{"id":8991,"date":"2023-02-16T19:27:45","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T00:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/?p=8991"},"modified":"2025-07-08T07:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T11:18:53","slug":"this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/","title":{"rendered":"This Pro\u2019s Mental Game Helped Her Overcome Physical Limitations\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/strength-of-mental-game.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/strength-of-mental-game.jpg\" alt=\"This Pro\u2019s Mental Game Helped Her Overcome Physical Limitations\" class=\"wp-image-8992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/strength-of-mental-game.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/strength-of-mental-game-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lauren_Coxs_Learned_the_Strength_of_Her_Mindset\"><\/span>Lauren Cox&#8217;s Learned the Strength of Her Mindset<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/#Lauren_Coxs_Learned_the_Strength_of_Her_Mindset\" >Lauren Cox&#8217;s Learned the Strength of Her Mindset<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/#Mental_Development\" >Mental Development<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/#Cox_also_focuses_on_what_she_can_control_and_tries_to_let_go_of_what_she_cant_control\" >Cox also focuses on what she can control and tries to let go of what she can\u2019t control.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/#Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\" >Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/#Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\" >Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Lauren Cox was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 7, and worried the condition would crush her dreams of being a high-level athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But she didn\u2019t let her diabetes hold her back&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now 24, Cox led Baylor University to a national championship in 2019 and then played in the WNBA for the Indiana Fever and LA Sparks. She now plays in Spain, but has a training contract with a WNBA team for this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cox has accomplished these feats in spite of her diabetes because she has honed her <strong>mental game skills<\/strong> over the years, she says. Young athletes with chronic conditions like diabetes can learn from Cox\u2019s experience and mental game skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mental_Development\"><\/span>Mental Development<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At first, the hardest thing about playing at a high level was keeping her blood sugar in check, Cox says. She often was distracted by worries over whether her blood sugar numbers were in the right range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A big help was an insulin pump that automatically adjusts Cox\u2019s insulin levels, keeping her blood sugar within the proper range. \u201cBefore I got the pump, I couldn\u2019t focus as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pump helps me take my mind off my blood sugar. I can relax and play the game,\u201d Cox told us during a recent interview with our Ultimate Sports Parent podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important for young athletes to take advantage of available <strong>tools<\/strong> and <strong>medications<\/strong> that allow them to keep chronic conditions under control and decrease their worries about their health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Cox is feeling anxious or worried, she \u201ctakes a step back,\u201d breathes and reminds herself that she\u2019s in control. \u201cYou control your diabetes,\u201d she says. \u201cYou don\u2019t let it control you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If she has a bad game, she tells herself that it\u2019s just one game; it doesn\u2019t affect the kind of person she is, she says. She tries to focus on the <strong>bigger picture.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a game and there will always be a next time. You need to forget about the mistakes you\u2019ve made in the past and focus on what\u2019s coming next,\u201d Cox says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cox had to learn how to be less hard on herself, she says. As a college freshman, she had very high expectations and often felt frustrated if she didn\u2019t meet them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAfter my freshman year, I had to take a step back and say, \u2018This is what you chose to do. You play this game because you love it and have fun with it. That\u2019s what you need to do,\u2019\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Cox_also_focuses_on_what_she_can_control_and_tries_to_let_go_of_what_she_cant_control\"><\/span>Cox also focuses on what she can control and tries to let go of what she can\u2019t control.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>She eats meals that help control her blood sugar, uses her insulin pump the way she\u2019s directed to use it and is sure to eat well before a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When she played in the WNBA, she and many of the other players experienced physical and <strong>mental <\/strong>game challenges associated with playing so many games and traveling so much, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She learned that, from a <strong>mental game perspective<\/strong>, she needed to be aware of when she was worn out and needed to focus on recovering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her advice to any athletes who struggle with health or other issues, \u201cControl what you can control,\u201d Cox says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can listen to the entire podcast with Cox on Spotify or your favorite podcast platform:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-articles-on-hockey-mental-game\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Articles_on_Kids_Mental_Game\"><\/span>Related Articles on Kids&#8217; Mental Game:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-to-care-about-athletes-mental-health\/\"><strong>How to Care About Athletes\u2019 Mental Health<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-the-mental-game-helps-elite-athletes-and-others\/\"><strong>How the Mental Game Helps Elite Athletes and Others<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/how-can-you-boost-kids-determination-in-sports\/\"><strong>How Can You Boost Kids\u2019 Determination in Sports?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"block-f49818fa-7c7a-4ee3-b5ee-66581aad2c71\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improve_Your_Mental_Game_From_Anywhere_In_The_World\"><\/span><strong>Improve Your Mental Game From Anywhere In The World<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/mental-training-for-young-athletes.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6868\" style=\"width:138px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re certain that, as a parent,&nbsp;you want to help your child develop confidence and discipline in sports and life.&nbsp;And as a sports parent, you\u2019d love for your children to reach their potential in sports.&nbsp;But encouraging your child to <strong>strive for greatness without pressuring them<\/strong> can be a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get expert mental coaching with us from anywhere. Meet with us via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime or phone call. With today\u2019s video technology, we are able to connect with athletes and coaches all over the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Call Us Today to Schedule Your Free 15-Minute Session.<\/strong><br><strong>Find Out How Your Athlete Can Benefit From One-on-One Mental Coaching!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lauren Cox&#8217;s Learned the Strength of Her Mindset Lauren Cox was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 7, and worried the condition would crush her dreams of being a high-level athlete. But she didn\u2019t let her diabetes hold her back&#8230; Now 24, Cox led Baylor University to &#8230; <a title=\"This Pro\u2019s Mental Game Helped Her Overcome Physical Limitations\u00a0\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/this-pros-mental-game-helped-her-overcome-physical-limitations\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about This Pro\u2019s Mental Game Helped Her Overcome Physical Limitations\u00a0\">Read Sport Psychology Tip<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[310],"class_list":["post-8991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-youth-sports-psychology-blog","tag-focus-in-youth-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youthsportspsychology.com\/youth_sports_psychology_blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}