When Sveto Damjanovic, founder of Hybrid Performance Coaching (HPC) was growing up in Croatia he played elite junior football (soccer). He remembers his mother loved it because he had so much energy, people thought he was hyperactive.
Sport gave Sveto an outlet for his high energy. But being a child when he entered A‑grade sport, it was natural he couldn’t always control his temper on-field.
“One day I lost it during a match,” says Sveto. “I don’t remember why; maybe I missed a goal, maybe I copped an elbow from someone on the other team. Anyway, I ran off the field and threw myself on the bench.
“My coach was a classic old-school Croatian coach: big on discipline, not so big on praise.
He just looked at me.
“‘Sveto,” he goes, ‘I get it. You’re pissed off. But you have two choices. You can suck it up and get back on the field. Or you can sit on the bench and watch your team lose’”.
Mindset is one of the keys to optimal performance
It was a good early lesson in the importance of mindset.
Sveto has had some great coaches in his time. His football coach in Croatia was one of them. He instilled a valuable insight: you can sit on the bench in life, or take control of your attitude and your actions.
The best coaches focus on more than physical performance. Mindset, environment, cognition, nutrition, and mental wellbeing: these are all the elements in a good coach’s toolkit.
If your personal trainer isn’t talking to you about your mindset, your sleeping habits or your nutritional intake, they’re not giving you the full picture.
Sveto’s goal is to be the type of coach he would want to train with … and the coach and mentor you deserve.
If you’re ready to get off the bench in life and back on the field … contact Sveto and HPC now.
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