation that you know how to hit that is similar and start there. Keep your process of shooting the same on these kinds of targets. When faced with a target-variable - Stay Constant!

How are you doing at handling score variables? When you are shooting really well do you at some point begin to feel uncomfortable? Do you feel you are shooting over your head? Do you begin to feel the pull of the building score on you? A common tendency at this time is to become careful. The focus switches from hitting targets to trying not to miss them. Bad idea. You’ve hit these targets thousands of times before. Do not change a thing about the way you approach them. Do not let the environment alter your plan to break the targets. One suggestion from the mentally tough is to begin again. Just start over in your mind. This station is the start of your day. You have no past score. This may just reduce the pressure enough for you to post a personal best today.

Another variant on this issue occurs when you have a poor start and you try to make up for it by elevating the effort on the next pair out. Remember over-trying is a mental error. One of the best ways to beat over-trying in this situation is to take a deep breath or two and yawn and stretch a bit before you step into the station. Now trust that you will know what to do on the shot. Refrain from the temptation to give it something extra in the shot process. When faced with a score-variable - Stay Constant!

How are doing about handling the emotional variable? Do you shoot better when it is fun or when it is not fun? Does getting upset or angry after a pair or station help you or tend to hurt you? Are you able to control you emotions when the breaks fall against you. The wind blows the targets toward the station for everyone else and then changes to make it a harder shot for you? Is it possible for you to control your emotions or do you always let the environment control you. The mentally tough are able to define the emotion that gives them their best result and monitor it during the day. When the environment is pulling you away from this level of control you need to adjust your emotional level. I do not expect you to be happy about a poor performance. The key is to make the correction and move on to the next pair or station without any emotional distraction. About those breaks, shoot this game long enough and the breaks will even out. When faced with the emotional-variable – Stay Constant.

How are you doing at handling the people variable? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if shooters were positive all of the time on the course? Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of positive people in this game and it is important that you be among them. But, Sporting Clays is a slow sport with plenty of down time while you are waiting for the other members of your squad to shoot. Interaction with other people is probable and this can sometimes become problematic. It is vital that you stay constant in your feeling about your shooting. If others are quick to complain or beat themselves up after a poor station performance you do not want to be the sounding board for them. Here is my suggestion. When people are positive and encouraging move toward them. Engage the positive ones. When they are negative move away. Let the negative people find each other. You will be with the positive ones. You cannot always choose whom you will be shooting with but you can choose whom you engage. Shooters should be pro-active about staying positive throughout the day regardless of the situation. When faced with a people-variable – Stay Constant!

So, what are the constants? Constants are anything you can define as a primary way of executing. You have a primary way of holding, mounting and moving the gun on certain kinds of targets. Stay constant. You have a primary way of standing, looking for targets, establishing break and hold points. You have a shot routine that is comfortable and works best for you. Keep it the same. The mentally tough have a consistent way of thinking before, during and after a pair or single. This is defined and is synchronized with their shot routine. Your body changes when you change thought. Stay constant in your thinking. If you change what you are thinking about based on what the environment is giving you your mental game is a function of a variable. Therefore, your mental game is a variable and you cannot have mental consistency. When faced with a choice of having a constant or a variable – Choose a Constant!

Sporting Clays may generate the greatest variable demand on the shooter of all shotgun sports but you can stay ahead of the game by seeking to make constants out of variables when possible.

by Lanny Bassham - go to http://www.mentalmangement.com or email Lanny at info@mentalmanagement.com

Nannette Hill - LPGA Player attends training!

2011-12-13T13:11:00.003-06:00

"Coming off of two elbow surgeries and two seasons on the LPGA and LPGA Futures tour, I realized something was missing. I would have weeks of playing great and other weeks were I couldn’t make a cut. Each week was an emotional roller coaster and I felt as though I had no control. I realized I needed more mental consistency and a plan on how to do this. Lanny has provided me with the structure and tools I needed to have a more consistent mental approach to the game. Thanks Lanny!"

Nannette Hill LPGA Tour Pro

Nannette attended a 2 day Mental Management course with Lanny Bassham in Flower Mound, Texas. Call 972-899-9640 for more information or check out http://www.mentalmanagement.com

Updating Your Goals - By Lanny Bassham

2011-12-06T08:44:00.002-06:00

Are you planning to make some new goals for next year? Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? How about setting some milestones or objectives? Do you have a dream or is it all just a wish? Are all of these terms about goals and goal setting the same? Let’s take a look. I am going to take a stab at defining each one.

A wish is something you set with no plan to get it and you do not change your behavior even a little bit to do anything about moving toward it. Example; you think, “I wish I could make more money!” That is a wish if you do not begin to do anything to move toward it.

A resolution is something you set that you know you need to do this year but you will abandon long before you get close to achievement. Example; you say, “This year I’m going to lose 30 pounds so I can get into the new clothes I bought last year that I was going to lose 30 pounds to get into.”

A goal is something you set that you actually have a plan to attain. You might even have it written down if you are really committed to it. A goal has a definite finish line. It is defined so well that if someone asks you if you have a goal for the year you do not hesitate to say so. For it to qualify as a real goal it must have a suspense date. Example; you write “I am a master class shooter by the end of this year.”

A dream is the kind of goal that evokes emotion in a person. It’s more than just a big goal; it is life defining and something that often requires sacrifice. Example; you dream “Within the next five years I want to wear the USA on my back competing in a World Championship.”

All goals require milestones or objectives to be reached along the way. Setting short term, mid and long term objectives makes the big task manageable. We cannot always foresee the obstacles and opportunities that lay ahead but we can get moving down the road.

I suspect that most of us have all of the above. The key is to manage them well so we move toward the things that are important to us. There is no real problem with having wishes. They make for good conversation and often spawn an actual goal but they do not do much for you in the long run. The same goes for resolutions unless they turn into goals. The real benefits come when we set goals properly by formulating a plan and then stick to it until we cross the finish line. In my work as a mental coach I am frequently asked by clients to aid them in the goal setting process. Over the years some not so obvious but important ways to deal with goals have surfaced and I would like to share those with you.

One way to look at this subject is to first determine if the goal you are setting is duplicable or unique. A duplicable goal is one that has a blueprint or a recipe to achieve it. These kinds of goals are very easy to set.

A unique goal is something totally different. For example, give me a recipe that will guarantee you that you will win the Nationals next year. You cannot because every time the nationals have been won the experience was a unique one. If you tried to duplicate the current National Champion’s year exactly, would it work for you? No way! In fact, if a champion himself tried to duplicate the previous year there would be no guarantee of success because every year is unique. So let’s look at some suggestions on how to handle unique goals.

First, I do not recommend that you goal-set to win an event. I believe that you can only set goals for what you can control. Winning is not within your control because you cannot control what others do. So, how about setting a goal to have an event winning performance? You can anticipate what kind of scoring you will need to reach this goal and train to master the elements of the sport necessary to reach them.

Unique goals make goal setting difficult because there are so many unforeseen obstacles and opportunities in your future. This is a issue but should not deter you from identifying what is known. I’ve found that difficult unique goals often require us to endure sacrifice, suffer disappointment and rarely fit within our original time forecast. The price that we expect to have to pay when we start is often undervalued. There are several reasons for this. One, you are not as clever as you think. Two, your competition is getting better faster than you think. Three, some of the things you think you have under control are about to show you that they need more work. Four, there are things you need to learn that you have not even realized exist. These things create delay and can throw you behind schedule. So what! This is life brother! It was that way for me and for every other National, World or Olympic champion I have ever met. If your life is not plagued with problems your goals are too low. Get used to it and toughen up! Overcoming obstacles builds strength.

If I asked you if you have set your goals for this year could you honestly say that you have? IF not, WHY not! The top competitors are setting goals for the year. I know because I teach a lot of them. Do you have a plan to get these goals? If not, you have wishes not goals. Are your goals written down? Could you find them right now if someone paid you $100,000 to produce them? Most competitors unfortunately could not. Having a written goal is one of those things that everyone thinks is a good idea but because it is not immediate they just don’t do it.

If you want this year to be better than last year you are going to have to change. You are going to have to get better. Competing is like riding a bicycle up hill; you have to keep pedaling. You cannot coast or you will fall back. You are getting older and that isn’t helping and your competition is getting stronger all the time. You may need to know more, train more and compete more to move up. You may need to start doing things you do not want to do or stop doing things that you keep doing. The only thing that is certain is that this year will consume the same valuable hours of your life that last year did assuming you live it out. You are choosing your sport, hobby or work instead of doing something else with this time and doesn’t it make sense to get the most out of it.

If this sound like I’m being hard on you it is just because I need to hear these things at this time of year as well. May this year strengthen you and bring you closer to the attainment of your goals.

Written by Olympic Champion and Founder of Mental Management Systems, Lanny Bassham

Lanny is the author of the books "With Winning in Mind" and "Freedom Flight - The Origins of Mental Power"

Email from Michelle Merrill, Mrs. Louisiana 2012

2011-11-27T08:13:00.004-06:00

"I want to say thank you to Heather Sumlin for her help with my interview training for the Mrs. Louisiana America pageant.

My husband introduced me to the Mental Management System in May and I read the book "Freedom Flight". This book opened my eyes to how really small we are as humans. I began to let go of the things in life that don't matter and this helped me to focus on ME and how to be a better version of ME. I went on to read the book, "With Winning in Mind", and was able to relate the book to my competition in pageants. Then, I met Heather. I trained with Heather for my interview and she was able to teach me how to explore the questions being asked in a different way. She taught me how to sell myself as the right person for the job. She also introduced me to her audio, "What Every Pageant Contestant Should Know" and "Mental Toughness for Pageantry", which also has many insightful hints on how to stay in control of yourself throughout the whole competition.

I was always first or second runner up, but with the Mental Management System and Heather's help, I finally walked away with the title. I was crowned Mrs. Louisiana America on Friday November 11, 2011. Not only did I capture the title, I won in interview....by 12.5 points! I kept calm throughout the entire competition and focused on what was important and even won the Mrs. Congeniality award.

Heather's help didn't only help me in the pageant, but in life as well. I am a much happier and outgoing person now and I know any goal is capable of achieving. She helped me to look at life in a different way that has made me a winner every day of my life.

Thank you again Heather."

Michelle D. Merrill
Mrs. Louisiana America 2012

3 Step Training Rule - by Troy Bassham

2011-11-07T08:09:00.006-06:00

Three Step Training Rule:

Building Subconscious Skill and Self-Image

at the Same Time

The main purpose of this training rule is to work on technical skill and improve confidence at the same time. You must protect your Self-Image while improving your ability. This type of training allows you to do both.

The first step is to always start your training session with success. To improve the likelihood that you will start off with success, always begin your training with an area of strength. This helps build confidence in the self-image. After you start off your practice with an area of strength, your attitude will be focused on success. This attitude will carry over and put you in the right mindset for an effective training session.

The second step is to always work on your weak areas in the middle part of your training session. Make sure to start easy and work towards the harder part of your training. This approach protects your self-image while building the necessary subconscious skills needed to perform at a higher level.

The final step is to always end with success. Save your best strength and practice it last. If you're a golfer and putting is the strongest part of your game, then it should be the last thing you practice. This step improves the likelihood of ending on a positive note. The purpose for organizing your training in this manner is to allow for a more effective and efficient training day.

This is a short excerpt from Troy Bassham's new book "Attainment - The 12 Elements of Elite Performance". This section is from Chapter 3 - Purposeful Practice. His book is coming soon - audio will probably be ready first! The Audio DOWNLOAD Version is available NOW HERE.

POP singer uses Mental Management

2011-11-01T06:41:00.005-06:00

Jessica Ferguson - Singer and Dancer

"I am overwhelmingly grateful for the opportunity that I have had to work with Heather Sumlin and The Mental Management System. The amount of knowledge and information I have gained has moved mountains for me in numerous ways. Through working with Heather I have been inspired beyond to continue in the journey, to advance to the next level; it's not about the accomplishment but the attainment a long the way that measures success. As an artist and throughout my work I strive to be of the type of motivation and encouragement that is exuded from the Basshams' and through the training of Mental Management. I am thankful and humbled by their passion and desire to challenge and help those striving to win in this game of life! "

Jessica has been a client of Mental Management for the past several months using our techniques to help her with her stressful yet rewarding and amazing career in the entertainment industry. We wish her much success! It has been a blessing to work with her. She is driven, talented and motivated to succeed in this competitive industry! Please check out her video for her single "GO" on YouTube HERE

More about Jessica:

For singer and dancer, Jessica Ferguson, her love for music is only matched by her talent. This 21 year old, Texas native knew from a young age that she was destined to be pop star. Not only was Jessica’s hit single “Go” featuring Kevin McCall premiered exclusively to Yahoo! in March 2011, but she is one of the recommended artists on 76 iHeart Radio music stations.

Jessica released her debut LP “Rockstar” with High School Musical producer Andrew Lane in 2009. This opportunity opened many doors for her as her next track, “Entertainment” was included on the soundtrack to the 2009 hit Paul Blart: Mall Cop. In April 2011, Jessica released her hit single “Go” featuring Kevin McCall. “Go,” which Jessica co-wrote with Lauren Seymour and multi-platinum producer Cameron Wallace (Beyonce “Upgrade You”), who also produced the track, sends a message of unapologetic self-empowerment. Jessica recently released “Go (Remix)” featuring DJ Babey Drew. “Little Girl Big City”, Jessica’s second single, will be released at the end of the year.

Jessica recently embarked on a high school tour, during which she performed and spoke to students about achieving their dreams and staying active. Being a professional dancer, Jessica understands the importance of staying physically and mentally healthy. Jessica has joined Dr. OZ and HealthCorps in its effort to combat childhood obesity and to encourage American youth to get active and take charge of their health.

Look out for Jessica Ferguson’s Debut album March 2012! Check out her website

3 Hour Group Classes with Lanny Bassham!

2011-10-06T07:48:00.000-05:00

3 Hour Group Classes are BACK!

October 20 & 21

Flower Mound, Texas

October 20 & 21 in Flower Mound, Texas we have 4 group classes available. Check out the links below for date, time and details for each class. Attend all 4 classes for the price of 3!

Performance Under Pressure - you will Learn:

The foundation of Mental Management
How to use pressure to your advantage
The truth about pressure
Not only What to do but Why and How to manage pressure

Training to Win - You will Learn:

How to maximize your time in preparation
How to use proven training techniques used by Champions
How to evaluate and tweak your mental system
How to avoid burn out by following training guidelines and planning your year

Mastering Self-Image Change - You Will Learn:

How to protect your Self-Image
How to eliminate doubt, fear and over-trying
How to build Self-Image (understanding Self-Image growth is the number 1 reason elite performers are elite)

Goal Getting - You Will Learn:

The Goal Setting System used by Champions
How to set the right goal
How to improve the probability you will reach the goals you set
How to overcome obstacles that arise as you head to your goal

Register online through the links above or call 972-899-9640 for more details. These classes are perfect for any athlete, business professional, stage performer or parents of competitors.

Are You Ready to Compete? Article by Lanny Bassham

2011-09-16T10:17:00.004-05:00

Are you Ready to Compete? by Lanny Bassham

Now there's a question all of us have asked ourselves at one time or another. When do you start competing? How do you know if you are ready? One place to start is to determine what you want to accomplish by competing. If your sole purpose is to win you might think that you should not start competing until you are performing at a high enough level in training to beat the competition.

Nice idea but it will not work and here's why. The only way you can train for competitions is to compete in them. There is a big difference between the training environment and the competition environment. We often find ourselves training either by ourselves or with a small group. In a competition the field is full. Add people and you have a totally different environment.

Next, there is no pressure in training and plenty in competitions. You need the pressure to bring out the best in your game. Competition pressure is either an asset or a liability depending on your attitude about it. One thing is for certain. You have to be able to deal with it and it is just not there in training.

Additionally, competitions create contacts. You need people and knowledge to aid you in reaching your goals and many of the folks with the know-how are at the competitions. When you compete you are able to watch, listen and talk to the veterans and see first hand what you are up against.

Finally, try competing in a number of sports before you decide get too serious about choosing to master one. You will never know how you like a sport until you give it a try. Many athletes have found that they were much better at individual sports after they had poor showings in team events. The opposite is also true. Take advantage of any opportunity to try out a sport. It just might be your calling.

Written by: Lanny Bassham (info@mentalmanagement.com - 972-899-9640)

Recommended reading: With Winning in Mind

Learn more about Mental Management on our website www.mentalmanagement.com

Brady Ellison at the top of his GAME!

