Two motivation tips from Marcus Mariota

I got depressed after the Eagles lost Marcus Mariota in the NFL draft. I had a glimmer of hope when his contract was slow to be signed, but then I had to accept reality, and now I am ready to root for Sam Bradford.

But perhaps Mariota can still help us from afar. I watched the Titans' preseason opening game and saw Mariota throw for an interception in one of his first plays. I wondered if Mariota might feel a little embarrassed and a little less confident, knowing that many eyes would be on him.

But here's what he said to a teammate, with a smile:  "It was going to happen sooner or later."

The 2 important lessons from his response are:

Of course you as an athlete don't want to make any errors in a game, but you must realize and accept that they're going to happen. Expect them to come as part of the game. When you expect them and accept them, you can more easily move on from mistakes. You're then more able to stay focused in the present and pay attention to the ongoing game. When you accept mistakes and expect them to come, you don't get anxious or down on yourself when they occur. So you avoid the downward spiral of anxiety, self-doubt and poor focus all causing your play to further suffer. Instead, you're able to stay positive and motivated. You're able to learn from any mistake, then move on to try again and play better.

If you have a great motivation tip and would like to be interviewed, contact Dr. Whitman at sarah.whitman@drexelmed.edu.

Dr. Sarah Whitman practices sports psychiatry in Philadelphia. She is a guest contributor on Sports Doc.

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