#communityovereverything: Emily Williams
“I’M SUCH A FIRM BELIEVER THAT STRENGTH COMES THROUGH TRIALS”
Governor Abbot allowed businesses to open their doors to the public and with that has come great hope for the state of Texas. We realize that some businesses in the CityCentral community will be affected by this economic situation for some time, so we are resuming to speak with members to show our support and share theirs. Continuing our Community Over Everything campaign, we had the opportunity to speak with CityCentral Plano member and founder of Champion Mindset Consulting LLC, Emily Williams, to learn more about her career in mental coaching and what advice she has for athletes during this time.
“EVERYONE HAS THAT POINT WHERE EVERYTHING CLICKS”
As a coach, Emily works with athletes to improve the mental component of their sport. She explains, “I teach them a bunch of skills that they can learn and utilize. Then we end up putting together a pre-competition routine for them. So, they have these skills at their disposal, and they know when to use them and when it is going to help them. Then they have a routine created and before they go out to compete, they can go through their routine to get themselves locked into the zone, where they’re going to perform their best.”
This intellectual coaching allows athletes to have consistent performances instead of leaving it up to chance. Emily teaches multiple categories of skills from visualization, cognitive reframing, emotion control, attentional focus and more. She explains how she takes a personal, invested interest in each of her clients, “I try my best to go watch them compete. If they are local, I try to go to their gyms or wherever they are at. I like to address all aspects of life. I’m not a counselor, but obviously if there are things that are going on outside of their sport, like they’re really stressed about taking the SAT or applying for a job…that’s going to have an impact on their performance too.”
“I’VE HAD ATHLETES ON THE VERGE OF QUITTING THEIR SPORT.”
Being an athlete can be very trying at times. Learning new skills and overcoming fear can be very emotional and overwhelming. Emily knows this and helps athletes turn these emotions into strength and confidence. When asked what the most rewarding part of her job is she answered, “It really is just seeing them achieve their goals and seeing their performance improve. I think for me I really like to see that progress and so it’s not just one moment.” She explains how she has had athletes on the verge of quitting their sport, but with her coaching they will turn around 6 months later and be first place in every competition. Her reward is seeing the athletes being proud of themselves and what they have overcome.
“IF WE WEREN’T EVER PUT INTO DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, WE WOULDN’T HAVE A REASON TO GROW AND IMPROVE.”
With gyms being closed and competitions postponed, it can be hard for athletes to stick to their daily routines. For them, their sport plays a huge factor in their lives. Emily motivates that, “Strength comes through trials and this is obviously a trial and it’s a difficult time, but that’s how you build strength and how you progress.” Her advice to athletes is to know that they are going to have improvement and they are going to be stronger when they come out of this.
Emily has been using video calls to stay in touch with her athletes and keep that sense of motivation. She explains, “It’s actually been working out very well… It has been nice in a sense that some of these athletes have a little bit of more time on their hands than they typically do. So, they’ve been able to practice skills a little bit more often than usual.”
“TAKE THE RISK, FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAYS.”
When asked to share the greatest personal or professional advice Emily has ever received, she answered, “I am a very type A planner person, so I like to know exactly what is happening, detail by detail. I think the best advice that I got was just take the risk, feel the fear and do it anyways. Because if we never just go for it were always going to waiting for those perfect circumstances and you may have missed an opportunity.” This advice can go for anyone in any situation. Getting out of your comfort zone is the only way you can excel.
To learn more about Emily Williams and Champion Mindset Consulting LLC, visit their website or Facebook.