2011-09-15T11:43:00.003-05:00

Hi Guys,

We are on our final leg of the 2011 season. Brady is having a great year. He started off winning the individual gold in Porec Croatia, he also lead the mens team to a gold medal. In the mixed team event they won silver. The next stop was Antalya Turkey. Brady won another individual gold and a bronze in the team event. The World Championship were next in Torino Italy. After the ranking round Brady was tied for first with a Korean archer. Brady shot well through out his elimination matches all the way to the semi finals. In the semi finals Brady ended up tied with a Korean shooter and they went into a shootoff. Both archers shot 10 but the Korean archers arrow was 2mm closer to the center giving him the win. Brady went into the Bronze medal match against the number one ranked archer in the world. He made a statement from the first arrow and won the Bronze. World Cup 3 was on US soil in Ogden Utah. Brady was on a mission to perform well. He fed off the home crowd and won 3 gold medals. We just returned from Shanghai China the fourth stop on the World Cup Series. Brady shot well but was nocked out in the 1/16th round. He went on to win a gold in the mixed team and team event. Next week we leave for the World Cup final in Istanbul Turkey then we go straight to US Olympic trials then to the Olympic Test event and the Pan Am games. Brady also won all the USA Archery National titles this year, Indoor Fields and Outdoor. He won all USAT events except for one, which he finished second in. He is ranked number 1 in the World and should hold that ranking thru the beginning of 2012. He is also the USA's number 1 ranked archer. We have a very busy 6 weeks of travel ahead but I know Brady's strong mental game will help him finish the year strong. Please tell Lanny and Troy we will see them at trials.

Thank You,

Mel Nichols

Brady has been a student of Mental Management for several years. To learn more about how you can apply Mental Management to your sport, business or performance call 972-899-9640.

Congrats to Ellie!

2011-09-13T13:49:00.003-05:00

"I've been training dogs for over 15 years with several dogs but have never reach the level of success I had hoped. This summer my friend which also trains dogs and I decided we were lacking something in our tool box to achieve our goals. We had an excellent training schedule, our dogs are great but we needed more. I had heard about Mental Management a while back and had purchased the book "With Winning in Mind" and one for my friend but it never went any further then that. For some unknown reason we both decided to read "With Winning in Mind" and set up a few phone consultations with Heather Sumlin at Mental Management and we began a whole new experience. It has changed me personally, I look at my training in a whole new way. I'm amazed that the simple act of keeping a journal can change the way you think; I am always positive. My self-image has grown by leap and bounds, I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge in The Mental Management program. At my last trial I was able to practice the Mental Management techniques and the experience was a true success. The trial was my dog's first and we finished first place. Our score was very acceptable!" Ellie Fish

This is an example of how Mental Management products and phone consultations are helping people reach their goals. For details on phone consultations email info@mentalmanagement.com or call 972-899-9640

Preventing Mental Errors - The Comfort Zone

2011-08-26T13:46:00.005-05:00

Lanny Bassham originally wrote this article for shooting sport competitors - but it is applicable to anyone! The information in here is solid and if you are a competitor in another area you can still use this information - just apply it to your sport!

Jim just finished shooting in the most important event of the year for him and is looking at his place on the leader board. Frustrated, Jim finds he is out of first place by two targets. This is not the first time Jim has lost in a competition like this – those lost targets were caused by a mental error!

It’s one thing to lose a shot due to not being able to hit a certain target. You know just what to do. Take a lesson if you need to, learn how to crush it every time and then you’re done. But what if targets are lost to mental error? How do you know which non-hits are “mental” errors and which ones are not? More importantly, how do you prevent these errors in the future?

This is not going to be an article listing all of the mental mistakes you can make with a shotgun. I’ve two good reasons for this. First, it would make the article longer than you would want to read and secondly, you do not need the imprinting of all of those mistakes. We all make more than enough on our own. But I would like to give you some insight in what to look for when you lose a target in a tournament that you can normally hit every time in practice. I do not believe that there is such a thing as an easy target. All targets lower your score the same amount when you miss them. There are certainly EASIER targets for us to hit. It you suspect that a lost target is a mental error it probably is. Thinking about score, trying too hard, over-thinking and beating yourself up are common mental errors that are normally easy for us to detect and they are prevalent in almost everyone. We will look at ways to help prevent these easier to detect errors in this article.

However, there are some very subtle mental errors that most people commit that are not so easy to detect. Comfort Zone correction is certainly one of them. We all have a comfort zone about everything we do. It defines the limits of what is “like us” in our Self-Image. Let’s say it is “like me” to shoot between 80 and 90 on a 100 target event in good weather and average targets. That’s my comfort zone. That is like me! If I shoot 49 out of 50 on the first half of the hundred my Self-Image will notice that I am not shooting LIKE ME. I’m shooting much too high and I need correcting so to get me into my comfort zone I need to shoot a 39 on the last 50. I have the ability to shoot two 49s but it will probably not happen if it is not “like me”.

Your Self-Image is there to make you act like you. When you are shooting within your comfort zone, the Self-Image does not interfere; but shoot better than it is like you to shoot and the Self-Image creates error in your form to bring you in line with your comfort zone. This is really frustrating to shooters. But if you think about it, the Self-Image correction is a really a good thing. If there were no Self-Image correction you would not know who you were from day to day. One day you would like shooting and the next day you would not. One day you would like that new car you purchased and the next day you would wonder how anyone would buy that model. So the Self-Image keeps us acting like the person we believe we are. Self-Image correction is normal and usually unavoidable.

You cannot prevent the Self-Image from correcting BUT you can do something about the size and limits of your comfort zone. If we raise the lower and higher boundaries of the comfort zone we can increase our performance significantly while using the Self-Image correction to do it. What if your comfort zone limits were 85-95? Now, I’m going to say something that may surprise you. Moving competition scores up past 90 percent has more to do with what you do with your mind than what you do with your gun. Below 90 percent - the mental game is equally important and you are losing mental target there as well. The difference is that you are also losing technical targets and it is difficult to know which is which. The more mistakes you make the more difficult it becomes to know why you are in error. Above 90 percent most of the targets lost are not a result of not knowing how to break them or not knowing what to do. You normally find that above 90 percent mental targets make up the greatest number of non-hits and that may be why intermediate to elite shooters appear to be more interested in Mental Management^® than most beginning shooters.

Are You out of Balance?

2011-07-22T10:46:00.013-05:00

By Lanny Bassham

This article was originally written for a Golf Magazine. If you are not a golfer, don't turn away! Please keep in mind that this information applies to ANY sport or performance area!

If you discover that you are out of balance, your mental system should have specific strategies to correct the imbalance by managing the processes. That’s why it is called Mental Management^®. Ideally, next you would try to increase the effectiveness of all of the processes while keeping them in balance.

Let’s look at some examples. If you look like fig. 1 you are in balance. I call this the TRIAD STATE. When I won my Gold Medal in the Olympics I was in the Triad State. Consciously, I was focused on the process of shooting each shot. My Subconscious skill level was good enough to allow me to have a winning performance and I had the Self Image attitude that it was like me to win the Gold Medal.

When we begin to learn to play golf it is likely that we will look like fig. 2. We have to think about everything Consciously because we have little Subconscious skill. Our Self Image tells us that we are “beginners” and we do not have a high expectation of success. Golf may seem difficult. Remember those first days when you had to think about all of the elements of form because few, if any, were automated by your Subconscious mind. Coaches often bring players in balance by taking “baby steps” in form acquisition, learning one form process at a time and then when it is subconsciously automated move on to the next. If we practice properly the Subconscious circle will grow.

In my experience most imbalanced players look like fig. 3. The Subconscious circle has balanced out with the Conscious because the player is training the Subconscious through practice. Have you ever had this thought? “I know my form is good. My scores are low in practice but they are much higher in competition. I’m, losing too many strokes to mental inconsistency.” If so, chances are good that you look like fig. 3. You are not manageing the growth of your Self Image. The Self Image grows through positive imprinting and playing a lot can cause it to shrink if we are getting or picturing a lot of poorly executed shots. Every time we think about, talk about or write about playing well our Self Image grows. BUT, every time we think about, talk about or write about a poor shot our Self Image shrinks. Your ability to control the growth of your Self Image is directly related to your discipline in avoiding negative imprinting. Think only about what you wish to see happen. Avoid any negative imprinting and your Self Image grows. Otherwise, you sabotage yourself, your Self Image shrinks and your score suffers.

Fig. 4 illustrates a loss of Conscious focus. Have you ever felt distracted while playing? If so, you might draw your circles this way. The loss of focus is a common mental error and your mental system must include elements to hold your focus on performance while executing the golf shot. A common error is to think about your score while over the ball. One solution for this problem is to run a mental program. A mental program is a planned, practiced sequence of mental activity that controls the Conscious mind while hitting the shot. We will look at that technique in detail in a future article.

Looking at fig. 5 we see a Self Image circle that is too large. This player is overconfident. The player stops learning and is susceptible to the false idea that he need not continue to grow as a player. Normally this person is taken to the cleaners by less-skilled players in a big competition. That usually gets their attention. The best solution is not to reduce the Self Image but to grow the Conscious and Subconscious circles by returning to a learning mode.

The key point is to learn to balance your mental processes. If you can determine that one process is smaller than the others you know where to put forth your efforts. If you are frustrated, YOU ARE OUT OF BALANCE.

Remember, no one can defeat a player who has his mental processes in balance UNLESS they face someone who has larger circles and is also in balance. In future installments we will look at specific ways to build these mental processes and increase the size of your circles.

The WINNING MINDSET Seminar

2011-07-19T08:52:00.004-05:00

The WINNING MINDSET Seminar

With Olympic Gold Medalist Lanny Bassham

August 6 & 7

Hermitage, PA.

Lanny will be speaking in Hermitage, PA for the Winning Mindset Seminar on Aug. 6 & 7. This session is being sponsored by the United Way and the cost to attend is very affordable! It's only $75 to attend for both days and the proceeds go to the United Way. Check out the video above to get an idea of the life-changing experience you can have at this seminar.

To register or find more details go to the website: http://winningmindset.org/

There are still seats available! Please, feel free to spread the word to others who may be interested in attending.

If you register please let us know so we can make sure to meet you during the class. info@mentalmanagement.com.

Are You Missing Some Essential Ingredients in Your Mental System?

2011-07-14T22:10:00.002-05:00

By Lanny Bassham

Ok! You’re packing up for your next competition. Do you have everything you need to play well? You make a quick equipment check. Yep, your set up is good and you’ve got all your gear. Let’s look at form next. You’re ready in that department as well. “I wouldn’t change a thing.” You say. “So, why am I still worried about how I’m going to do this weekend? Something’s missing and I don’t know what it is.”

You may be missing the confidence that your mental control system is just as complete as the other parts of your game.

So how do you determine if you have all the parts of your mental system? First you need to find out if you even have a mental system in the first place. So just what is a mental system and what are its ingredients?

A mental system is a defined, practiced method of training the mind to perform well in competition.

I’ll give you an example. The system I use and teach is called the Mental Management^® System.

Mental Management^® is the process of improving the probability of having a consistent mental performance under pressure, on demand. It includes controlling the mental processes that lead to a winning performance.

A winning mental performance, in my opinion, is primarily a function of the development and control of three mental processes; The Conscious Mind – your thoughts, The Subconscious – your skills and the Self Image – your attitudes and habits. The essential ingredients for a winning mental system should include methods to control and enhance your three mental processes.

How will you know if you have a good mental system? First, determine the capabilities of each mental process to determine if they complement each other and are appropriate to your goals and priorities. For example, if you are picturing winning a certain competition (Conscious process), is your skill level (Subconscious process) equal to the task and is it like you (Self Image process) to achieve it? When your mental processes are balanced and working together, a good technical performance seems easy. When balanced you love to play and you play well with little mental effort. If, however, one of these processes is out of balance you will likely find much frustration in your game and you will expend a lot of mental energy just to get through the back nine.

Next I will explain what to do when your conscious, subconscious, and self-image become out of balance.

Mental Management Clients WIN at Miss Texas!

2011-07-04T20:10:00.005-05:00

At the Miss Texas and Miss Texas Outstanding Teen Pageants this past weekend, Mental Management clients took home over 27 awards all together! The following talented ladies trained individually with Mental Management instructor Heather Sumlin either this year or last year. Congrats to all of these ladies for their hard work and dedication. Each and every one of them is outstanding!

Teen Winners:

Teen Klein, Taylor Hudson - Non-finalist dancer award

11th Place, Overall Evening Wear, Alpha Evening Wear - Ashton Smalling, Miss Teen Arlington

9th Place, Overall Interview - Kaitlyn Wilson, Miss Teen Frisco

7th Place, Alpha Interview - Emily Falkenberg, Teen Hub City

3rd RU - 9 different awards for talent and fitness including Overall Talent, Overall Fitness - Teen Plano, Jessica Powell

2nd RU - Alpha Fitness, Preliminary Fitness, Teen Dallas, Christa Widjaja

1st RU - Teen Lake 'O the Pines - Laryssa Bonacquisti (trained last year)

Miss Texas Outstanding Teen - Reilly Johannsen, Teen Colleyville

Congrats to Reilly Johannsen, Miss Texas Outstanding Teen 2011!

Miss Winners:

Alpha Talent - Amanda Densmore, Miss Arlington

Nonfinalist Interview - Jessika Williams, Miss Lubbock County

15th Place - Miss Fort Worth, Meghan Miller

11th Place - Non-finalist Vocal - Selina Affram, Miss Collegiate San Antonio

7th Place - Preliminary Swimsuit - Miss Plano, Erin Hunt

6th Place - Miss White Settlement - Keene Nordin

4th RU - Preliminary Swimsuit - Miss Dallas, Candice Bennatt

3rd RU - Overall Evening Gown, Preliminary Swimsuit - Jordan Johannsen, Miss Colleyville

2nd RU - Miss Lake 'O the Pines, DaNae Couch (trained last year)

Miss Texas 2011 - Interview Winner - Miss Frisco, Kendall Morris

Congrats to Kendall Morris, Miss Texas 2011!

To find out more about the services Mental Management offers Pageant Competitors, please click here or call

our offices and ask for Heather Sumlin.

972.899.9640

heather@mentalmanagement.com

Jessica Boudria - Shares Her Experience Working with Mental Management

2011-06-20T09:16:00.006-05:00

My name is Jessica Dawn Boudria, and I have been a contestant in the Today’s Girl Pageant since it began in 2006. Last year, at the national finals, I won Princess in my division (which is second place overall to the Queen title). This year, I wanted to be more successful at the state finals, which historically was a more difficult competition for me, partly because it falls at the very beginning of summer – always a busy time – and is usually the very next week after school is out. I just didn’t perform that well at the state pageant, and since I am a true Texas girl, the state title was a goal I wanted to achieve, but always seemed to peak at winning talent.

My mom heard about Mental Management and wanted me to attend sessions in preparation for the state finals, because, as moms do, she had a lot of confidence in me and knew that I could win the competition. When I met Heather Sumlin, she had a smile on her face that said “Welcome!” without her saying a word. She was very sweet and helpful, never criticizing me when I wasn’t sure of how to answer an interview question. She gave her opinion in a kind way, without attempting to change my views, but to help me express them clearly. Heather taught me to make my answers interesting, fun, and to always paint a picture for the judges to visualize so that they would remember me. She was interested in me and my life outside of pageants, too, so I really enjoyed going to my appointments with her. My mom began to notice that she didn’t have to prompt me to practice my talent or work on my interview questions for the pageant. I had developed my own drive to succeed because Heather helped me to determine not only why I wanted to win the state title, but also why I should win the state title. So many teenage girls, like me, have issues with their self-image, and by working with Heather, I began to have one of what Oprah Winfrey calls an “Aha moment.” I know for sure that I am an outstanding, talented young lady with a giving heart and a fun personality! How could the judges not enjoy me?

At the state finals last week, I went into the interview competition confident that my answers would be fun to listen to and when I left the interview room, I was sure that the judges liked me! That just made all of the other competition easier, because mentally, I was in the right place and for the first time, I wasn’t stressed or nervous about the competitions. I was ready to take the
stage! On the final night, I was thrilled to be crowned as the 2011 Texas Today’s Teen Queen and I am so looking forward to reigning for the year and having the opportunity to realize one of my reasons for wanting to be the teen queen – so that I could be a role model to younger girls and a positive mentor to those who are my own age. Now that I have Heather as my “life coach,” my confidence level is way higher and I know that I can use the lessons she has taught me not just in pageants, but as I apply for college scholarships and eventually apply for jobs that I really want. I consider Mental Management as my “secret weapon,” and Heather as a mentor and friend. Thank you so much, Heather!

