I was 8 years old, pigtails flying, and could barely see over the net but balls were coming at my head at warp speed.

A voice on the other side of the court was screaming “eye of the tiger, eye of the tiger”, “don’t take your eye off of the ball!”

My Dad would be drilling balls at me as hard as he could to improve my reaction skills, timing, and to make me TOUGH!!!! I stayed right in there, kept my racket up, kept my feet moving and was determined that no ball was going to get past me!!!

I actually do this drill with my students today, it’s fun! Well, to the ones who can handle it! It is great for improving your reaction time and having to constantly be ready moving your feet at all times. It creates a mental toughness because it can be scary to stay in there and not duck for cover!

You do have to be tough to pull out a win in the 3rd set tiebreaker, run the last 5 miles of a marathon, or throw a touchdown pass in overtime with 7 seconds left on the clock in 20 degree weather! Mental toughness will push you to the finish line and is a great tool to navigate through obstacles life throws your way.

What are some of your mental toughness stories?