Mastering the Mind, Mastering Performance: The Hecht Effect

Coaches, trainers and athletes have known intuitively for a while that the game is not only won on the field. Training and performance obviously have a physical manifestation which everyone can easily see. But what about the mental aspect? 

Today, the pressure to perform at a high level, even with younger athletes, affect BOTH the mind and the body. Emotions which are out of our control and originating in the unconscious affect motor control; however, with neuroscience we have learned how to modulate our emotions so that they are not as negatively affective. 

Our guest today is former MLB player and current performance coach, Steve Hecht. Steve was drafted out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 13^th round, but he declined the offer and chose instead to play at the Division I collegiate level. Drafted again in the 5^th round in 1987 by the SF Giants, he played 9 years of professional baseball.  In 1987 he was honored to be a part of the Silver Medal winning USA Pan-American Baseball Team. In 1989, he was a California League All-Star and the All-Star MVP. In 1990, he was a Texas-League All-Star prior to being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired as a player in 1996. Steve has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, an MA in Management and is currently working on a PhD. in Psychology and Behavioral Medicine. As a Sports Performance Coach and Organizational Training Consultant, he has worked with coaches, players, and executives from various organizations and corporations.