No matter what type of class you may be teaching, a huge part of the student’s success is in the palm of their..brain. Baseball Hall of Famer Yogi Berra is credited with saying that “90 percent of the game is half mental.”

The physical aspect of a sport or activity can only take you so far. The mental aspect has to kick in. Everyone is talented. Everyone trains hard. Everyone does the work. What separates them is simply the mental game.

Here are 5 key factors in having a positive mental attitude:

Commitment

For your students to get maximum gains from conditioning, they have to want it bad. Before each practice, talk to your students about making a conscious commitment to put their best effort in from start to finish.

Confidence

Encourage your students to say something positive that will give them a confident state of mind. Something like “I can do this!” can be important especially when doubt creeps into their mind.

Mindset

A passive mindset is not going to get your students ready for the next level. This could, in a way, be competing against the exercise. Don’t let their minds stop them from growing and get them off track. Encouraging your students is a great way to trigger a more aggressive mindset in their heads.

Intensity

Many exercises are about strength and agility which require intensity to get the most out of practice. Doing exercises with partners or against groups raises the level of intensity in the room. A little competition will get the fire going.

Focus

Simply put, if you’re not totally focused on your best execution and effort in an exercise, you will not only not perform it well and gain its greatest benefits, but you may also hurt yourself. Create an environment where your students are focused and not goofing off, leaving even more room for injury.

Talking to your students about a positive mental attitude and mentally preparing for competitions can be a huge advantage when push comes to shove. Start working on their mental attitudes early so when the competition gets steep, they aren’t left in the dust.