Overcoming the Mind

I need to give myself a serious talking to. I really don't know what is wrong with me, but I need to get over it. I am sick of these little 9'6, 9'4, 9'8 jumps. I should be jumping 10'6 consistently.

I have come to the conclusion that Coach Prince and my dad are 100% right. There is nothing holding me back but me. I physically can jump 11' but I haven't because my head gets in the way. Coach Prince, my high school coach, told me earlier this week "Every jump is 9'6" and he is completely right. He went on to explain "If you jump like you do at 9'6 knowing you will clear it in your sleep, you will jump 11' every time." Great advice Coach... But how does one over come the mind? It is a very powerful tool.

I realized today that I jumped well at 9'8, clearing it on the first attempt. Then we moved up to 10'2 and to a new pole, now there is some other stuff involved at this point coaching wise and the lack of one, but staying on the subject of me, I gave up those jumps. No one else but me. If I had run down there confident in myself and my ability, I would have blown it out of the water, however that is not what happened. Sure my run and steps were off, but if I had been confident in it I wouldn't have missed all three attempts.

So I have three weeks to get my head in the game. (Which is bruised from Coach Fitz running it into a brick wall earlier...) Next week we have off, then we are headed to either App State or Clemson. Personally I am hoping for App because as my dad said earlier "You always jump well there." (Just a little FYI, I have never jumped well at UNC.) The week after that we are heading up to the cold country in Rhode Island for the Atlantic 10 Conference Championships. That's the big one! My last indoor meet and I will be jumping 10'4 at that meet. (At least.) I started giving myself a pep talk on the way home and that is what I told myself. "You will jump 10'4 at conference. Get over yourself and just do it." So now I have three weeks to prove it to myself and fix this head of mine.

"When do we peak? Conference." -Coach Fitz