Developing a Mission Statement in Tennis
What is your ultimate mission as an athlete?
What is your overall principle that guides your efforts as a tennis player?
Many tennis players have never thought of creating a mission statement.
A mission statement is a formal summary of your aims and values as an athlete.
What kind of athlete do you want to be? How do you want to be remembered?
Every company has a mission statement.
Nike’s mission statement is, “To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world.”
Nike’s mission statement affects everything they do as a company from products, sales, sponsorship, marketing, etc. To further highlight their mission statement, Nike created their motto, “Just Do It,” that encapsulates their objectives as a company.
In tennis, you can define your athletic mission in many ways:
- “I want to be remembered as a go-for-it, aggressive player.”
- “I want to remembered as a resilient player who overcame all adversity thrown my way.”
- “I want to be remembered as a mentally tough competitor.”
- “I want to be remembered as a tennis player who rose to the occasion and always sought to improve my game.”
When you have a well defined athletic mission statement, you can withstand adversity while staying focused and motivated to accomplish your goals.
Angelique Kerber has a very particular approach for 2018 that is a direct result of her athletic mission…
Kerber had a difficult 2017 season as she struggled with form and fell out of the Top-20 for the first time since 2012. Heading into the 2018 Australian Open, Kerber is focused on her personal mission statement and how she defines herself as a tennis player.
KERBER: “I’m always a person that tries to fight. Doesn’t matter what happens. I’m always trying to coming back, and this is what I was trying the last few weeks, working hard and pushing me until my limits. And also, now I know what I can do. I did it 2016 and also the years before. So this is, yeah, what I was having always in my mind when I was preparing for this year.”
As you can see, Kerber defines her mission by several key terms: fighter, hard worker and pushing to her limits.
These definitions are reminders of how she wants to compete. Every time Kerber hits the court, these positive cues direct her focus towards how she wants to play each point.
What type of competitor do you want to be?
How do you want to be remembered as a tennis player?
What do you want to accomplish?
Defining your mission is a great way to direct your thoughts to reach your potential in tennis.
Developing an Athletic Mission Statement:
- Imagine the athlete you want to be. What do you want to accomplish and how would you like to achieve those objectives?
- Brainstorm the characteristics that would be necessary to meet those objectives.
- Combine those characteristics in a positive mission statement to guide your actions throughout your tennis. If you want to take it a bit further, create a personal motto. To remind yourself of the player you want to be.
Related Tennis Psychology Articles:
- Fognini’s Mental Victory Over Nadal
- How To Regain Confidence In Your Tennis Game
- How Nadal Uses His Mind to Win Matches
- Download our a FREE Tennis Psychology Report
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