MentalEdgePerformance.ca is founded by Shayne McGowan, based on the concept of creating a superior standard of training for athletes on and off the field. McGowan is a certified mental game coaching professional. He has studied at Cal State University and has played football in college and briefly in the pros. He is a member of Coaches of Canada and NCCP certified, has 30 years fitness background as a trainer. He has done interviews on Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio, NFL Spin Zone, NFL Showtime, BlogTalkRadio and writes for Train fitness magazine.

Your opponents are not superhuman or godlike; they are humans, too. They get nervous just like you, they feel pressure and anxiety just like you.

A ranked athlete or team may be afraid of losing there high ranking, or feel you might be the next best thing and the up and coming star. Try to understand that your competitors have weaknesses, too, and realize that other players are not perfect with their mental game.

In addition, I believe in the power of momentum: A team with a poor record can beat a winning team, or a lower-ranked athlete can beat higher-ranked athlete. When an athlete has momentum and high-confidence, he or she can find his or her comfort and start playing in the zone.

Everyone has good days and bad days during a competition or game. Remember that anything can happen. But if you don’t try your best you will never know what your potential is or where you rank as an athlete or team against the best.