My Father Was There

2011-06-19T20:00:00.002-05:00

By Lanny Bassham

Bill Bassham, my father, grew up in a large family on a poor dirt farm in West Texas. His mother died when he was very young and most of the parental love died with her. He told me once that the only words he remembered hearing his father say to him were "Bill, pick up that hay bale faster!" He ran away from home at age 14, jumped on a train and road it for 2 weeks before returning home. His father didn't even acknowledge that he had been missing or show any signs of excitement for his return. He left home as soon as he could drive at the tender age of 16. He joined the US Army the day after Pearl Harbor. America needed people like him, tough, strong and brave. Dad thrived in the military, winning battle ribbons, earning a battlefield commission and was the kind of officer enlisted men loved to serve with.

My young years were the opposite of my father's. I was an only child in a home full of love. I grew up on army bases with very little one-on-one contact with my father because his duty assignments took him away from home often and sometimes for very long periods. He missed much of my childhood but he was there during my low point. I had a low self-image according to athletics, I wanted to be the best athlete but I was slow, short and uncoordinated. My Father encouraged me to find a sport that fit me. My Father motivated me when I found that sport and was my very first rifle coach. He'd arranged the use of an indoor shooting hall and for a solid year he taught me to shoot. He encouraged me and took up the sport as well. We practiced together and became a team. He and I became best friends on that rifle range. Fifteen months after beginning shooting I won my first national championship. What I remember most about my father was that he was always there for me when I needed him.

My father had an entrepreneurial mindset, he owned his own barbershop when I was in high school. I worked at his place sometimes and when I was 16 my Dad found me a job. I was the new pot washer at the Jolly Roger Restaurant making .80/hr. Whether I liked washing pots or not I had no choice but to work and work hard. He taught me to be strong, business minded, hard working and the importance of ownership. I am who I am today largely due to my Father setting a good example and building my self-image.

My father loved horses, he read books about horses, hung pictures of horses and dreamed of having a horse ranch. Kidding, one day I mentioned that together we should run a horse business. 2 weeks later he was on my doorstep after selling his shop and his house ready to be a rancher. Together we started a ranch and he was in Heaven the last 6 years of his life working the ranch, training the horses and living just a few yards from me and my family. I was there for him like he was there for me, giving back to him as best I could but still very much needing his advice, friendship and help everyday.

On a clear day with a mountain of work to be done my father uncharacteristically left his duties and headed for home. Moments later my Mother was driving him to the hospital. He had a heart attack that day. The doctors brought him back to life which gave me one last week with my father. He died at age 66 leaving me with a void in my heart and a ranch of 40 horses. My Father was gone when I felt like I needed him most. But I am thankful for the 36 years I was blessed to have him in my life.

My message to you:

Be present in your child's life.
Build their belief by caring about their dreams.
Be there for your parents when they need you - remember you never know when they will be taken away.
Enjoy every moment, cherish every moment. I wish I had more.

Happy Father's Day!

Lanny Bassham (info@mentalmanagement.com)

Young Skeet Shooter Gains Mental Edge

2011-06-15T16:04:00.004-05:00

Check out this testimonial from Christian Elliott's father. Christian is a 13-year old skeet shooter. He's already making a great name for himself with implementation of Mental Management System techniques and products. See how he has sharpened his mental game and how his Dad gained a mental edge too with our Performance Coaching product.

Mr. Bassham,

Our advisor/coach Larry Easley told us that I should share this with you. I have attached an excerpt from the June Skeet Shooting Review, profiling the NSSA All-American Team. I thought that it might be of inertest to you because of the effect that your material has had on our son. He is 13 yrs old and this will be our third year shooting. We have worked significantly with Larry and he has done a magnificent job in teaching him the mechanics of skeet shooting. This year, as Christian progressed, Larry began sharing some of your teachings. We read Freedom Flight together to begin our understanding of the power of mental management. I then bought the performance coaching product and have implemented those teachings. Within the last couple months, we have focused hard on the self-image part of the triad and as you can see in the article, “That’s just like me to hit that target” has made a profound impact on him. Just last week, Christian ran his first 100 straight in 12 gauge. However, the real testament to mental focus was that just a couple hours later, he ran another 100 in the 20 gauge! I know that without implementing your techniques, he would not have put together a 200x200 so quickly, or even at all. I just wanted to say thank you for putting what you have learned out to the public!

Thank you,
Greg Elliott

SALE this month!

2011-06-10T12:26:00.005-05:00

Mental Management Systems is having a great sale this month until June 22!

Get the With Winning in Mind and Freedom Flight BOOK COMBO for only $25! That's like buying Freedom Flight and getting With Winning in Mind for only $3!

Get the With Winning in Mind and Freedom Flight AUDIO CD COMBO for only $40! That's like buying With Winning in Mind Audio CD and getting Freedom Flight Audio CD for only $5!

Don't miss out on this great chance to get BOTH of Lanny Bassham's books in hardcopy or on audio CD. These books are the most authoritative pieces of information out there for competitors of all types, all ages, and all applications. Great gifts for Dads and Grads!

Brad Dalke wins at 13!

2011-06-05T09:19:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Mental Management client, Brad Dalke for being the youngest person to claim the AJGA Thunderbird title at just 13!!

Learn more: http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/may/30/dalke-chung-claim-ajga-thunderbird-titles/

Brad works with Mental Management instructor, Troy Bassham at Jim McLean's Golf Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Troy is the Mental Coach for the Jim McLean Junior Academy and is excited by this accomplishment!

To learn more about Troy Bassham and Mental Management check out our website www.mentalmanagement.com or call 972-899-9640

Living Life Like a Champion by Heather Bassham Sumlin

2011-06-04T15:24:00.001-05:00

I grew up with an Olympic Champion as a Father. As a kid I didn’t realize how rare Olympic Gold was and how few people actually achieve becoming the absolute best in their field. I know what winning looks like and I realize it takes hard work, dedication and motivation to achieve success. But until the last few years I never took the time to appreciate how important my Father’s lessons are to my life. Today, I realize that not only are the lessons relevant to my goals in life but my journey to personal success has been made easier by the teachings my Father raised me to believe.

His lessons are fairly simple and here are three you can implement today:

“Determine a Dream Worth Trading Your Life For” When my Father was in college his grandfather was dying and these are the last words he told my Dad before he passed. “I never did anything a typical man couldn’t have done. I never forced myself to step outside of my comfort zone and try something scary or unknown. I regret that. Determine a dream worth trading your life for, because you are!” Every day we are trading our lives for something. We are heading down a path toward something; make sure it’s something you really care about, something exciting, something worth trading your time and your life to achieve. Make your days on this earth count and matter by stepping outside your comfort zone, forcing yourself to get uncomfortable and daring to live your dreams.

“Giving it 110% is a sure way to lose!” WOW! Everyone I knew outside of my family believed you had to give it 110% to be successful but the Olympic Champion who raised me said otherwise. If you give it all you’ve got and focus on winning or on the outcome only, you are pulled to over-try. The number one reason good performers fail in competition is because they try too hard, it matters too much and they focus on the results not the journey. Try putting more than 100% of the water needed to fit in a glass, it will overflow and you have a mess. Same thing with effort, too much makes a mess!

“Discipline Yourself to Become a Solution-Based Thinker” Looking back on my childhood I realize that we didn’t dwell on problems in our family. My father forced us to focus on what we needed to do differently, not what we did wrong. This method of correction helped to shape my self-image as a young child and truly created a positive outlook on life. My daily goals became attainable because I was focusing on how to make things happen and not what went wrong. I never heard my parents argue about why things couldn’t happen or discuss their misfortune. I only heard talk about how they were going to make it possible. We were encouraged to dream, to find solutions to our problems and to think outside the typical box everyone else was dwelling in.

I live in the same world as everyone else. I know times are tough and people are struggling. I realize that life is not all roses and rainbows but growing up I was told that there is nothing realistic about winning an Olympic Gold Medal. Life is not about being realistic or ordinary. Life is about taking the time to step outside of the ordinary and striving each day to do something new, become a better you and live your passion. So determine your dream, give it just enough effort to make it possible and focus on solutions when the problems head your way. Live the life of a Champion because although your dreams may not be Gold, they are worth striving to achieve.

Heather Sumlin is a Mental Coach and Director of Performance Programs for Mental Management Systems. Mental Management was founded in 1977 by Olympic Champion, Lanny Bassham. We teach athletes, business professionals and stage performers how to gain a mental edge in competition. www.mentalmanagement.com

Twitter @HeatherSumlin

Join our Free MENTALCOACH email newsletter here.

Mentally Prepare your Children for Competition

2011-06-03T11:59:00.004-05:00

By Heather Sumlin

Let’s face it; kids are constantly competing for something. They are struggling to get the grade, a spot on the team, the first chair in band, or the lead role in the school play. Whether we like it or not, the world is run by winners. Someone will be the employer who makes the rules that our kids will follow when they start to work. Our kids will have to compete to keep their jobs and to excel in life whether they ever competed in sports or not. The mental game is not just a part of sport; it is a part of life.

So how do we as parents teach our kids how to excel in competition mentally?

First, we need to make certain our kids know the difference between accomplishment and attainment. Our children already know what accomplishment is. They live it everyday. It is the A in school, the trophy of the winning team and the pat on the back from Mom and Dad after a job well done. Even though our society is trying to make everyone a winner by giving everyone a trophy who competes and every girl a spot on the cheerleading squad, not every kid will be a winner. Kids are smart enough to know better. They know the team with the highest score wins and that their trophy doesn’t hold the same personal value as the one the winning team takes home. There is a way to teach them to walk away a winner inside without actually walking away with the winning score.

Accomplishment is the measure of what you physically obtain. Attainment is the measure of who you become in the process. Every time our kids compete they need to realize something inside changes for the better from the experience, win or lose. They need to be constantly reminded by us that their self worth is measured by who they are inside not by how many trophies on their shelf or A’s on their report card. Teaching them to understand how to grow through disappointment is the key. All kids will fail at something. We have all been through amazing challenges and everyone has a heartfelt story of utter disappointment to share. The ones who will excel in the end are the ones who learn from those challenges and grow into the person they want to become despite those challenges. We need to give our kids the tools they need to understand how to mentally perform in competition and how to handle defeat.

The Audio CD “Freedom Flight” available through www.mentalmanagement.com is the best tool I have seen on how to understand the differences between accomplishment and attainment.

We also need to watch our children’s self talk. More importantly, we need to watch what we say to them. Mental Management has tools for parents and coaches of young athletes that explain this better than I can in one short blog entry, but here are some highlights.

The Principle of Reinforcement: The more you think about, talk about and write about something happening you improve the probability that thing will happen.

I competed for 7 years in pageantry. I can tell you the self-talk going on back stage was detrimental to the successes of the competitors. Not just talk about themselves, but about other contestants. If your child is bringing home negative stories of their fellow teammates they are improving the probability that those problems will happen to them as well. Teenagers especially love to “dog out” their peers to make themselves feel better or look better. We need to let them know that the Self Image doesn’t know the difference. If you call someone else lazy, your Self Image thinks that you are the lazy one. If we instill in our kids the power of complementing others and focusing on their strengths not weaknesses we will have a kid with a stronger, more healthy self image. Winners are bred inside out. Feed the inside of your children! Teach them the power of attainment and positive self-talk. Teach them that winning is about the person they become in the process not just the trophy they receive.

If you have any questions about Mental Management Systems or mental preparation for youth please contact heather@mentalmanagement.com or call the office at 1-800-879-5079. Life is about choices! Choose positive thinking, self-talk and the power of attainment.

Find out more at www.mentalmanagement.com

Goal Setting to Win may KEEP you from the Crown

2011-05-26T11:08:00.005-05:00

With Miss Texas quickly approaching, I thought this article written by Heather Sumlin last year would be great to post for all of our Pageant clients. But this article also teaches a life lesson beyond Pageantry. Particularly, I think all of the recent grads, whether High School, College or Grad School, could find value in this article.

As a student graduating from college in August, I have really noticed that we goal set to GET our dream job. When we are sitting there at an interview our focus is entirely on getting the job, but that isn't something that you can control. The same applies to High School students applying for colleges. They are goal-setting to get into a particular program and their focus is pulled in the wrong direction during their interviews or try-outs. In this article, Heather points out how this thought process can be a dangerous one and why we should goal set for things we CAN control. Read on and find out how to put your mind in the right place for job or college interviews and try-outs!

Mackenzie Michel
Public Relations Intern
mackenzie@mentalmanagement.com

Goal Setting to Win may KEEP you from the Crown

Working with pageant contestants over the past several years I have noticed many contestants goal set and focus on winning. I'm not against focusing on winning and preparing to win a pageant but I believe goals should be set for things you can control. Pageant results are determined by a panel of judges and their perception of the contestants. The judges hold the control over who wins, the contestant is not in control. To goal set for something you cannot control is a scary place to be. No matter how well you perform on competition day, if the judges find someone else they like better, the crown could be set on someone else's head and you will be left with a dream unrealized.

So what should you do? What should you goal set for if you are a pageant contestant? Obviously you should desire to win, you should prepare to win, you should focus on getting the job but if you goal set solely to win the title you add pressure that is likely to pull your focus on competition day. If your goal is to win the pageant then your thoughts on competition day will probably be on the crown, the title, winning, how important the end result is to you, etc. Your thoughts will be focused on outcome, something that is out of your hands. Focusing on outcome will add pressure to you and most likely lead to over-trying. When you over-try your ability to perform at your best is reduced which will make it less likely you can reach your goal to win.

So goal set for something you can control! You can control what you think about on competition day. You can control your individual performance in each phase of competition. You can control your response to your environment. Focus should NOT be on winning the day of competition and therefore your goal on competition day should be on something that keeps you from focusing on winning. Focus on process, not outcome to have the best result.

Pageants are truly about self improvement. Everything you do to prepare for pageant competition will help later on in life. In order to sell yourself in interview, you have to know yourself and be able to give your judges reasons to remember you. In order to have a great swimsuit figure, you have to train hard, be healthy and eat right. In order to do well in talent you have to train in your craft, perform for others and improve your ability to spread emotion through performance. In evening gown you learn how to be poised, graceful and beautiful. On-Stage question forces you to think on your feet, speak for an audience without hesitation and show personality. All of these things help you to become a better YOU and many times give you an edge in other things you pursue in your life after your pageant days have ended. My ability to do my job today well is partly due to what I learned through years of participating in pageants.

Maybe your focus should be on learning from the competitive experience so that you can grow into the women you want to become.

Good Luck in 2011! If you need help identifying what your goals for this year should be please give me a call!

Heather Sumlin
972-899-9640
heather@mentalmanagement.com

For more information on how Mental Management Systems can help you go to www.mentalmanagement.com

A Look at Self-Image - Part 1 by Lanny Bassham

2011-05-20T10:07:00.002-05:00

A Look at Self-Image - Part 1 (Shotgun Version)

This is a two-part article on Self-Image. In this part we will look at what makes up this mental process and in the next issue we will examine how to change it.

The mind is like a submarine. The Conscious Mind is the periscope/sonar system. It is the eyes and ears of the boat as it gathers the information for decision making. The captain depends on this information to determine where the boat will go next. The Subconscious is the engine. It is nuclear powered and capable of attaining anything with training and time. How fast and far the boat travels is determined by the throttle/brake system on that engine and that is the Self-Image. Your Self-Image, made up of your habits and your attitudes, makes you “act like you.” It determines how fast and far you go toward your goals.

Every person has a special way of behaving in accordance with their Self-Image. Some people like to get up early. It is like them. Others like to get up late. Some people think they are good at math. Some people think that speaking before a group will likely terrify them. Some people hope they can win. Some people EXPECT TO WIN.

It is like us to operate within certain parameters. We call this our comfort-zone. The Self-Image defines the upper and lower limits of the comfort-zone. As long as we operate within our comfort-zone the Self-Image is content to leave us alone because it is like us to behave within this region. If, however, we start scoring lower than our limit, the Self-Image will provide us with extra power to improve until we are back within the zone. Likewise, if we are scoring better than our upper limit the Self-Image tends to limit us or slow us down until we are back in the comfort-zone.

Here is an example. You might begin a tournament well above your average for the first few stands only to fall well below your average in the last few stands. The total is within your comfort-zone. The Self-Image is doing the correcting when this occurs. This experience is often frustrating to the shooter because the performance looks so good to them at the start.

Beginning shooters tend to have comfort-zones that are quite wide with the upper and lower levels not well defined. As the shooter improves in skill and these limits become more predictable the upper and lower limits should begin to be closer to one another. Elite shooters strive for consistency in tournament scoring with very small comfort-zones.

When your score is well below where you expect it to be in a competition one place to look for answers is the Self-Image.

There is good news and bad news ahead. The bad news is that your performance and your Self-Image are almost always equal. If you do not like your score there is a good chance that you need to change your Self-Image. There is more bad news. The Self-Image resists change. This is actually a good thing. If you changed too easily you would love your spouse one day and not like her/him the next. The good news is that Self-Image can change but I admit it is not easy.

