The 1% Mindset: Why NRLW Athletes Need Mental Toughness

Why NRLW Athletes Need Mental Toughness — And How Excel Sports Builds It - 1% mindset NRLW

The pathway to the NRLW is not just about skill, fitness, or opportunity. It starts in the mind.

At Excel Sports, we call it the 1% mindset NRLW — the mindset that separates dreamers from doers, and players from professionals.

And while mental toughness is essential, the truth is this:Every athlete has different mental needs depending on their age, stage, pressures, and life circumstances.

That’s why we don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach.Instead, we build individualised mindset programs for every athlete — because a 14-year-old doesn’t think like a 19-year-old, and a 21-year-old carries different pressures than a Tarsha Gale player.

This is how we shape mentally strong athletes who can thrive in elite rugby league.

• H3 — Training Intensity & Consistency

  
  

• H3 — Navigating Hormones, Stress & Motivation (For Female Athletes)

  
  

• H3 — When Athletes Need a Break — And Why Rest Prevents Burnout

  
  

• H3 — What Parents Should Understand About the 1% mindset NRLW Lifestyle

1. Age Matters: Different Stages Require Different Mindset Programs

Ages 14–16: Learning What Commitment Really Means

For young athletes, mental toughness starts with effort and attitude, not perfection.

This is the age where we build foundational habits:

• Giving 110% in every drill, every run, every session

• Removing excuses

• Learning that effort is a choice

• Accepting coaching without taking it personally

• Building discipline and consistency

  
  

If an athlete can’t give their best…then rugby league might not be their sport — and that’s okay.

We’re honest about that.Not everyone is built for elite pathways. Some might be happier playing golf, tennis, or another passion.

Our job is to show them what true commitment looks like, and to prepare the ones who genuinely want it.

Ages 17–18: Balancing School, Emotions & Expectations

This stage is tougher.

Teenage athletes face:

• Social pressures

• Friend groups

• Parties

• Early relationships

• Identity challenges

• Emotional high and lows

  
  

This is where we teach:

• Sacrifice

• Self-respect

• Emotional control

• Prioritisation

• How to handle pressure

• How to make decisions aligned with goals

  
  

When their friends are going out, they might need to stay home and do extras.That’s the reality of athletes who want to make the NRLW.

We teach them that choices define careers.

Ages 19–21+: Preparing for Professional Systems

Here, mental toughness becomes:

• Accountability

• Reliability

• Professional behaviours

• Recovery routines

• Body management

• Maintaining standards under pressure

• Turning setbacks into fuel

  
  

This is the stage where many athletes quit.

Not because of talent — but because of mindset fatigue.

That’s where Excel Sports steps in with:

• Honest conversations

• Tailored solutions

• Support during emotional or physical burnout

• Mentoring around life, relationships, and training

• Tough-love guidance delivered with care

  
  

Our athletes know one thing:We will never lie to them — and we will never let them lie to themselves.

That’s the Excel Sports honesty culture.

2. The Toughness Culture: Built on Honesty, Not Harshness

Mental toughness isn’t about yelling or pushing until they break.It’s about truth, clarity, and consistency.

We teach athletes:

✔ No excuses

If it doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get done.Honesty starts with accountability.

✔ Take responsibility

You don’t blame coaches, teammates, or circumstances.

✔ Prepare for the real world

Professional sport is demanding — mentally, physically, emotionally.

✔ Own your effort

You control:

• Your fitness

• Your attitude

• Your extras

• Your preparation

  
  

✔ Have the courage to be uncomfortable

Greatness lives outside the comfort zone.

3. The Female Athlete Factor: We Train With Awareness & Respect

Female athletes face unique challenges:

• Hormonal cycles

• Emotional fluctuations

• Stress responses

• Menstrual impacts on performance

• Mental load from school, work, family, or relationships

  
  

We don’t ignore these things — we plan around them.

Excel Sports prioritises:

• Wellbeing

• Education

• Understanding their body

• Managing emotional swings

• Adapting training volume when needed

• Supporting them through tough personal periods

  
  

This is why parents trust us:Because we care about the whole person, not just the player.

4. Mental Toughness Includes Recovery, Not Just Grinding

A lot of people think toughness means “push through everything.”

That’s wrong.

True elite mindset includes knowing when to:

• Rest

• Reset

• Step away

• Protect mental health

• Prevent burnout

• Avoid overtraining

  
  

Excel Sports is not here to break players — we’re here to build long-term athletes.

Sometimes the bravest thing an athlete can do is say:“I need a day to reset.”

We listen to that, support it, and plan around it.

“The AIS also highlights the importance of mental resilience in long-term athlete development.”

5. The Excel Sports Mindset Promise

Every athlete who enters our system knows:

We will work with you.

We will support you.

We will teach you.

We will push you — safely and honestly.

We will prepare you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

We will never sugarcoat where you are.

And we will ALWAYS help you become better than yesterday.

That’s the 1% mindset.

• “elite athlete mentality”

• “mindset training for NRLW players”

• “athlete discipline and consistency”

• “mentoring female rugby athletes”

• “pathway athlete mindset expectations”

  
  

And it’s why Excel Sports continues to develop some of the strongest, most resilient, and most prepared young women in Australian Rugby League.

If you're a parent or an athlete — start the conversation early.

Mental toughness doesn’t develop overnight.It develops through guidance, trust, honesty, and long-term planning.

📩 john@excelsports.net.au

Let’s build your mindset, your confidence, and your future — together.