Peak
Editor’s note: This story is a part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering leadership, personal development and success through the lens of sports. Follow Peak here.
When Doug Baldwin first met the sports psychologist who would have a profound impact on his life, he was skeptical about working with him.
“Skeptical is kind of a nice way of putting it,” Baldwin said. “I was against it.”
It was 2011, and Baldwin had just joined the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted rookie. The draft snub fed his intensity and insecurities. For years, he had used the feeling that he wasn’t good enough to prove that he was. That combination had helped him reach the pros, going from an unheralded two-star prospect out of high school to Stanford’s leading receiver as a senior. When he made a mistake, he dwelt on it and used it to knock his self-worth, prompting him to work even harder.