The problem for most of us is that we know something has to change for our score to improve we just do not want it to be us. We’d prefer that our problem would be solved by buying that new vest. We’d prefer that if we read another book or took another lesson we would change. We’d prefer that someone else be the problem instead of me, anything but me. But, no one can change your Self-Image for you. You have to do it yourself and the first step is to admit that you are the problem.

So, once you have decided to change, how do you do it? You can try the most common method used by frustrated shooters that is certain to make you even more frustrated. Just shoot more shells. That is a good way to change your Subconscious mind but it will do little to change Self-Image. Shooting more doesn’t always improve Self-Image but imprinting the feel of a good performance always does.

The Self-Image you have now got that way somehow. Doesn’t it make sense that you would have to change it the same way? How does Self-Image change? That is the topic for our next issue.

Can’t wait? Send me an email to info@mentalmanagement.com and I will email part 2 to you right away.

---Lanny Bassham

Four New Seminars with Mental Management

2011-05-10T13:58:00.008-05:00

Do you have trouble performing to your full potential under pressure? Do you know how to have the most effective training sessions for your body AND your mind? Are you holding yourself back from your full potential because your Self-Image is suffering? Do you need to know how to properly plan and set goals for your performance and in your life?

If you answered yes to ANY of these questions, attending one of our upcoming seminars will probably be very beneficial for you.

We have four new seminars coming up on July 14 and 15 in Flower Mound, TX.

July 14, 2011: Performance Under Pressure  9 - Noon

Learn why our beliefs about pressure are myths and several strategies to control pressure. Pressure doesn't have to be a negative thing: learn to harness pressure and use it to your advantage in competition!

July 14, 2011: Training to Win  1:30 - 4:30 pm

Learn to build subconscious skills while maximizing your preparation for competition. You will leave knowing the training principles you need in order to train mentally and physically simultaneously.

July 15, 2011: Self Image Change  9 - Noon

If your Self-Image is low, then there is no way that you can perform to your full potential. The Self-Image is essential to positive performance in competition. You will learn the attitudes that keep great performers from winning and how to eliminate bad habits and attitudes that are keeping you from reaching your goals. You will leave knowing what tools to use to change your Self-Image.

July 15, 2011: Goal Getting 1:30 - 4:30 pm

If you have trouble setting goals or actually reaching your goals after they have been set, then this is the seminar for you. You will learn how to properly plan and evaluate your goals, plus much more.

Click on any of the Seminars to learn more.

Attend all four seminars for the price of THREE! Click HERE to learn more.

If you have questions, please give us a call at 972.899.9640 or email info@mentalmanagement.com.

Our goal is to teach you the Mental Management system that Lanny Bassham created and used to win his Gold Medal and World Championship titles. At Mental Management, we actually used our system in competition and took it to the victory stand. We KNOW it works. We understand how you feel when you are overcome with pressure, are frustrated with your training sessions, are struggling with your Self-Image, or are having trouble properly setting goals. We've BEEN there. We understand what you go through in competition better than anyone in the business today, and we want to help you succeed.

To learn more about Mental Management please visit our website www.mentalmanagement.com.

Lessons from My Mother - by Helen Bassham

2011-05-08T07:46:00.016-05:00

In honor of Mother's Day, this month we are going to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of Mothers. If you think about it parents are our first Mental Coaches. They teach us right from wrong and help to shape our self-image, whether they realize it or not. Parents are the ones who have the most influence on us growing up by their actions and words.

Helen Bassham has written this month's article for MENTALCOACH email newsletter - reflecting back on her Mother. Helen is the President and Co-Founder of Mental Management and Lanny's wife. Here is a little insight into the woman who helped shape Helen into who she is today:

My Mother grew up during the Great Depression. She had scars on her hands from picking cotton. Her thumb was flat from being stepped on by a horse. All of her clothes were handmade and had already been worn out by her two older sisters. There were 10 kids in the family and they all worked the fields. There was no technology, no iPod to listen to, no cell phone, no shopping on weekends for the best pair of jeans. All they had was a radio with very few stations and a local newspaper for entertainment. Sometimes she was mistreated by her siblings - they played mean tricks on her. Her helping for dinner was the neck of the chicken - with so many kids and only 1 chicken how much meat can you possibly eat? The word SHARE means something different today than it did when Mom grew up. Times were tough. Yet she was always happy. She always found the fun in life. She hid her sorrow from the world.

We can live on less, we can be happy with less. My Mother was living proof of this.

My parents were married in February of 1938 and my brother was born in January of 1939. Mother's Father banished her from the family for marrying someone outside of her religion. She had to sneak around to see her Mom until her Father died. World War II hit and my Father was drafted into the military at 26 years of age. My brother was very sick as a child and nearly died of pneumonia which kept my Father from being sent to fight over seas. However, my parents had to live separate from each other for 3 years while he was serving as an accountant in the military. My brother was diagnosed with Epilepsy which would make life challenging for any Mother especially back before medicine was readily available and the disease was misunderstood. I remember having to stay with neighbors while my parents rushed my Brother to the hospital. I never realized the struggles as a kid. I was 16 before anyone told me why he was sick. She sheltered me from anything that would make me worry. The difference in the way my Mother grew up and the way I grew up was night and day. Her challenges were tougher than mine, yet her spark and zest for life was undeniable. She more than endured hardship, she chose to see the silver lining in rainbows, she chose to love life and have fun no matter her environment. She never cursed, never told bad jokes and if she ever lied I never knew it.

She died of cancer before I stopped needing her. My boys, Brian and Troy, were just toddlers when she passed away and my daughter, Heather, never met her. Even though she is not with me in person today and hasn't been for over 39 years her teachings have never left me and I am who I am today because of her.

When I think about the lessons I learned from my Mother this comes to mind:

Have Fun & Laugh Often: "You may have misery around you, you may have a hard life and be scraping on the bottom of the barrel but that doesn't mean you can't have fun and see the positive in the world around you."

Watch Your Words: "Be careful what you say. Once something is said you can never take it back. Be mindful of how those words make you appear to others and the images those words give to those who listen to you."

Be Prepared to Make a Good Impression: You never have a second chance at a first impression. She would always tell me. "You never leave the house without looking your best. If you look your best and act your best you will be your best."

Pick Friends Wisely: "Be careful what friends you pick because everyone will judge you according the company you keep." I was careful in who I chose to hang around. I was careful in who I spent my time with each day.

Respect Others Especially Your Elders: "You will not date a boy who honks his horn and expects you to come runnin'. He will respect us as parents and come to the door to meet your father and myself. He will respect you at all times or he is never allowed back in this home." Every time Lanny came to pick me up he was invited in the house and greeted my parents before we went out. There was a level of respect that was expected and I never questioned it.

When I remember my Mother's laugh, her ability to find the good in every disappointing day, her zest for life and her desire to dream, I am reminded that I had an incredible MOM.

Written By: Helen Bassham, President and CFO of Mental Management Systems. Email her at info@mentalmanagement.com or call 972-899-9640

Don't Keep a Diary - Keep a Performance Journal! by Lanny Bassham

2011-05-03T10:11:00.005-05:00

Don’t Keep a Diary…Keep a Performance Journal
by Lanny Bassham

Most of us take a lesson from a teaching pro at some time in our life and we are all self-coached every time we play or practice. Has this ever happened to you? Your golf pro asks you “How have you been playing?” and you say something like “OK, I guess!” You say that because you cannot with precision remember what you have been doing because you have no record of it. I believe that the primary reason people do not keep a record in a performance journal is that they have never been given a really good reason to do it and because they have never been taught how to do it.

OK! Here is why you MUST record your progress in a Performance Journal. I’ll give you three reasons. First, because you cannot manage what you do not measure. Simply put, you cannot afford to be in the dark as you progress. You need to have a plan to reach your goals. So, you set a goal, make a plan and go to a competition. Let’s say you do not reach your goal at that event. If you have a well-documented performance journal you can easily determine if your plan failed or you just failed to work your plan. Winning is not an accident. You must plan your work, work your plan and be accountable.

Secondly, I will not coach an individual without a performance journal and if you are a coach you should demand it of your players. Why, because without one you are wasting a lot of time when you try to coach someone. I know, by referring to the performance journal of my players, how often they are practicing, how long the practice lasts, what went on in the training session or competition, what worked and what did not work, what the objective of each session was and if it was accomplished. I know what equipment was used, when a change in equipment occurred and the reason for the change. I know what the competition results were, what the weather was like on the course and the start time of the player. And what is even more important is that if I can determine this level of information from the journal then the performer can as well. How does a coach know this amount of detail if someone does not record it? I am not willing to trust my memory or that of the player on these critical issues. You can’t manage what you can’t measure.

Finally, if you are using the journal only to record information you are not maximizing the use of a performance journal. I believe that the primary benefit of a performance journal is to build Self-Image. Self-Image is built primarily by imprinting both real and rehearsed images. Every time we think about something it imprints and shapes our Self-Image. I believe that when we talk about something it imprints with greater power than just thinking about it. Talking about a bad golf shot is a fine way to cause it to become a habit. We become what we think and talk about. Want to have bad shots frequently, just talk about your failures to everyone. It also seems that mental images that are written down have a greater impact on the Self-Image than those that we simply talk about. If you really want to change your Self-Image make it a habit of writing down what you wish to have happen. You tend to become what you write about. But, be careful, do not write about anything that you do not want to have happen or you risk disaster.

So, if keeping a performance journal is such a good idea why do so few competitors take the time to keep one. Again, I’ll give you three reasons. First, they keep a diary not a journal. My definition of a diary is to record your impressions, good and bad, of what happened today. Recording the statistics can be helpful and we will do this as well in a Performance Journal but if you record your mistakes you are making a huge mental error and the Self-Image suffers. Let’s say you have a bad day on the course and you record all of your failures and just how you performed them. The Principle of Reinforcement works against you big time. You have just improved the chance of performing poorly again in the future by writing them down in your diary. A Performance Journal, by my definition, has no references to bad experiences or poor performances. It is a performance journal not a "lack of performance" journal. People who keep diaries often find their performance suffers. When this happens they do the correct thing. They throw the diary away. Diaries don’t work but Performance Journals do and are essential if you really want to improve your performance in competition.

Secondly, competitors do not know how to keep a performance journal and are rarely taught to do so by those who coach them. If they are taught anything they are taught to keep a diary and we have already covered that issue. OK, so what should be in a Performance Journal? I recommend that you record critical information in a journal every day at the end of practice. You should record the date, location, time started and total time spent, weather conditions, what you did (no negative here, just record what you practiced), what you did well, what you need to find solutions for and your goals for the future. You should have an equipment page that is constantly updated every time you change anything. You need a competition page to record your scores in competition and an easy way to relate them to the performance analysis pages. Keep your performance analysis journal where you can record this information immediately after a day of practice or competition. You can remember things only so long, so do your recording before you leave to head home.

Finally, most competitors will not keep a journal because they are just lazy. Look, if you are playing just to have fun this section may not be for you but if you want to win you must separate yourself from the others in your dedication. I understand, I do not like to document things either but I do it because not doing it is just not acceptable. It is not acceptable to be unable to remember what I have or have not done. It is not acceptable to make the same mistakes over and over because I did not record the solutions the first time. It is not acceptable to not know if my plan is correct or if it is working at all. It is not acceptable to be defeated by someone keeping a Performance Journal. It is not acceptable to beat myself. It is not acceptable to lose because I’m just too lazy to do what is needed to win!

A Performance Journal will yield great benefits to you if you are a competitor or a coach and have your players on the system. This is a painless way to keep players accountable to themselves and for you to document what you have done for them. Ask any competitor who keeps a Performance Journal “How is it going?” and see if he pulls out his Performance Journal and show you.

Performance Analysis, the performance journal that we recommend and sell, is designed to do all of the things that I mentioned above in the article and to grow your Self-Image circle at the same time. We do this by encouraging the performer to fill out the success analysis, solution analysis and goal statement steps in our prepared sheets.

We have a Performance Journal you can purchase from our office if you like click here for details. Or call if you have questions about whether a journal is right for you. 972-899-9640 or 800-879-5079

Are You Ready to Compete? by Lanny Bassham

2011-04-23T11:22:00.006-05:00

Are You Ready to Compete?

So, when should you start to compete? Start as soon as you are certain that you know enough about your sport to be safe and are ready to learn. Don't worry about winning anything in the beginning and do not be concerned about looking like you do not know everything. You will have plenty of company in that area at the competition. Remember, competitions are where the fun starts. Go enter one!

Article by Lanny Bassham (info@mentalmanagement.com)

This article was posted in a past issue of MENTALCOACH email newsletter sign up and learn more about Mental Management at www.mentalmanagement.com

The VICTOR by C.W. Longenecker

2011-04-14T07:42:00.002-05:00

THE VICTOR by C.W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will.
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

Love this poem! It is a great representation of what we teach at Mental Management Systems every day! You have to THINK differently to win. To learn more about Mental Management go to www.mentalmanagement.com

Tiger Woods may be Over-Trying, says PGA Mental Coach and Olympic Champion Lanny Bassham

2011-04-05T10:02:00.006-05:00

“Giving all you’ve got, giving 110 percent is almost certain to keep Tiger from winning.” says Olympic Champion Lanny Bassham

There are a few mental coaches that work with players attending the Masters this year and Lanny Bassham is one of them. He is intimately familiar with the pressure of competition having won an Olympic Gold medal in his career. He is also one of the most sought after mental trainers on the PGA Tour working with the likes of Ben Crane, Jerry Kelly and Rory Sabbatini all playing in the Masters this year.

Lanny Bassham is often asked about Tiger Woods and if he is able to win at the Masters. Here is some insight into what Lanny believes:

Prior to the events that caused his divorce, Tiger Woods had a reputation of being able to isolate his golf ability from outside influences. That may not be the case now. Woods has played in five events with one top ten so far this year. He has not won a tournament in over a year, uncommon by Tiger’s standards. Clearly something is amiss. Here is a player that has more experience with winning than anyone in golf, and he is having trouble winning. In my more than 35 years teaching and coaching the mental game there is one cause that stands out in this situation. Tiger may be over-trying. It takes more shots away from those that are skilled and have trained diligently than any other. When you give it your all, you may be trying too hard. Your level of mental effort exceeds the optimum and shots are lost. Let’s look at why this happens and what we can do about it.

When we begin any form of skill acquisition we are forced to do things consciously. An example would be looking at the keys when we begin to learn to type. I have to admit that I still have to look at the numbers when I type but the keys are touched automatically now that I’ve been typing for a good while. As my Conscious mind can only think about one thing at a time, I was slow as Christmas at typing in the beginning. As I began to practice interesting things happened. Very soon I found that I didn’t have to think about the keys. They seem to type without conscious effort. When this happens we are typing with our Subconscious mind. What a difference! Our speed increases and so does our enjoyment of the skill of typing.

Skill acquisition in golf occurs exactly the same way. At first, we have to think about the elements of our form. Through training we begin to do them automatically or Subconsciously. There is a huge advantage when the Subconscious controls the swing process. The Conscious mind can only think of one thing a time while the Subconscious can handle countless activities simultaneously. We play best when the Conscious mind is quiet and the Subconscious is in control.

So if this is true, why would we ever want to putt Consciously? We shouldn’t. But, we do this every time we try too hard in competition. It has been my observation that close to 90 percent of all golfers are trying too hard in competition. Amazing isn’t it? Here’s why. When we get to an important competition we naturally want to perform well. The Conscious mind can over-ride the Subconscious at will. So, the Conscious mind, TO MAKE CERTAIN WE DO WELL, over-rides the Subconscious. The result is an increase in scores and an unhappy player.

This doesn’t happen in practice or in unimportant competitions because the Conscious mind is happy to let the Subconscious take over in lesser situations. You see, the ego resides in the Conscious mind. It seems to resent not being in charge when the really important events in life occur. Also, it seems that the Subconscious is quite willing to allow the Conscious mind to take over its job any time it wants to. The Subconscious is the team we want on the field. We need for the Conscious to stay on the bench but if it takes the field we will have a difficult time winning the game.

So what are we to do? We need for the Conscious to do just enough and not one percent more. You see, everything in life requires a certain amount of effort to perform well. Give it one percent less effort than is required and performance drops. Give it one percent MORE effort and again performance drops.

How can you tell if the effort you are using is too much? If you think you REALLY NEED this birdie or begin to count your score when you are playing you may be over-trying. Giving it all you’ve got in a competition is over-trying. This problem is so common among players that almost everyone will do it at least some time in a competition.

Can Tiger get it back? If this is to happen he will have to stop trying to win, if in fact he is. Tiger was dominant when he focused on the process of making good golf shots. If he continues his way of thinking and trying to win, do not bet against him this week.

