Oct. 21, 2010
Ruston, La. - Spencer Wood, President of Icebox Athlete, spoke with Louisiana Tech student-athletes and coaches on the importance of mental toughness in collegiate athletics Tuesday night at the Wyly Tower Auditorium.
Wood is a premier provider of mental skills and toughness training that championship programs, coaches and student-athletes across the United States have used with distinction, including recent workshops with athletic departments and leading teams in the ACC, SEC, Big East, Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences.
"I was overwhelmed when I got the memo that Spencer was coming because he done so many great things for college athletics," said Louisiana Tech women's basketball coach Teresa Weatherspoon. "He gives a greater understanding of what mental toughness really means in everything that you do. To have our student-athletes take part in that confirms some things that we as coaches have tried to say."
For Wood, the ideal student-athlete is one that is not only physically gifted but one that is mentally tough and can overcome adversity or stressful situation when faced with respective challenges.
The evening began with Wood telling the Tech student-athletes that great athletes aren't perfect but they develop perfection based on their reaction to mistakes.
The ability to work hard by sustaining energy and competiveness allows those to develop their sport-specific skills with poise while learning to cope with criticism in order to execute game strategy within one's respective sport.
"The things that he said were just unbelievable and great for our kids to hear and understand," said Weatherspoon. "When you can build your positive attitude toward things and stay mentally strong, great things happen. "
Wood closed out the evening by emphasizing the importance of putting in the time for individual work outside of mandatory team practice stressing that mental toughness is developed through what he calls "The Four C's" - composure, concentration, confidence and commitment.
"Knowledge is nothing without being empowered by application," said Wood. "If you lack confidence in your abilities, you will never outperform your self-belief system."
Wood's Mental Skills and Toughness Training Workshops have been featured on ESPN, and his articles have appeared in publications such as The WBCA Journal and World Class Coaching. Wood has also presented at the NCAA Final Four, American Baseball Coaches Association, the Nike Football Awards and numerous other major athletic conventions.
For more information on the Icebox Athlete program, visit www.iceboxathlete.com.
