For Athletes Mental Edge (FAME) is a membership site geared to help athletes overcome obstacles of self-doubt, nervousness, lapses of concentration and anxiety during competition. What For FAME does do is help athletes develop the mental edge to focus, concentrate, break bad habits, trust themselves, develop gamesmanship and awareness of the moment they are in. Many times just watching sports, you hear a commentator say, ‘He/She is so mentally tough.’ Believe me this does not just happen overnight for an athlete. It is something that is built over time. An athlete that displays this ‘Mental Toughness’ has at some point decided to prepare their mind just as hard and vigorous as they have prepared their body for competition. They have learned that being unprepared mentally will only lead to a breakdown physically.

FAME has noticed there is something missing in today’s athletes. They have technological advantages like never before. They include year-round training programs. Gyms that offer speed, agility and quickness programs to improve athleticism. Personal coaches/skill trainers are populating virtually every sport. Awesome medical advances to recover from injury faster. Yet, there still seems to be a missing link in peak performance. We look to fill this void by assisting accomplished, elite, professional, recreational and youth athletes in the development of the mental edge of mastering the moment they are in and performing at their peak

So, you must be asking, ‘How is this mental toughness/edge going to be developed?’ Simply, we focus on concepts like goal setting, relaxation, mental imagery and motivational phrases. We feel these concepts are the basis for strong mental preparation. We subscribe to the 75/25 rule. Winning is 75% mental and 25% physical. Others have this rule even more disproportionate for the mental side. If that is the case, why do we concentrate so much time training the body with little regard to mental training.

If you’re thirsty, it’s already too late. Dehydration is the number one nutritional killer of most athletes’ performance, because they don’t drink enough water through the day. Not drinking enough water will leave you feeling sluggish and sleepy, and when you’re an athlete involved in a sport where every second counts you know that a few minutes of feeling sluggish and sleepy can completely ruin your performance. Although most doctors recommend you drink six to eight glasses of water a day, that amount actually varies from person to person. The best thing you can do is cut other drinks out of your diet and drink water all day long. Remember, if your body is so dehydrated that you feel thirsty, it’s already too late.

Take your vitamins. Vitamin and mineral supplements are a key element in athlete nutrition, since the constant demands placed on their body burn those vitamins up faster than the average individual. Talk with your coach and your physician to see what supplements are right for you. Enjoy your carbs! Although the Atkins diet has instilled a deathly fear of carbs into a huge percentage of the population, the bottom line is that your body gets its energy from its carbohydrates. As an athlete, you need that energy to keep going; as an individual, you need those carbs to replace what you burn throughout the day.

Keep your meat lean. There’s nothing wrong with a nice, juicy steak every once in a while, but good athlete nutrition hinges on keeping the body at a cutting edge. Lean meats are much more effective for that purpose. Remember, however, that your body craves protein as well. As an athlete your daily protein requirements may be higher than many other individuals who live more sedentary lives.

Avoid sweets. Sweets and sugary drinks will dehydrate you and slow you down. That’s the last thing you need! If you can, cut these sweets out of your diet completely. If you can’t, indulge in moderation. Remember, there’s a vast difference between a small slice of cake at your cousin’s wedding reception and an entire apple pie devoured in front of “I Love Lucy” re-runs! Good athlete nutrition is a vital part of staying on top of your game. Sit down with your coach and your physician as soon as possible to work out a detailed diet plan just for you to have you at your peak athletic performance. You’ll be surprised at the difference a little change can make