Lanny Bassham is the author of the books "With Winning in Mind" and "Freedom Flight - The Origins of Mental Power". His "Winning Golf - It's All in Your Mind" Audio CDs are helping players across the globe. Contact him by sending an email to info@mentalmanagement.com or check out our website www.mentalmanagement.com

Journey of a Dream

2011-03-31T12:37:00.002-06:00

If you're in need of a little inspiration today, here is a poem written by Lanny that often gets over looked because it appears before the Table of Contents in With Winning in Mind. I hope you enjoy it and share it with friends and family.

Journey Of A Dream

A dream is born in the mind,
A picture of what might be
A vision of a new and better life.
But if it stays in the mind,
It becomes another wish unfulfilled.

It must move on

The dream moves to the heart,
Feelings surround it, giving it life.
But if it stays in the heart,
It becomes a “could have been,”
Dying in the fire of emotion.

It must move on.

The dream moves to the hands,
There to be put into action
Having been given life in the heart,
It comes to fruition through work.
But if the dream stays in your hands,
It becomes self-serving.

It must move on.

So place your hand in the hand of another,
And the dream moves on…forever.

-Lanny Bassham

Visualization and Multiple Events - Article by Lanny Bassham

2011-03-18T09:24:00.007-06:00

This article is from one of our first issues of MENTALCOACH email newsletter back in 2003. Thought you might enjoy a blast from the past article!

If you have several competitions in the next few weeks try visualizing performing well in a different competition each day. See yourself doing well in event 1 on say Monday, event 2 on Tuesday, event 3 on Wednesday and so on. Then rotate through them again. As the competitions are completed drop them from your visualization rotation. This keeps you from thinking too much about the NEXT BIG EVENT and puts your focus more in relation to the overall remaining season. See yourself doing well with confidence and control.

This technique is like a rock that skips across the pond when thrown correctly instead of sinking when it first hits the water. You will expend less mental energy and get greater mental output as you tend to pace your rehearsal and do not have to "GET UP" for each competition.

Also you will tend to judge yourself more on the total of the performances than the finishing of each one. You just skip along mentally, trusting your skill and staying on top of your game like the rock stays on top of the water.

Contact Lanny Bassham by emailing info@mentalmanagement.com or check out the website www.mentalmanagement.com

What is the Zone and do I need it to Win? By Lanny Bassham

2011-03-16T16:00:00.006-06:00

Sometimes when we are performing at our best things just seem to flow. After the competition ends and we try to remember what we were thinking about during this period it appears that we were not thinking much at all. When this occurs you might have just experienced the ZONE phenomenon.

Zoning-out is common in all sports. What appears to be happening is that the Conscious mind steps aside and allows the Subconscious to perform the action. This is just what we want to have happen. Many times performers tend to over-try and the Conscious mind gets in the way by trying to make things happen instead of just letting it happen.

So, how can we turn on the ZONE? Wish I knew. What I can say is that in my more than 30 years studying this mysterious phenomenon the most predictable thing I have discovered is that the more you try to turn on the Zone the more likely it will not happen. When you get in the Zone and realize it you have just turned it off. It is really easy to stop the Zone. Just thinking about it will do the trick.

So what are we to do about the Zone? The best way to benefit by the Zone phenomenon is not to rely on it for a good performance. In fact, the more you do not need it the greater the likelihood that it will bless you with its presence.

By Lanny Bassham - Olympic Champion, Mental Coach and Founder of Mental Management Systems www.mentalmanagement.com

Fort Worth Champions

2011-03-10T16:01:00.002-06:00

The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History has a new exhibit called Fort Worth Champions that features stories of hometown athletes who have created a lasting sports legacy for themselves. And guess who is featured at the exhibit?

Mental Management’s Lanny Bassham is honored to be included in the Fort Worth Champions exhibit. Lanny is sharing the exhibit with legends like Davey O’ Brien, TCU and Eagles football player, and Dallas Cowboy Bob Lilly and his 1972 Super Bowl championship ring.

Come and view Lanny’s medals and Olympic rifle! They will be on display at the exhibit.

The exhibit will feature not only the symbols of these athletes’ accomplishments, but video, photographs, interviews, statistics, historical mementos, and reasons for why they became so successful in their sport. The exhibit will also have a future champions section which showcases promising young local athletes who may be on their way to becoming legends themselves.

To find out more about the exhibit, click here.

If you visit or already visited the exhibit, write a comment to tell us about your experience!

Honda Classic - Congrats to Rory Sabbatini and Jerry Kelly

2011-03-06T20:06:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Mental Management students Rory Sabbatini and Jerry Kelly for their success today at the Honda Classic.

Rory won and Jerry placed 3rd!

Rory attended Mental Management training in 2008.

World Archery Festival - Freestyle Bowhunter Champion, Chris Berry

2011-03-04T14:03:00.008-06:00

Congrats to Mental Management client, Chris Berry for his recent archery WINS! Way to go Chris!! He sent us this email recently with some pictures for our blog.

The last 3 weeks on the Hunt for a Vegas Win:

First I got to go to Lancaster Archery Classic in Lancaster PA and shoot that shoot (My first time) I was able to win and set a new record for score.

Than off to Vegas for the World Archery Festival Vegas Shoot after setting up our Alpine Archery booth helping other sponsors with there set up.(Please notice the targets from out great shooters, we hung everyone’s targets and by the end of Sunday we had the whole booth covered.)

I was able to put up 3 solid scores for my first Vegas Championship on Sunday afternoon.

Helping the Frustrated Athlete

2011-03-03T16:18:00.004-06:00

This article, written by Troy Bassham, appeared in the June 2009 Newsletter. It's a great article for parents and coaches who want to do more than simply coach their young athletes, but inspire and motivate them.

If this article interests you, you may be interested in attending our upcoming Coaches Training Seminar on April 15 & 16. The seminar will cover concepts discussed in this article and much much more. For more information on the Coaches Training Seminar, click here.

HELPING THE FRUSTRATED ATHLETE

Sometimes we don't get the results we want in life. It could be a bad grade on a report card, or a loss in a competition, or not performing up to standard. There are going to be many situations that will occur when a parent and or coach will have to deal with the frustrated player. So how do you handle someone who is upset and frustrated over their performance?

Anytime I am dealing with a young athlete, whether they are 10 or 19, I always remember the "Principle of the Picture"! This principle states, "It's not important what you say, it's critical what you cause the other person to picture." I handle their situation like I handle most of them, I follow three steps and make sure I remember the most important opportunity that I have at that moment (we'll get to that at the end).

Step 1: You must recognize the accomplishment
It doesn't matter how the performance went or what happened, we must look at the good that can come from it. I remember working with a young golfer, he was 17, and he was very upset with his score. He shot a 78 on a course that he knows very well. "I should have had par or better, but I messed up! I hate this feeling", he said in a frustrated tone. I asked him, "What went well today?" He replied, "I had a birdie on the first hole, but it was the only one I had all day." I said, "Great! What an accomplishment. Imagine if you birdied every first hole of every tournament you entered. How would that make you feel? It's like you to start the tournament well. You have had several tournaments where you started off with a birdie, that's great."

Step 2: Get the athlete involved with the solution
Once I praised him for his accomplishment I needed to address the issue at hand with caution. I want the individual to come up with some ways to help improve his game and the best way to do this is to ask them a question. "If you had a chance to prepare for this event all over, what are some of the things you would do differently to help insure that your good play would last the whole day?" This forces the individual to look at solutions and not focus on the problem or his bad performance. Kids are ten times more motivated to do something if the idea comes from them, rather than from an outside source. So by asking this question they create a possible solution to do better next time.

Step 3: Replace But with What
This is a carry over from step two, but it's important. I can't tell you how many times I have overheard a parent tell their kid what they did well, only to follow it up with BUT... The conversation after the word but is not a positive one. Both my girls play soccer and after a game you will usually hear parents express their praise or disbelief to their players. One time a coach made this comment to his daughter, "You played so well the first half, but what happened in the second half? You played horrible; it was like you didn't want to be there. You couldn't pass the ball; you weren't getting open for a pass, what gives?" Now ask yourself, "What do you think his daughter was picturing in her mind. I'm sure this father is only trying to help, but what the kid is picturing is it doesn't matter how good I do, you only focus on the bad. This will tear up the self image of the player and in some cases, it makes them leave the sport.

Instead of pointing out the good and following it up with but, follow it up with what. Let your child know what you're proud of and give them the due props for their accomplishments and then address the issue with what can we do to improve type of question. This will get them involved in the solution and make them feel like they are on the right path to success.

When this situation happens we have an opportunity to help build the player, this is an important thing to do as coaches and parents. Becoming is just as important, if not more important, as accomplishing. This situation allows us to help them become the athlete, student, or worker they want to become. The reason for short falls in performance often lie in the individual not having the proper habits and attitudes of the person they want to become. It's our job to help guide them toward obtaining habits and attitudes of champions so they can reach their goals.

Written by: Troy Bassham, Master Level Mental Management Instructor and Director of Junior Development for Mental Management Systems - to reach Troy send an email to info@mentalmanagement.com

Helping the Frustrated Athlete

2011-03-03T16:12:00.005-06:00

Anytime I am dealing with a young athlete, whether they are 10 or 19, I always remember the "Principle of the Picture"! This principle states, "It's not important what you say, it's critical what you cause the other person to picture." I handle their situation like I handle most of them, I follow three steps and make sure I remember the most important opportunity that I have at that moment (we'll get to that at the end).

Step 1: You must recognize the accomplishment
It doesn't matter how the performance went or what happened, we must look at the good that can come from it. I remember working with a young golfer, he was 17, and he was very upset with his score. He shot a 78 on a course that he knows very well. "I should have had par or better, but I messed up! I hate this feeling", he said in a frustrated tone. I asked him, "What went well today?" He replied, "I had a birdie on the first hole, but it was the only one I had all day." I said, "Great! What an accomplishment. Imagine if you birdied every first hole of every tournament you entered. How would that make you feel? It's like you to start the tournament well. You have had several tournaments where you started off with a birdie, that's great."

Step 2: Get the athlete involved with the solution
Once I praised him for his accomplishment I needed to address the issue at hand with caution. I want the individual to come up with some ways to help improve his game and the best way to do this is to ask them a question. "If you had a chance to prepare for this event all over, what are some of the things you would do differently to help insure that your good play would last the whole day?" This forces the individual to look at solutions and not focus on the problem or his bad performance. Kids are ten times more motivated to do something if the idea comes from them, rather than from an outside source. So by asking this question they create a possible solution to do better next time.

Step 3: Replace But with What
This is a carry over from step two, but it's important. I can't tell you how many times I have overheard a parent tell their kid what they did well, only to follow it up with BUT... The conversation after the word but is not a positive one. Both my girls play soccer and after a game you will usually hear parents express their praise or disbelief to their players. One time a coach made this comment to his daughter, "You played so well the first half, but what happened in the second half? You played horrible; it was like you didn't want to be there. You couldn't pass the ball; you weren't getting open for a pass, what gives?" Now ask yourself, "What do you think his daughter was picturing in her mind. I'm sure this father is only trying to help, but what the kid is picturing is it doesn't matter how good I do, you only focus on the bad. This will tear up the self image of the player and in some cases, it makes them leave the sport.

Instead of pointing out the good and following it up with but, follow it up with what. Let your child know what you're proud of and give them the due props for their accomplishments and then address the issue with what can we do to improve type of question. This will get them involved in the solution and make them feel like they are on the right path to success.

When this situation happens we have an opportunity to help build the player, this is an important thing to do as coaches and parents. Becoming is just as important, if not more important, as accomplishing. This situation allows us to help them become the athlete, student, or worker they want to become. The reason for short falls in performance often lie in the individual not having the proper habits and attitudes of the person they want to become. It's our job to help guide them toward obtaining habits and attitudes of champions so they can reach their goals.

Written by: Troy Bassham, Master Level Mental Management Instructor and Director of Junior Development for Mental Management Systems - to reach Troy send an email to info@mentalmanagement.com

Defining a Goal - by Lanny Bassham

2011-02-23T07:04:00.003-06:00

This article was posted in our February 2010 issue of MENTALCOACH - We have added the 10 steps to Goal Getting as well. (our free email newsletter, sign up on our website www.mentalmanagement.com)

Did you set some new goals for this year? Did you make a New Year's Resolution? How about setting some milestones or objectives? Do you have a dream or is it all just a wish? Are all of these terms about goals and goal setting the same? Let's take a look.

A wish is something you set with no plan to get it and you do not change your behavior even a little bit to do anything about moving toward it. Example; you think, "I wish I could speak Chinese!" That is a wish if you do not begin to do anything to move toward it.

A resolution is something you set that you know you need to do this year but you will abandon long before you get close to achievement. Example; you say, "This year I'm going to lose 30 pounds so I can get into that new suit I bought last year that I was going to lose 30 pounds to get into."

A goal is something you set that you actually have a plan to attain. You might even have it written down if you are really committed to it. A goal has a definite finish line. It is defined so well that if someone asks you if you have a goal for the year you do not hesitate to say so. For it to qualify as a real goal it must have a suspense date. Example; you write "I am a buying a new home by the end of this year."

A dream is the kind of goal that evokes emotion in a person. It's more than just a big goal; it is life defining and something that often requires sacrifice. Example; you dream "I have always dreamed of going to Ireland to visit relatives there. I will make that trip within this year."

All goals require milestones or objectives to be reached along the way. Setting short term, mid and long term objectives makes the big task manageable for you. We cannot always foresee the obstacles and opportunities that lay ahead but we can get moving down the road.

I suspect that most of us have all of the above. The key is to manage them well so we move toward the things that are important to us in enjoying life while getting the important things done. There is no real problem with having wishes. They make for good conversation and often spawn an actual goal but they do not do much for you in the long run. The same goes for resolutions unless they turn into goals. The real benefits come when we set goals properly by formulating a plan and then stick to it until we cross the finish line.

The Mental Management Goal Setting (Getting) System has 10 steps:

Step 1 - Determine a Dream Worth Trading Your Life For

Step 2 - Decide When You Want It

Step 3 - List the Pay Value

Step 4 - Honestly Evaluate the Obstacles

Step 5 - Develop a Plan

Step 6 - Evaluate the Plan

Step 7 - Schedule the Plan

Step 8 - Stay Focused

Step 9 - Hold On To the End or Trade Up

Step 10 - Set Another Goal to Take It's Place Before You Reach It

For a more in-depth look at this Goal Getting System listen to the new 3rd Edition Audio Version of "With Winning in Mind" by Lanny Bassham

-- Lanny Bassham ( to get a message to Lanny email info@mentalmanagement.com)

Determine a Dream Worth Trading Your Life For! Lanny Bassham

2011-02-19T20:09:00.003-06:00

This article was posted in the January issue of MENTALCOACH monthly email newsletter.

In the new 3rd Edition of With Winning in Mind Lanny tells a story about his grandfather which is a great prelude to our goal setting topic for this month:

My grandfather was a mail carrier in the central Texas town of Comanche. As a young teen I loved to help him deliver mail out in the county because he would let me drive. Granddad taught all his grandkids to drive a car. He did not seem to mind if we ran over things and his old Ford sedan had the dings to prove it. He made us feel grown up and there was always a Dr. Pepper and a bag of peanuts as a treat at the end of the route.

When I was in my first year in college he had a heart attack while visiting us. It was something he was not able to overcome. At the hospital we were all allowed some private time with him and I knew it was probably the last time I would be with him. As I sat down next to his bed he gave me some sound advice that has been with me all of my life.

"Lanny, as I face the end I regret that I've never done anything in my life that a typical person couldn't have done. I always made the safe choice, never taking a risk. I've never been out of the state of Texas. I've never competed in anything, joined anything or built anything. I've done a good job of dodging the perils of life but in the process I missed a part of living! Don't let the caution keep you from experiencing life. Go out and find a dream worth trading your life for because in the end, that is what you are doing. Set big goals. You do not want to end up regretting your life."

That was the last thing my grandfather said to me.

Everyday you are trading your life. Once a moment is gone you will never get it back - you traded it for something. Each moment you spend in anger you could have been spending in happiness. Every moment you spend not believing in your ability, could have been a moment spent pursuing your dreams. Determine a dream worth trading your life for. Determine what you want to accomplish in 2011. Your life is being spent one day at a time whether you are working towards a goal or not. You are always trading time for something. Make it count this year. Focus on the things you want to improve and get started today.

What are your goals for this new year? What is the dream you possess that is worth trading your life for?

Make sure you go past simply writing the goals down - take the time to work through the Mental Management Goal Setting System to have a better chance of obtaining your goals this year. (this goal setting system can be found in the book "With Winning in Mind" - the new audio version of With Winning in Mind 3rd Edition Lanny has added more information on this topic)

Coaches Training Program - April 15 & 16, 2011

2011-02-15T12:39:00.004-06:00

Coaches Training Seminar

Who will benefit from this seminar:

Coaches

Instructors

Managers

Parents

Any coach who wants training on how to build the client or student at the same time as they teach technique.

