Here’s a great article about Rafael Nadal in which he describes struggling mentally this year on the pro tennis tour. Roger Federer also discusses his mental difficulties.

For most people, it’s hard to imagine that such such gifted and experienced athletes who have had so much success in their careers could, for example, lose confidence and get nervous. Yet, my experience in working with Olympic and professional athletes has shown me that they are really not so different psychologically and emotionally than the rest of us; they are human.

It’s no surprise then that “mere mortals”, such as junior athletes and weekend warriors, also experience times when their mind turns from their best ally to their worst enemy.

What’s the lesson here? Be sensitive to changes in your athletic psyche and, just like a physical injury, take steps to resolve the problem before it shifts from acute to chronic.