I see this every single day with our athletes.

People worry A LOT.

And athletes are no different.

They worry about whether they’re going to be fit enough to play well come championship.

They worry about whether they’re going to suffer any more injuries before the big day comes.

They worry whether their RTP process is going too slowly.

They worry about whether they’ll ever be completely injury free.

And as a result…

Their diligence in the present suffers.

Their belief in the process wavers.

Their consistency day in and day out takes a hit.

They bring less intent to the work that they actually do complete.

And as a result they repeat the same cycle that has kept them stuck in the same place for so long.

Our athletes constantly ask us questions about the future.

“When will I be back?”

“When can I run again?”

“When will I be able to pick up a hurl?”
“When will I be able to sprint pain free?”
“When will my knee feel normal?”

And although we’re here to offer our expertise and advice, we can’t answer questions about a future that’s unsure.

And our athletes know that.

But they consistently ask anyway.

Our response to these questions never really differs.

The answer to all of them is, “When the time is right.”

And the time will be right when the work that is in front of you has been completed.

So, our focus always has to be in bringing the athlete back to the present moment.

Sure we do our best to answer their questions and show them what’s necessary to move onto the next stage of the process.

But there’s no telling when they’ll be able to complete the necessary tasks to grant access to the next level of progression.

It may be in a week’s time.

Or it could be in months.

But the only thing that’s standing in front of them and preventing them from moving onto the next stage is the work that they have not done.

And the work that they have not done, only begins to get done, when they decide to do it.

Completing months of RTP, starts with your very next session.

Your very next session starts with your very next exercise.

Your next exercise starts with your next set.

And your next set starts with your next rep.

So, the only thing you can actually control is your very next action.

We can’t control the outcome.

We can’t control WHEN we return.

But by focusing on executing our next action as best as we possibly can, we can move one step closer to completing the necessary work that moves us towards achieving our goals.

One successful action paves the way for the next.

And if we can string them together, then a future in which we achieve what we set out to becomes much more likely.

It is our job as coaches to remain focused on the future.

We are the planners.

We are the ones that put together the program for the athlete to help them to return to sport and achieve their goals.

But that program is only valid for a short amount of time.

Our programming must be reactive to how the athlete in question is progressing in response to the work.

It must be proactive in pre-empting what’s to come down the road.

But progression through the program is dictated by one thing and one thing only.

The athlete’s response to the work.

So, the only thing that the athlete should be focusing on, is doing their best to achieve the appropriate response to that work.

They do this by

1. Executing the work to the best of their ability
2. Asking themselves how they can execute it even better
3. Recovering as best as possible outside of the work being done

Our job is

1. To plan that work that must be done with the end goal in mind
2. Assist the athlete to execute the work within the time constraints of their week
3. Give the athlete feedback on how they can execute the work even better
4. Assist the athlete to improve their recoverability by educating them around pillars of recovery
5. Working with the athlete towards improving their habits and making the process as seamless as possible
6. Reacting and responding to changes in the athlete’s physical profile through adaptive programming
7. Helping the athlete to steer the course, get the work done and remain present-focused

So, even though the athlete may not want to hear it…

We must always bring their attention back to the present, back to the process and back to themselves.

The present is all that we can control.

We can’t control what’s happened in the past, only respond to it.

We can’t control what’s coming in the future, only prepare for it.

And we do both of those things in the present.

All humans worry. It’s part of the human experience and it’s in our nature.

But worry serves no purpose.

A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary. – Seneca

I recently had an athlete ask me, “What if my groin pain comes back? What will we do then?”

My answer was simple, “We cross that bridge IF we come to it.”

And I also felt it necessary to show the athlete the other side of their thinking.

“What if it doesn’t?”

Because it is much more likely that the athlete will return to play successfully now given the work that they’ve done.

If they manage their load appropriately and continue to develop physically then the likelihood that their groin pain comes back becomes increasingly less likely.

And why bother worrying about a future that is unlikely?

Focus your attention on the present.

Try to break away from the shackles of the self-limiting beliefs and experiences that keep you trapped in the past.

And do your best to not worry about the future.

If you’re able to do that, then improved performance becomes increasingly more likely.

And if all we can do is increase the likelihood of improved performance by focusing on the present, then I would suggest we do our best to do just that.