Our Goal is to help to make your job easier and help to make you a better coach or instructor

What will you learn:

How to structure training to help build self image in your students.

How to get more done in less time, advance students faster, prepare them better.

How to help students understand how to set goals and change habits.

How to develop leverage to make students do what they don’t like to do in order to reach their potential.

How to determine readiness factors in order to know what coaching style to use.

How to be a more effective coach by adapting to different coaching styles.

How to maximize the effectiveness of the coach and minimize the pitfalls that can cause your team trouble

Learn the secret to building a program people can’t wait to join.

Learn the benefits of learning from mistakes.

Determine ways to diagnose if a student is having is a Focus Issue, Self-Image Issue or a Technical Issue.

Learn why some players who are playing well have a down turn.

Learn what to do when a players performance drops.

How to change your coaching according to the learning styles of the students to increase retention and understanding.

Learn how to seek out opportunities to inspire and motivate not simply instruct.

How to conduct Performance Coaching Session.

How to make your counseling with your students powerful, memorable and effective.

Develop an understanding of how the mental game syncs with technique and form

Develop an understanding of Mental Management as it pertains to instruction.

Very little training is available for coaches and we are excited to offer this session!

When & Where:

April 15 & 16, 2011 – Homewood Suites, Lewisville, TX

Cost - $695 per person limited to 25 coaches

Early Registration is $550 per person for those who register by March, 25th!

Go HERE to Register or call 972-899-9640

The Instructor for this session is Lanny Bassham who will be assisted by Troy Bassham.

Lanny is a Silver and Gold Medalist in the Olympics, Two-Time World Champion, Official Olympic Coach for 2 Olympic Games, owner of the International Shooting School where he coached for 11 years and Mental Management Founder, Business Owner and Mental Coach for the last 31 years. Lanny also owned and operated a Multi-Million Dollar Networking Business for 20 years with extensive training in sales & leadership. Lanny has created this New Coaches Program based on what he has learned through his experiences as a coach and business owner. You won't want to miss it!

This type of training is applicable to any coach or anyone who works with people. Coaches who have attended or are signed up to attend this training course include coaches in the following sports:

Archery
Baseball
Bowling
Dog Sports
Golf
Pistol/Rifle
Shotgun Sports
Swimming
Tennis

And Non-sports related coaches or managers in the following areas also attended or are planning to attend this training:

Dance
Vocal Performance
Business/Sales
Pageant Director/Coach
Law Enforcement
Parents of competitive youth

Gymnast uses Mental Management to regain confidence after a serious injury

2011-02-05T13:51:00.006-06:00

Recently I found a blog post where a trainer recommends the book "With Winning in Mind" so I sent him a message to learn more about how Mental Management helped him. Here is the response he sent.

Yes, Lanny Bassham's book was instrumental in changing my life and I’m forever grateful. I really was terrified to get back on the high bar after I broke my neck after a fall off the bar during practice. Through Mental Management, I was able to regain confidence to succeed and years later place 3^rd in the Big Ten Championships on the High Bar finals behind 2 National Team members (one of which was an Olympian) even though many were much more talented and skilled than I. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1CGp7YXiAk

I really did fulfill my potential as a gymnast and was able to squeeze out the ability my being would hold because I was able to train very hard and focused.

I would love to help you guys promote your seminars and books whenever possible.

They changed my life forever.

Thank you,

Jon Ham

Fitness On The Run

SUPTrainer

It's amazing how a book can help someone overcome fear and reach their goals! Thanks for sharing Jon!

Seminars in England Next Week

2011-02-04T12:00:00.003-06:00

Lanny and Troy Bassham are in England right now working with the Archery Team.

Next week they are doing some seminars in Bisley, England that are open to anyone who is interested in attending.

Feb. 8 & 9 - 1 Day Mental Management Course for Shooters - this class is perfect for the competitive shooter who wants to gain the mental edge. February 8th class is FULL but there is still room in the Feb. 9th class.

Feb. 10 - 1 Day Mental Management Course for Everyone - this class is perfect for athletes, business professionals, stage performers and parents of competitive youth. This is a great course for anyone wanting to learn more about Mental Management.

Lanny has not been to England in many years and this is Troy's first trip. We don't know when or if they will be coming back. If you are in the area and able to attend please do!

Several topics will be covered in these classes including: Mental Management Principles, Dealing with Pressure, Protecting Self-Image, Presetting the Mental Level, Recovery Strategy, Group Discussion/Q&A and more.

For complete details on this class and info on how to register send an email to Heather Sumlin at heather@mentalmanagement.com

With Winning in Mind helps woman improve self-image

2011-01-24T11:47:00.005-06:00

Mental Management Systems products can help you with more than just sports. Check out this testimonial of how a man used the information in "With Winning in Mind" to help his sister battling depression to improve her self-image.

"I received a copy of “With Winning in Mind” in February and have put a lot of the systems in place. I take part in Cowboy Action Shooting and have recently returned from the world champs in California where I finished 5th in my category and 12th overall. I have used the information in “With Winning in Mind” with great success in my shooting and have found it to be a great resource in training, goal setting and just generally choosing to take a positive approach to everything.

On my arrival back in New Zealand I received a distressed call from my sister-in-law 5 hours away with news that my sister had tried to take her own life and she did not know how to help. Now this was way outside my comfort zone, but I was positive and made the trip to see her.

While packing I added my shooting diary and “With Winning in Mind” to refresh and plan my next shooting goals, as I had a 3 hour ferry trip that was going to give me some forced time where I could work on my plans relatively uninterrupted.

On arrival and after many hours of listening to my sister, her friends, doctors and psychiatrists reviewing the situations that led her to this situation, I managed to build a pretty good picture of the patterns that had led here. Almost all was caused by constant negative reinforcement of all the things in her life. After all this expert help, my sister was no better off as they just suggested she continue counseling.

My sister is a very strong person under normal circumstances and she wanted desperately to take control of her life and had expected professional people to tell her how. I explained to her what I thought would help her achieve what she wanted and explained how that had worked well for me. So I went to my bag and pulled out “With Winning in Mind” and worked through the techniques for improving self image. We drew out what she thought her problem was and the habits and attitudes that she needed to change, what her new self image is going to be, the pay value, obstacles, how to overcome these obstacles, set new goals and wrote a Directive Affirmation. Straight away with all this written in front of her she could see a solution to her problems and for the first time in her life felt that she is now in control and has a positive plan for the future. We discussed ways of breaking the negative links she had in her thought patterns and only choosing to reinforce positive things.

I can now inform you that after putting her plan in place and reading the whole book she is a new person and is so positive she has gone off the anti-depressant medication she was on as she felt it was only triggering a negative response (take my pill, oh that's right I am depressed.) Her previous negative way of dealing with all things is pretty much gone and I am certain she will now achieve great things; of course I now need a new book!"

Regards,
Steve from New Zealand

"With Winning in Mind" is the most authoritative book available on mental training for sports and competitive business environments.

"With Winning in Mind" helps teach you to turn your deficiencies into strengths. Anyone, not just athletes and performers can benefit from "With Winning in Mind" by learning to increase performance while reducing stress.

Has a Mental Management product helped you in a remarkable way? We would love to hear about it! Send your testimonials to info@mentalmanagament.com.

Cycling Coach recommends "With Winning in Mind"

2011-01-21T10:05:00.001-06:00

“I discovered With Winning in Mind- The Mental Management System, by Lanny Bassham, when searching for books on the topic of motivation/positive thinking/coaching. Having a positive mental frame is crucial to winning and excelling in any area of one’s life: in business, athletics, and personal. Mr. Bassham’s book was the only one I found that encompassed the best of the principles of behavior modification, with positive thinking and coaching in an easy to assimilate and successful format.

I loved the book and used its inspiration to coach an athlete who was at bottom 5% to top 5% and two podium wins. I just recently bought the DVD for my own use, to keep me re-charged, I love it! I highly recommend the book and the DVDs.”

Ileana Sisson, M.S. Ph.D., cand. Psychotherapist, USA Cycling Coach

Mental Management client, Ashley Melnick, Miss Texas competes for Miss America TONIGHT!

2011-01-15T14:29:00.004-06:00

Watch Mental Management client, Ashley Melnick, Miss Texas as she competes for the title of Miss America!

Tonight, January 15th, on ABC!

"Mental Management has given me a completely different outlook on competing and how I see every opportunity & obstacle in life. It has given me confidence and peace with who I am and what I can offer others. The mental tools I've been given are very adaptable, fun and easy to use. Mental Management has taken my competition to the next level, and truly helped me win Miss Texas." Ashley Melnick, Miss Texas 2010

Miss Texas is a full time paid public speaking position. Ashley spends her days speaking to schools, companies and organizations about her platform "The Voice of Autism", sharing stories of her brother Ryan and helping people understand the importance of accepting others no matter how different they may be. As part of her prize package, Ashley has received an apartment for the year, a Lexus to drive, wardrobe assistance, jewelry, training, cash scholarship and much more. The job of Miss America would be even more exciting and we will be watching to see if her dreams come true!

Ashley has been a student of Mental Management since the spring of 2010. To learn more about Mental Management please visit our website www.mentalmanagement.com and sign up for our free email newsletter MENTALCOACH.

A Time for Change is NOW! By Lanny Bassham

2010-12-20T11:42:00.004-06:00

The following article by Olympic Champion and Founder of Mental Management, Lanny Bassham is from our 2010 December issue of MENTALCOACH email newsletter. (sign up on our website www.mentalmanagement.com for future issues)

If you are like most competitors you have been enjoying a well-needed rest from competition issues during the holidays. But, as the new season approaches some decisions might be in order. First, do you need to change anything; equipment, training schedule or mental game and when is the best time to do it? I submit that the best time is now. If you want to maximize your competition results for the coming year, now is the time to make that change. Here are a few tips to aid you in doing just that.

Begin by a careful evaluation of last year. You must first determine if you have anything that needs changing. This can be accomplished in multiple areas of concern such as equipment, skill, competitions or mental game so let's look at a couple of those.

Equipment is very sport-specific and since we have readers in a wide variety of sports and performance arenas I will hold off on recommendations for equipment change.

Let's look at skill a minute. Does your technical ability grow during the off-season or does it deteriorate? Well, again that depends on your level of experience and on your habits during this period. There is a training principle that says that we tend to forget what we do wrong faster than we forget what we do right. So, taking a short break might just help your skill. However this may be discounted if you are taking a long break and your competition is getting better during this period. How do you get better? Take a lesson from an instructor and practice, practice, practice. You should know what works for you and be honest about it.

How about evaluating the benefit of the competitions you attended last year? This is a relatively easy task if you have been keeping a performance journal during the year. Simply look at the entries you have recorded in your journal and the answers to this question will be answered. But, if you do not keep a journal you must rely on your memory and the longer you take to make decisions the greater the probability that you will benefit little from the attempt. It is not uncommon for competitors to mentally go on vacation after the final competition of the year and not to think too much about the next year until a few weeks prior to the first season's competition. That is way too late! Journal or not here are several questions you need to answer about last year. What competitions were a benefit to me and why and what competitions might I do well to avoid this year and why? Once this is done you can plan for the up-coming year with confidence.

Finally, let's look at your mental game as you prepare for the new season. Is your mental game a variable or a constant? There are a lot of variables in all sports and performance ranging from weather, to judging, to equipment, to other competitors but, your mental game should be a constant. When you change your mental game based on circumstances you are not controlling your mental game the circumstances are controlling you. If you do not have a defined mental thinking system for competition now is the time to develop one.

My suggestion is to try to remember what you were thinking about when you were performing well last year. Normally, performers find that they were not thinking too much at all. Some on the other hand find that they compete best when concentrating at a higher level of focus. You need to determine what works best for you. You cannot duplicate a thing until you have defined it. Once your mental game is defined your job is to run these thoughts every time, in every competition and in practice. When you run a defined mental system you can achieve mental consistency in competitions in spite of your environment. This part of the program is not so easy to implement. The environment is constantly pulling you to pay attention to it and to alter your thoughts based on it.

So, how is your preparation for the new season coming along? Do you need new equipment, a skill upgrade or a defined mental game? If you need to change some things now is definitely the time to do it.

To contact Lanny Bassham call 972-899-9640 or send an email to info@mentalmanagement.com

Staying Focused by Troy Bassham

2010-11-04T08:48:00.002-06:00

This article was published in our most recent issue of MENTALCOACH email newsletter. Enjoy! (visit the Mental Management Website - www.mentalmanagement.com to sign up for future issues)

Staying focused on what you need to do in order to overcome the obstacles in front of you, is a main ingredient to reaching success. You may have never heard of Karoly Takacs, but in the 1940's he was well known in Hungary as a national hero. Everyone who knew his story was inspired by it, after reading his story you will never forget his success and how he made it happen.

In 1938 Karoly Takacs was a Sergeant in the Army and was a top ranked pistol shooter in the world. He was a favorite to win the upcoming Olympics in 1940; scheduled to be held in Tokyo Japan. The dream and expectations of Karoly being the best in the world vanished during a military training accident when a defective hand grenade exploded in his right hand, his shooting hand. In a matter of seconds he went from being one of the best to someone unable to shoot. He would spend a month in the hospital depressed at the loss of his hand and the loss of his Olympic dream.

For many people this would be devastating. The accident and drama of losing a hand would haunt many of us for years. The easiest thing to do is to focus on the loss and why it happened in the first place. The thoughts of feeling sorry for oneself would take much of the day consuming mental energy that may cause some to fall into severe depression. For Karoly it was a different experience. After leaving the hospital he secretly taught himself how to shoot with his left hand. The remarkable part is that even though he shot with his left hand he still used his right eye. Karoly did what many top performers do; he focused on what he had. What he had was a competitive spirit, experience, mental toughness and a healthy left hand that with time could develop to be his greatest asset.

For months Karoly practiced by himself. No one knew what he was doing. Maybe he didn't want to subject himself to others who would discourage him. Maybe he didn't want to give false hope to his family and friends on a comeback. Or maybe it was his way of dealing with his accident. For Karoly it would be the right thing to do leading up to the 1939 national championships.

When Karoly Takacs showed up at the 1939 National Championships, many of his friends and other shooters greeted him with open arms and were excited that he came to watch them shoot. They were surprised when he told them that he was there to compete, not to watch. They were even more surprised when he won!

Things looked like they were back in order for Karoly. He was now the talk of the shooting communities and his dream of going to the Olympics were once again a reality. This reality of going to the Olympics was once again short lived. The 1940 and the 1944
Olympics were cancelled, due to World War II. It looked like Karoly's dream of going to the Olympics was not meant to be. He would continue his training over that eight-year period and at the age of 38 he would qualify for the 1948 Olympics.

Before the rapid-fire pistol event Carlos Enrique Diaz Saenz Valiente, the former World Champion and the current world record holder and favorite to win the event, asked Karoly why he was in London England. The reply that Karoly gave was a humble one, "I'm here to learn." Karoly not only won the gold medal, but he beat Carlos Valiente's world record by ten points. During the award ceremony, it is said that Carlos looked at Karoly and said, "You have learned enough." Karoly would also repeat as Olympic Gold medalist four years later in Helsinki Finland.

The more you think about something happening you improve the probability of that thing happening. This is what Karoly Takacs did better than anyone else. He focused constantly on what he needed to do. Never doubting what he could achieve, but focusing on what he needed to do in order to put himself in position to achieve his goals. His story is one that is told throughout the international shooting communities around the world. While many will use his story as one that proves you should never give up, I think it's Karoly's ability of constantly thinking about what he wanted and what he needed to do to get it that is the bigger lesson learned.

By - Troy Bassham (info@mentalmanagement.com)

Motivation Part 3 - FEAR

2010-10-18T09:36:00.002-05:00

This is the article posted in our October issue of MENTALCOACH email newsletter. (sign up for MENTALCOACH on the homepage of our website www.mentalmanagement.com) This is the last part of a 3 part article to recieve part 1 and 2 please email heather@mentalmanagement.com

One of the primary motivating factors in life is fear of loss. It comes in many forms.

It is fear of possible bad outcomes that keeps us from driving our car too fast, following too closely behind a car in front of us or taking a chance crossing a highway. This form of fear tends to protect us from harm. That's a good thing!

There is a fear that we will not do well in competition, that we will be disappointed and miss out on the joy of winning. No one wants to lose a game or be the one last to cross the finish line. This fear can be a motivator to work more diligently in preparation for the event. That's a good thing as well! But this form of fear can also be destructive if we are fearful in the competition. To fear that we are going to perform poorly creates an imprint in our self-image that it is like us to do poorly. We tend to become what we imprint. That is a bad thing!

