TRAVIS ROGERS

In my Senior baseball season at New Mexico State University I first became aware of the huge role that the mental game plays in sports.  Prior to my senior season I had been named the team's captain, and I had high hopes of playing well, being a leader, and finishing my college playing career on a high note. When the season started poorly for me personally, and our team wasn't playing well, I did not know how to respond.  The perceived pressures became more than I could handle and within the first few weeks of the season I contemplated quitting.  The game that I had loved my entire life, that had taught me so much, and had blessed me with so many great relationships, had become a daily grind, a nightmare.  I finished the year, but following my Senior season I never played another game of baseball.
 

In 2008 I got back on the baseball field for the first time in 16 years as a coach for my son's tee-ball team.  It was great to be back involved and to watch the boys and girls having so much fun. However, over the next few years I noticed differences from back when I was playing youth sports. Kids were now much harder on themselves, parents were more demanding, and the coaches seemed to be worried more about winning than giving the kids a great experience.  As I got more involved, and moved further along with my son, I noticed it more and more.  The fun, the development, and the over all experience were being taken away from the kids.  These kids were not loving the game!  I decided that I could make a difference as a parent and a coach.  For me this meant learning what I could about sport psychology.  I went back to school and acquired a Master's Degree in Sport & Exercise Science with an emphasis on Sport Psychology.

 

Through my studies, and through practice, I have learned that the proper mindset can lead to optimal experience, development, and success for an athlete.  This mindset can be learned, practiced, and owned by an athlete.  I started MindRite Training so that I could share what I have learned with athletes, coaches, and parents.  My goal is for athletes to own a mindset that will keep them passionately pursuing their chosen sport for as long as they choose.