🏆 Rust Doesn’t Need a Hammer

The greatest threat to most players isn’t an opponent. It’s what’s going on in their own mind.

Author

Greg Berge
December 04, 2025

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💭 ONE THOUGHT
Rust Doesn’t Need a Hammer

Rust Doesn’t Need a Hammer. And neither does a bad mindset.

A few years ago, I read something simple but powerful:

“Rust destroys iron more than use does.”

That one hit me.

Because it’s not just about iron.

It’s about people.
It’s about athletes.
It’s about teams.

Rust works from the inside. Quietly.

You don’t notice it right away. But over time, it breaks you down.

And your mindset is the same.

  • Talent doesn’t matter if you’re filled with self-doubt.

  • Work ethic fades if you’re drowning in comparison.

  • Team culture crumbles if blame starts replacing trust.

The greatest threat to most players isn’t an opponent.

It’s what’s going on in their own mind.

That’s why we need to coach the mindset just as much as the mechanics.

Here’s one simple question every coach can ask this week:

“What’s the rust that could be creeping in on our team?”

  • Is it to blame after a loss?

  • Is it fear of failure?

  • Is it a habit of talking down to oneself?

Don’t wait for it to corrode everything.

Name it. Talk about it. Replace it with something better.

3 Takeaways for Coaches:

  1. Mindset coaching.

    It is just as important as skill work. Build it into practice. Not just once, but consistently.

  2. Watch for the warning signs.
    Slumped shoulders. Silence after mistakes. Players apologizing for being themselves.

  3. Reinforce the right language.
    What you allow, you endorse. If the self-talk is negative, help reframe it with truth.

🎥 Check it out → Inside the Mind of a Winner by Sports Psychologist Bill Beswick

Closing Thought:

You can’t stop rust with hope. You stop it with action. Same with mindset.

  • What’s one mental habit you see hurting your team right now?

  • What’s one “culture phrase” you could repeat daily to fight it?

Good Luck!
Greg

P.S. Looking for a great stocking stuffer for Christmas? Check out my new book, the 100 Word Coach: Short Lessons on Success in Life and Sport.

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📜 GREAT QUOTES

“We don't want to tell our dreams, we want to show them.”

Cristiano Ronaldo

“I really think a champion is defined not by their wins, but how they can recover when they fall.”

Serena Williams

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