So what are we to do about this potentially destructive form of motivation? I offer this suggestion. Go into competition with the attitude that everything that happens in the event is for your benefit. Only two things can happen to you; you win or you learn. There is no lose. We tend to learn more when we struggle and make mistakes than when everything goes well. I am not against having a flawless performance but I am suggesting that we learn more from our errors and poor performances than we do from our good ones. There is great value in learning from error. I have never met a winner that has not failed many times and learned from the failures. The key is to learn not to fear. Life is full of fearful times, turn these into opportunities to grow. The most important thing about competing is who you become not where you finish. Do not let fear become an obstacle to the opportunity you have to learn something valuable about yourself. You can become fearless! -Lanny Bassham (info@mentalmanagement.com)

Brady Ellison - A Winner On and Off the Field

2010-10-01T12:48:00.005-05:00

This letter was emailed to us from Julie Nichols who is the Mother of Mental Management client and Olympian Archer, Brady Ellison. Brady is not only ranked as one of the best in his sport but according to this letter he also acts like a winner off the field too. We hope you will enjoy this note.

Dear Mrs. Nichols,
I wanted to take the opportunity to write to you about your son, Brady, and our experience meeting him on a recent trip we took. We hope that you will pass this along to him and everyone that he represents. We found his website when I googled him.

My husband and I recently did a tour of Great Britain and one of the stops was in Edinburgh, Scotland. While we were there, we happened upon the Archery World Cup. We noticed several of the athletes were from the USA, as were we, so we decided to stop and watch for a bit. The match we saw was Brady shooting against a gentleman from India, he had us holding our breath as I'm sure he had you doing the same. It was so exciting, we decided to stay and watch his Gold medal match. We were not in the stands, but were watching from above on the gallery outside the museum and cafe. We cheered with all the other spectators up there when he won. We watched the Medal ceremonies and watched his interviews. We noticed that there were quite a few people waiting around where the walkway was blocked off. We overheard a lady (his grandma we learned) say that they were waiting for Brady to walk up. We thought we would try to get a picture with him, after all, it's not everyday you get to meet an Olympian.

Brady finally made his way up the walkway, with you carrying all his trophies and stuff, along with his coach. Wow. What a poised young man you have raised. He spent over a hour and a half, I know because we waited, signing autographs, t-shirts, hats whatever anyone had. He took pictures with anyone who asked. He took the time to talk with everyone and "Thank" them for their support and coming out to watch. He was the great with all the children, who were so in awe, he took the time with each and every one of them and made them feel special. We were waiting our turn and making small talk with one of the spectators, who told us about what Brady had done the day before with an autistic boy. My understanding is the boy came both days with his mom and knew everything about Brady, all his stats. They had met you in line and you had said you would ask Brady to come to the stands and they could get a picture. The gentleman said Brady came to the stands and sat down and talked with the boy for quite some time, took pictures and was very good with him. The gentleman said that was the moment that Brady went from being someone he cheered for to being a hero. We didn't witness that, but we saw how he interacted with everyone when the competition was over. He won over a lot of fans that were for other countries. We heard quite a few of the children say they wanted to be just like Brady when they grew up. That made us chuckle because Brady is not much older than them. It is so refreshing to see an athlete who is a positive role model. We are so often bombarded by the media with all the professional athletes who make the news for drugs or breaking the law, Brady is a breath of fresh air. He took a picture with an old couple (us) and talked with us for a bit. He is a well spoken, humble young man who obviously loves what he does. He made us both proud to be Americans and a little teary. It was a nice unexpected surprise and one of the highlights of our trip.

We will continue to follow Brady, not necessarily because of archery, but because of the wonderful young man who spent hours with his fans. Congratulations to Brady on a fantastic year, we wish him continued success. Congratulations to USA Archery, the USOC and all of Brady's sponsors on having such a fine representative.

Congratulations to you, Mrs. Nichols, on having raised such a poised and wonderful young man. We only spent a short time with him, but he made a lasting impression. We had planned on returning to Great Britain for another trip and now we are looking at going during the London 2012 Olympics to cheer Brady on to Gold.
Congratulations Again - Sincerely, Mary

You never know who will be watching you as you compete for your dreams - so always act like a Champion, win or lose. Because at the end of the day, the people you meet and inspire will mean more than the trophies that gather dust on your mantle.

"Careful" by Lanny Bassham

2010-09-29T10:04:00.003-05:00

"How does one not become too careful?" our client Jeff Bond asked us in an email recently. This question or something like it comes up often from our clients. Here are some thoughts.

Careful is a good thing. We often say to those we care about "Be Careful!" when they travel or just go to work. This indicates that there is danger out there and that we should be prepared for it. To exercise too little care is careless and this causes a multitude of issues. Careless indicates a lack of focus while performing and poor scoring is often the result. What Jeff is referring to is something beyond careful when he refers to being too careful. This can cause poor scoring as well. It seems that caring is one of those things that has a point of diminishing returns. Caring is a good thing so one might think that the more you care the better you do, right? Wrong! We have another word for it - OVER-TRYING.

There are many different forms of over-trying such as over-thinking (paralysis by analysis). Continuing to analyze at the point of starting a task might indicate that you are not sure that your decision to begin the task is correct. In other words, you have doubt. Bad idea! Doubt about your performance lowers effectiveness and promotes error. One answer to Jeff's question is to make certain you are sold on your plan before you act. If you are hitting a golf shot you must be committed to the shot before you hit it. The body response to uncertainty is often erratic and uncontrolled. That's a bad thing for a player.

Another kind of over-trying is using too much effort on a task. When I began shooting I believed that to do your best at a sport you should give it 110%. That's what I'd always heard and I had done that in PE class. I ran as fast as I could in the 100-yard dash. I was not fast but I gave it all I had. I accepted the fact that to try hard was to do well and if I gave an activity less than my all, I deserved to lose. Now trying your hardest may be the best thing to do if you are trying to play linebacker in football or win a 100-yard sprint but there are many activities that do not work well when you give them your all and shooting seems to be one of them.

It seems to me that all things in life require a certain amount of mental effort to do them well. If we give them 1% less effort than is required or 1% more than is needed the performance tends to drop. The key is to find the proper level of mental effort for the task. Some sports tend to require a lot of power. The greater the power expended the greater the chance of winning. These high-power sports require certain muscle groups to be tensed to the maximum. Shooting and golf, however, requires a light hand and fluid motion. In shotgun shooting we are rarely moving the gun as fast as possible. Shooting requires control not power and when we try to over-power the gun we tend to lose control. Shooters tend to experience a greater chance of over-powering the gun when they are TRYING to make a shot on a target instead of TRUSTING that the shot will subconsciously come together. This is a prime example of over-trying. We might even hear ourselves thinking, "I HAVE to hit these targets." When you push yourself you tend to tense up. Tensing slows down the fluid movement of the gun and shooting behind a target can result. Sometimes just the opposite happens. We tense up and push the gun too far in front of the target.

So, what are we to do? Is it possible to find the effort point where we are trying just hard enough break the targets and not exceed this amount? I believe that it is possible but it is not an easy task. You must pay attention to how hard you are trying when you are doing well. In some sports like golf, I think you will find you are not trying hard at all. Great performances often require us to become careful enough to perform the task well while becoming aware of using too much effort in the process.

---Lanny Bassham

Send your questions to info@mentalmanagement.com or check out our website at www.mentalmanagement.com

The Reason to Compete is found BEYOND the Crown

2010-09-28T14:10:00.003-05:00

This is an article from Heather Sumlin that was posted in our Pageant Newsletter which was sent September 16th - if you compete in pageants and would like to receive future newsletters please sign up on our website www.mentalmanagement.com or email heather@mentalmanagement.com for info.

The Reason to Compete is found BEYOND the Crown

Sunday I had the opportunity to attend the Homecoming for Miss Texas America, Ashley Melnick. Ashley is a client of Mental Management and is near and dear to the hearts of everyone here at Mental Management Systems. So I was excited to take my 5 year old daughter, Ashley, to this event hoping my little one would learn something. I know my daughter very well and she has no fear, she is easily excited, some would call her hyper and has difficulty being still for any length of time. So I'm not sure what I was thinking taking her to an event where there are mainly speeches and little entertainment. She thought we were going to a pageant and she kept asking me when they were going to stop talking and start "the pageant". So I had my hands full.

Something magical happened about half way through the ceremony when Cristie Kibler, Miss Arlington, got up to sing. She was funny in her introduction, she was connected to the message of her song and my daughter listened. Rachel Callicutt, Miss Teen Fort Worth, Ashley Melnick's sister titleholder this year, got up to speak and even though she was speaking to an audience that could be perceived as intimidating, she spoke with poise and comfortableness, she was honest and open. Jordan Johannsen, Miss Irving who was 1st RU to Miss Texas and Ashley Melnick's best buddy got up to talk. She was funny, confident, secure, comfortable and she held the attention of my 5 year old which is not an easy task! Then Miss Texas herself got up to address the audience and share her thoughts and she held the attention of the room, she was radiant, confident, passionate, emotional yet grounded, light hearted and professional.

As I watched these young ladies share their thoughts after hearing directors and other adult guests speak before them, I realized what the reason to compete truly should be. All of the speakers were good and did well but the titleholders had something special; connection, passion, conviction and ease with their speaking that can only come from public speaking experience. After the speeches were over my 5 year old rebel hugged every titleholder she could find in that room. Some she knew - some she didn't know. Something about these girls made my daughter want to reach out to them and be like them. That is why you compete - to touch others and open yourself up to changing you!

The true reason to compete has more to do with what you GAIN inside than what you GET outside. The prize package you win will only serve you for 1 year, the communication skills you gain will serve you forever! I have seen the inner growth that happens when a contestant decides it's not about winning anything - it's about learning everything! My Father says "Pageantry is by far the best preparation for a successful career, there is nothing else like it that prepares you for the future." The skills you are able to gain are valuable no matter what you choose to pursue in the future.

Right now contestants across the country are trying to decide which pageants to enter, maybe it's local pageants in one system or trying to decide which system to chose. As you think about which competitions to enter this year, don't just choose the ones you think you can win. Choose the ones you want to win with no reservation or hesitation. Learn something from the experience, win or lose! You cannot win if you do not enter. Choose to learn something at each competition. Choose to focus on the growth that comes from the attempt to go for what you really want. Choose to focus BEYOND the crown because standing within your limited comfort zone WILL LIMIT your success! Deciding to jump OUTSIDE your comfort zone and strive for something remarkable may propel you to become the person you are meant to be.

Heather Sumlin
972-899-9640
heather@mentalmanagement.com
(feel free to email me with comments and questions)

Great Year for Brady Ellison!

2010-09-28T13:59:00.002-05:00

This is an email we received from Mel Nichols about Archer Brady Ellison with a link to his finals from the World Cup in Edinburgh!

Here is a link to Bradys Final Match at the World Cup Final in Edinburgh GB. He rocked the Finals! 2010 has been a great year! This year Brady also made the Number One world ranking from FITA. Brady started off the year with a win in Porec Croatia and finished the year with a win in Edinburgh. There are two more USAT events this year Brady is going to shoot. He is also on the team heading down to the Pan American Champiopnships test event. It has been a long year and he is looking forward to a much needed break. I hope all is well in Texas.

Take Care,
Mel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXdFv2lhbNw

Brady has been a student of Mental Management since 2007 when he attended a 2 day training course with Lanny and Troy Bassham. Congrats on a great 2010!!

Winning or Learning....never Winning or Losing.

2010-09-27T07:26:00.004-05:00

This is an email we received last year from a customer. Attainment is about becoming and accomplishment, not accomplishment alone - in this email our customer learned more from his discovery through competing than he would have if he won the competition....You WIN or you LEARN - never LOSE.

"Mr. Bassham,

I am a follower of your Mental Management Plan (I own Freedom Flight, With Winning in Mind, What Every Skeet Shooter Should Know About the Mental Game and Winning Skeet) and figured I’d relay a personal success story with you.

I just finished competing in the Michigan Skeet Championships and while participating in the .410 bore competition Mental Management came through for me. I am in C Class in the .410 and went out and proceeded to break 16 targets in my first box. As I was going back to begin the second box I realized that I was not running my mental program to the best of my ability. Following your advice I began locking on process not outcome until it basically consumed me. In the next 3 boxes with the .410 I broke 24-23-25 for a total of 88. While this may not be a spectacular score the 88 put me into C-3, a 90 won the class and 89 was second. However, I feel I achieved more with the way I shot and where I finished than if I would have shot 4 rounds of 23 for 92 and a first place finish. I could have easily quit after the 16 but instead relied on the MMP and 3 of the best rounds of .410 I have shot in competition. I compare this with your Silver Medal (on a smaller scale of course) and learned what the MMP can actually do for me in competition. I wanted to share this with you and thank you for all your indirect help."

Regards,

Rick Trawinski

(for more information on how Mental Management can help you attain your goals call 972-899-9640 or send an email to info@mentalmanagement.com)

"With Winning in Mind" 3rd Edition Now Available

2010-09-17T07:09:00.003-05:00

Mental Management Systems Announces the Brand New Edition of Lanny Bassham's best selling book "With Winning in Mind"

Purchase now as an audio download for a Special Discounted Price until Oct. 1st

3rd Edition of With Winning in Mind

The last time Lanny Bassham revised "With Winning in Mind" was in 1995! The first edition was written in 1988. It's long overdue for an updated version of the book and we have a special announcement!

The Audio Download version of the new 3rd Edition of "With Winning in Mind" is now available! It is on sale for $24.95 until Oct. 1st - at that time it will be changed to it's regular price of $31.50. (Save $6.55 by ordering now)

This is a link to all of the downloads - "With Winning in Mind" is first on the list: CLICK HERE (all audio downloads are also currently on sale and pricing will increase on Oct. 1st - feel free to reply to this email with questions)

Lanny Bassham enhanced several chapters of "With Winning in Mind" (Goal Setting, Mental Program, Skills Factory, etc) and added a several new chapters (Pressure, Number One Mental Problem, Decisiveness, The Challenge) to update the book.

The Audio Version is read by Lanny.

The Table of Contents of the new version:

Chapter 1 - It Doesn't Matter if You Win or Lose, Until you Lose

Chapter 2 - Winning is a Process

Chapter 3 - Principles of Mental Management

Chapter 4 - The Balance of Power

Chapter 5 - The Mental Management Goal Setting System

Chapter 6 - The Principle of Reinforcement

Chapter 7 - Rehearsal: The Most Versatile Mental Tool

Chapter 8 - The Three Phases of a Task

Chapter 9 - Running a Mental Program

Chapter 10 - Pressure - Is it a Friend or Foe?

Chapter 11 - The Number One Mental Problem

Chapter 12 - The Skills Factory

Chapter 13 - Performance Analysis

Chapter 14 - Building a Better You

Chapter 15 - The Directive Affirmation - the Power Tool for Self-Image Change

Chapter 16 - Making the Directive Affirmation Work for You

Chapter 17 - Decisiveness

Chapter 18 - Become a Promoter

Chapter 19 - The Challenge

This Audio Download is applicable to anyone striving to improve their mental consistency in sport, business, performance or life.

Current Price: $24.95
Regular Price: $31.50 (starting Oct. 1st)

NO SHIPPING COST - is only available as a download at this time.

CLICK HERE to purchase today!

Printed Book Version?? YES - soon! The 3rd Edition of "With Winning in Mind" will be available in a Hardcover book form and we hope to have it available for Christmas! We are editing and sending off to the printer soon. We will take preorders for the printed version when we know what the ship date will be. Send an email to heather@mentalmanagement.com to be put on a list to contact as soon as the printed version is available!

Texas Junior Golf Tour and Mental Management

2010-09-15T07:01:00.003-05:00

Quotes from the Texas Junior Golf Tour CBM Director and President on Mental Management Systems.

Dave Jones, TJGT President stated, “As a former Air Force fighter pilot and NCAA athlete, I realized that being successful in sports and in your professional life meant there would always be times of “pressure to perform” in key situations. Whether it is a big play or shot on the course, taking an ACT/SAT test or preparing for a difficult check ride in a fighter or commercial jet, I learned quickly those who can manage their emotions and focus on the task at hand in high pressure situations were the ones who excelled. Lanny and Troy’s programs at Mental Management couldn’t be a better fit for the competitive junior golfer seeking to maximizing the golf and academic performance to obtain that all important college scholarship. This partnership and the free gifts are another example of TJGT’s commitment to bring the best overall value in junior golf. Mental Management will assist every member to generate an edge over their competitors on the golf course and in the classroom. We look forward to partnering with Lanny & Troy in continuing our passion of every TJGT member receiving a college education and maximizing their potential.”

