Unfortunately when we coach what we see is not always what we get. Sometimes the athlete who we think is a "stud" is nowhere close to being that type of athlete when the going get tough. We find ourselves saying, "They're just not mentally tough enough...they just don't have the heart."

Then there is the other type of "athlete," if we can be so generous as to use the word athlete in their case. We recognize that this person just isn't going to make it. They don't have the tools, the physical abilities to succeed in the sport. But for some miracle of miracles, they come through in the clutch. They amaze us! We think to ourselves, "That athlete is mentally tough. What heart!"

The problem we have as coaches is that we can not hear our athletes thoughts and intentions. We can't see their hearts. How can we find out what they are like in the inside?

One way to crack away the shell is to develop drills and situations in practice that demands mental toughness. These types of activities will show what kind of heart your athletes does have. It will show you their determination to bear up under pressure. These drills don't have to require a great amount of physical endurance, but it is alright if they do. The main things is that the drill requires mental toughness. Then, once a week have your athletes do the drills.

The actions you see in the drills will be reflections of your athletes thoughts and intentions. You athletes will reveal their heart. You will notice that some athletes will use these drills to improve their mental toughness, while others will try to slack by anyway they can without putting in much effort into them. That should give you a good evaluation on who you can count on when the going gets tough. Some of the most unlikely looking athletes will prove they are truly are "athletes" after all.

Remember you can never tell a book by its cover. You have to open it up and look inside.