Protecting Your Mental Toughness

Adversity is your companion. It challenges you. It changes you. It strengthens you or it beats you.

What "mental toughness qualities" have MVB standouts shown? 

• They rose up to meet challenges, even against boys (Burlington, 2005).
• They did not quit even when their backs were against the wall (too numerous to count).
• They won as underdogs on the road.
• They competed and won a sectional with young players (2010). 
• Top players competed under the weather and still put forth great effort. Sadie Jaggers played the "Jordan Game" in 2023. 

The key isn't more motivation - it's being aware of yourself, your mindset, and your actions.

Here are 6 traps that break mental toughness: pic.twitter.com/4jHfYQEiNW

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) November 11, 2025

1. Do hard well. 

2. Choose to succeed. Success is a choice.

3. Deserve to win. Age does not define you.

4. Set high standards.

5. See yourself as a champion before you are one.

6. Trust and believe in each other.  

Lagniappe. What separates the best from other players? It isn't what you might think. 

What the top 5% of tennis players all have in common pic.twitter.com/FnMBGaT8Lk

— Mindset Machine  (@Mindset_Machine) January 7, 2026