Coach Monzingo, TJGT CBM Director stated, “Simply put, those who can perform on the course and in the classroom the best under pressure are the players who rise to the top. I have recruited many players at the collegiate level and those who can raise their performance in competitive, pressure filled situations are the ones who college coaches select. Time and time again as a teacher in the classroom and a collegiate golf coach, the kids who had good “Mental Management” training are the ones who excelled above their peers. Lanny & Troy are men of outstanding character and experience. Our CBM players & families will greatly benefit from the gifts and the training from Mental Management. I encourage every TJGT player inside the college bound membership program to seek out this exceptional training. Lanny & Troy are first class people with gold medal results.”

For more information on Lanny Bassham, Troy Bassham and Mental Management please visit www.mentalmanagement.com.

Last Day to SAVE $145 on Coaches Training

2010-09-02T08:14:00.002-05:00

Mental Management Coaches Training

When: September 22-23, 2010
8:30am to 5pm each day

Where: Marriott Courtyard
2701 Lake Vista Drive, Lewisville, Texas 75067

Cost: $695 per person. Early registration is $550.00 until September 2nd.

Register: Call 972-899-9640 or online HERE

Learn how to improve your coaching skills with training from Olympic Champion, Mental Coach and former Olympic Coach, Lanny Bassham!

What will you learn:
4 Participation Levels
4 Stages of Learning
4 Readiness Factors
4 Coaching Styles Guidelines of Coaching Importance of Edification
Benefits of Learning from Mistakes
Triad State Analysis
Mastery Curve How People Learn
How to Conduct Performance Coaching Session
Teaching Moment
How the Mental Game Syncs with Technique and Form
Self-Image Change
Mental Management as it Pertains to Instruction
Pressure Control

Attendees will also receive the Performance Coaching 4 CD Set ($75 value)

Coaches training is applicable to all coaches, teachers, managers and parents.
Coaches who have attended previous Mental Management Coaches Training include
coaches in the following sports: Archery, Baseball, Bowling, Dog Sports, Golf, Pistol/Rifle, Shotgun Sports, Swimming, Tennis

Non-sports related coaches, directors or managers in the following areas also attended this training: Dance, Vocal Performance, Business/Sales, Pageant Director/Coach, Law Enforcement, Parents

If you are a coach or instructor and would like to partner with us in the area of applying our information to your clients then we have some great news for you. This training program will be the first step toward an official and recognized alignment with our company.

Save $145 if you register BY TODAY!!!

Call to Register: 972-899-9640

Seating is limited to only the first 20 coaches who register!

Blast from the Past - David Kimes

2010-08-12T11:38:00.003-05:00

This is a blast from the past. A testimonial from one of Lanny's first Mental Management clients ever! David Kimes sent us this testimonial several years ago and it was posted in our September 2003 issue of MENTALCOACH email newsletter!

I was World Champion and world record holder in the 300 meter standard rifle event (1974) when I first heard about Lanny Bassham's Mental Management course. I was anxious to repeat my win and increase my world record at the next World Shooting Championships to be held in Seoul, Korea in 1978. I was putting it all on the line. I had quit my job in aerospace to practice full-time and prepare for that event and then planned to stick it out for the 1980 Olympic Team tryouts. I was getting help from the Army Reserve International Team, but I needed insurance. That insurance (besides a fine backup rifle): the mental edge that would let my improving practice scores translate to a winning Championship score. Those principles of Mental Management, positive reinforcement, mental rehearsal, the mental program, visualization, positive expectations, these and other mental skills passed on to me by Lanny in 1977 ... all gave me that strong "mental tool box", empowering me to walk around all the other competitors in my event. That was in addition to improving my scores! The feeling of successfully defending my World Championship and increasing my world record that day in October of 1978 is hard to describe.

Lanny, I cannot thank you enough!

David Kimes, World Champion + World Record - 1974, 1978 Olympic Team, 1980.

It's exciting to know Mental Management has been helping competitors reach their goals for over 33 years! David Kimes was one of Lanny Bassham's very first students.

Visualization and Multiple Events

2010-08-12T11:34:00.002-05:00

This short article was posted in one of our first MENTALCOACH newsletters back in August of 2003. (to sign up for the MENTALCOACH newsletter go to: www.mentalmanagement.com)

If you have several competitions in the next few weeks try visualizing performing well in a different competition each day. See yourself doing well in event 1 on say Monday, event 2 on Tuesday, event 3 on Wednesday and so on. Then rotate through them again. As the competitions are completed drop them from your visualization rotation. This keeps you from thinking too much about the NEXT BIG EVENT and puts your focus more in relation to the overall remaining season. See yourself doing well with confidence and control.

This technique is like a rock that skips across the pond when thrown correctly instead of sinking when it first hits the water. You will expend less mental energy and get greater mental output as you tend to pace your rehearsal and do not have to GET UP for each competition.

Also you will tend to judge yourself more on the total of the performances than the finishing of each one. You just skip along mentally, trusting your skill and staying on top of your game like the rock stays on top of the water.

Article by Lanny Bassham - Olympic Champion and Founder of Mental Management Systems

Lanny Bassham the Speaker

2010-07-23T09:30:00.003-05:00

We just received this email today, Lanny did a keynote speech in Des Moines, IA earlier this month and we received these kind words from the head of the company.

"Lanny Bassham was our Keynote speaker for our 2010 Half Time report. His dramatic story telling style coupled with the powerful "Freedom Flight" story had his audience hanging on every word. In today's world, driven by media and their focus on negative news, the ability to focus on the important and let the noise fade into the background is a powerful tool. The day after our event the calls and email's of praise poured in from our clients. His story of the strength of the human spirit and passion for excellence was exactly what we had hoped for in a keynote speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to share your story and passion with our clients." Brian J Hood CFP, Founder Legacy Financial Group

Interested in having Lanny speak for your company or organization, please call 972-899-9640 or send an email request to heather@mentalmanagement.com

Motivation - article by Lanny Bassham

2010-07-20T15:52:00.002-05:00

This is an article from our July Newsletter MENTALCOACH - please enjoy!

Motivation. The dictionary defines the term as the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way or the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

In my experience people are motivated by at least four things. We will look at two in this article; moving toward something you want and moving away from something that makes you uncomfortable. Let's look at each of these in some detail.

We owned and operated a horse ranch some years back. Horses respond well to both promise of gain and moving away from discomfort. One of the most important things a horse need to learn to do on command is to jump into the horse trailer. This can be an easy task if you know what to do and have the time to do it. When a horse is young all you have to do is to put them in a pen with the horse trailer, putting feed in the trailer. Before you know it the colt will jump in to get the food. Once they associate the horse trailer with food they will tend to load easily. Just make certain you have food in the trailer every time you need to load the horse. - That's promise of gain.

People are the same. John is looking forward to a huge bonus if he can bring in the sales quota established by his boss. He is willing to burn the midnight oil and sacrifice for the promise of more money. Focus is enhanced, priorities are reevaluated, effort levels increase and the result is a change in behavior and attitudes. This works just as long as you put the feed in the trailer by paying the bonus.

Horses move away from discomfort. It is never necessary to hurt or injure a horse to train them, but making them uncomfortable is often necessary. You often need to lead a horse on a halter. Putting a halter on a horse that has never had one on him can be unpleasant for the trainer. Horses resist this procedure. This is best done when the horse is young and you are bigger than they are. Once a strong halter is in place and secured to a solid structure the colt will strain against the halter. It soon becomes unpleasant to continue to do this and they will relax against the pull of the halter. Soon one can then lead the horse anywhere because it stops resisting the halter.

People are the same. Jim spends a little more than he earns. No problem. He puts a small increase on his credit card debt. Each month this continues until paying the bill becomes painful. Debt is a halter. Given time it will lead you where you don't want to go. Jim gets sick and tired of living from pay check to pay check. He takes action. He is willing to create a budget and live on less applying the difference to reducing his debt. Focus is enhanced, priorities are reevaluated, effort levels increase and the result is a change in behavior and attitudes.

Jane eats a little more than she can exercise away. Pound appear. Soon she is unhappy with the way she looks in her clothes. Food is a halter. Given time it will lead you where you don't want to go. Jane gets sick and tired of the way she looks and feels. She takes action. She is willing to exercise and follow a different eating pattern. Focus is enhanced, priorities are reevaluated, effort levels increase and the result is a change in behavior and attitudes.

What are you excited about? Are you moving toward something exciting or away from something uncomfortable today? What is your halter? Time to take it off and move on. When you do focus is enhanced, priorities are reevaluated, effort levels increase and the result is a positive change in the quality of your life.

Next month we will look at recognition and fear of loss as motivators.
---Lanny Bassham (info@mentalmanagement.com)

Feel free to contact us at 972-899-9640 or check out the website www.mentalmanagement.com for more information on Lanny Bassham and Mental Management.

30% off Several Products until May 31st!

2010-05-28T08:41:00.002-05:00

Reinforcement - By Lanny Bassham

2010-05-10T14:16:00.002-05:00

This was posted in our May Issue of the MENTALCOACH Newsletter.

Concentration is nothing more than the control of one's mental picture. Remember, the Subconscious Mind, with all it's power, moves you to do whatever the Conscious Mind is picturing. If you can control the picture, you can control the performance. Our conscious picture is formed from what you think about, talk about and write about.

The Principle of Reinforcement: The more we think about, talk about or write about something happening, we improve the probability of that thing happening!

This is my favorite principle of Mental Management. Every time we think about something happening, we improve the probability that it will happen. Be careful what you think about. What do you picture? Every time you worry, you improve the probability that what you are worrying about will happen. If you are worrying about scoring badly, the Subconscious, with all its power, will move you to score badly. It is not what you want, but it is what you will get if you continue to think this way. What you must do is picture scoring well.

Also, be careful what you talk about. I've seen the following situation hundreds of times. Two people meet at a competition. Person A asks, "How did you do?" Person B says, "I did terrible. Everything I did was wrong. I'm so upset and angry." B has just improved the probability of having another day just like this one in the future because he is thinking and talking about his mistakes. The really sad thing is that because Person A is listening, he is also improving the chance that he could have B's problems in the future. Be careful what you say and whom you listen to. Unfortunately, the culture of sport is often negative. It has become acceptable to talk about mistakes. Do not spend time listening to the problems of others, or you will soon inherit their problems. Your Self-Image is moving you toward what you are reinforcing if you are thinking and talking this way. It is becoming like you to make mistakes.

I was once asked, "Mr. Bassham, in the 1978 World Championships, you shot a 598/600 to win a medal. What happened on those two nines?" I answered, "Do you really want to know? Do you want to know how I got those nines? That will not help you. You don't want to know how I got two nines. What you should be asking is how I got 58 tens. Besides, I can't remember how I got the nines. I do not reinforce bad shots by remembering them." You should talk about your good shots to improve the probability that you will have more good shots in the future.

Be sure to write down what you want to happen. Years ago I had the pleasure of teaching the Canadian Olympic Shooting Team. In one of the seminars, I remember telling the shooters that it has always been my habit to write down my goals as if they had already been accomplished. At the break, one of the pistol shooters, Linda Thom and I were visiting about her goal to become the 1984 Olympic pistol champion. At age 8, she was taught to shoot by her father. In 1970, she competed at the World Shooting Championships in Phoenix, Arizona and finished in the Top 10. This, by the way was my first World Championships. Despite Linda's achievements, she decided to focus her attentions elsewhere, taking a seven year break from shooting. In 1982, it was announced that the Ladies Pistol Match would be an Olympic event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Seeing a chance to reach Olympic victory Linda returned to shooting and was on the Canadian National team attending the session I was teaching. One thing I said to her was that you must write it out your goals. In Canada and the United States too, shooters rarely write our goals out. We're a very literate society otherwise, but we don't seem to write down our goals.

One of the most important things I've found useful is to write out the goal in the first person, present tense. I told her to write, "I am the 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in Ladies Match Pistol. Write it out in your journal every night, be disciplined to stay with it, and one of two things will happen, either you won't believe it and you'll stop writing it, or you'll keep on writing it and you'll succeed." It really works. Although Linda had a journalism degree, she didn't particularly like sitting down and writing out her goal but she did made the effort. For 18 months she wrote that she was the Olympic Champion, every single night in her journal. Linda came back to the sport with a single goal in mind; win the Olympic Gold Medal. She did just that and became the first woman to win the Ladies 25m Pistol Gold Medal. What makes this even more special is that Thom's win also marked the first gold medal by a Canadian since 1968 and the first female individual gold medalist since 1928. She told me repeatedly writing down her goal helped her build her self-image as a champion.

Be careful not to complain. I often hear people, in business as well as sport, complaining about their circumstances. Complaining is negative reinforcement. I teach my students not to reinforce a bad performance by getting angry. Do not reinforce a bad day at the by complaining to your spouse. Remember something that you did well each day instead. Fill your thoughts only with your best performances and you will be successful!

Article by Lanny Bassham, email him at info@mentalmanagement.com - check out our website www.mentalmanagement.com

Interview with Ben Crane on his Mental Game

2010-05-07T09:28:00.001-05:00

http://www.pgatour.com/2010/tournaments/r011/05/06/transcript.1.crane/

This interview includes a conversation about Ben’s mental game. Ben has been working closely with Lanny & Troy Bassham and is applying Mental Management on Tour!

To learn more about Mental Management for golf go to www.mentaltraininggolf.com!

Kyle Gary Wins District Golf Tournament

2010-05-05T11:10:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Mental Management Student Kyle Gary for his victory on March 29th in the TAPS 3A Division District High School Golf Tournament!

He led all competitors in extreme wind conditions with a 77 and helped his team place 3rd overall.

This victory helped Kyle qualify for State!

Kyle is a student of Troy Bassham using Mental Management to improve his mental skills in golf. For more details on Mental Management please call 972-899-9640

Hire Troy Bassham to speak for your company, organization, club or team!

2010-04-29T09:53:00.003-05:00

Hire Mental Management Coach Troy Bassham to speak for your company, organization, club or team!

What is Mental Management? In 1972, at the Munich Germany Olympic Games, Lanny Bassham -- the father of Troy Bassham -- failed in his attempt to win the Gold Medal in International Rifle Shooting. He had a mental failure resulting in his taking the Silver instead. Frustrated, Lanny wanted to take a course in controlling the mind under pressure. After looking for such a seminar and not finding satisfaction, Bassham began to interview Olympic Gold Medalists to discover what they were doing differently to win.

What he discovered was truly remarkable. Bassham created a system of mental control he called Mental Management®. Within the next six years Lanny Bassham dominated his sport, winning 22 world individual and team titles, setting four world records and winning the coveted Olympic Gold Medal in Montreal in 1976.

The Goal of the Seminar: The goal in this seminar for athletes is to help them and the team reach their goals and win! The key to achieving this is the mental game. Many people think you don't really need to worry about the mental game until you have a high level of mastery of the basic form of a sport. Nothing could be further from the truth! Mental Management® has been taught to Olympians, business owners, Fortune 500 Corporations and college athletes. The Mental Management System is a recognized performance enhancement program that is taught to and used by World and Olympic Champions throughout the world. There clients include the PGA and PGA tour players, World and Olympic champions, Fortune 500 companies, The United States Secret Service, The US Navy SEALS, The United States Army Marksmanship Unit, The US Marine Corps Marksmanship Unit and Olympic teams of USA, Canada, India, Japan, Republic of China, Korea and Australia.

Who is Troy Bassham? A senior level instructor, Troy won 12 national championships, set 4 national records and won the CISM World Championship in 1999. Troy was a member of the Bronze Medal winning team in the 2002 World Championships for the USA. From 1994 to present, Troy has worked with hundreds of junior athletes with their mental game developing dozens of National Champions. Troy spent many years in University administration prior to coming to MMS and is in demand as a speaker to college-bound students on how to get the most out of their college experience.

To learn more about how to hire Troy please email heather@mentalmanagement.com or call the Mental Management office at 972-899-9640.

Dog Obedience Success Story

2010-04-28T14:27:00.004-05:00

This email was sent to us a while back and sorting through our inbox it was located again today. We wanted to take a moment to post it and share on our blog!

"Taylor and I competed in obedience. I had done some obedience with her uncle - Nirvana's Irish Stu CDX but I was still very new to the sport. I was introduced to "With Winning in Mind" by my trainer at the time. Taylor and I had struggled with the 3rd level - Utility but persisted. We started using your program of visualization and positive self talk and our performances started to greatly improve. To achieve an OTCH title we had to compete and beat some of the best dog and handler teams in the country. As we were new to this - the task was daunting. Your program was a very important part of our success. It was an incredible experience to have such a close and wonderful connection with my best team mate and best friend - Taylor, having the mental discipline to stay focused and on track made it all possible." Barbara