First Straight

ReWired to Win

- Greg Romero

What does it take to win?

Ultimately, what people really want to know is “How do I / can I win?” As a former Pro BMX Racer and now as a Sport Psychologist, I can tell you - the “how” generally reveals itself once you have your “why” and “what”. My job is not to teach people “how” to win, it is to teach people to win. Did you catch that? That slight shift in language, the slight shift in perception, the incremental difference? This is the magic winners use to win… Even if they are asking how!

Before I begin to get into some things you can do to become more mentally fit, it’s important we go over some things that get in the way of our winning, placing, and showing.

ANTs - Automatic Negative Thoughts.

Just like your iPhone has some basic programming allowing it to power up or shut down if it gets too hot, your brain has some built-in programming as well. These negative thoughts pop up automatically due to the built-in programming and are designed to keep you safe or alive - which is why you may be second guessing yourself when you get to the top of the eight meter ramp or jump the pro set for the first time! Crashing sucks. Dying sucks more. Here are some ANTs that may get in your way from time to time:

1. Overgeneralization: Coming to a general conclusion based on one event or minimal evidence: “I always have trouble with big jumps”, “She always cuts people off”, “I never get an inside lane in the main.”

2. Filtering: Concentrating only on certain (most likely negative) aspects of a situation: “Yeah, but I cased the third jump”, “I have a full gate and the other motos only have six riders!”