Loehr's markers of toughness have nothing to do with being cold or hard, insensitive or calloused..

His markers of toughness are


1.Emotional Flexibility-the ability to absorb unexpected emotional turns and remain supple, nondefensive, and balanced, able to summon a wide range of positive emotions (fun, joy, fighting spirit, humour) to the competative battle. Inflexibile athletes are rigid and defensive in emotional crisis and therefore are easiliy broken. Emotional inflexibility indicates a lack of toughness.

2. Emotional Responsivness-the ability to remain emotionally alive, engaged, and connected under pressure. Responsive competators are not calloused, withdrawn, or lifeless as the battle rages. Emotional unresponsiveness also reveals a lack of toughness.

3.Emotional Strength-the ability to exert and resist great force emotionally under pressure, to sustain a powerful fighting spirit against the odds. The Ianability to fight emotionally is nearly synonymous with a lack of toughness.

4.Emotional Resiliency-the ability to take a punch emotionally and bounce back quickly, to recouver quickly from disapointments, mistakes, and missed oppertunities and jump back into the battle fully ready to resume the fight. Slow emotional recovery indicates a lack of toughness.

"The New Toughness Training For Sports" James E. Loehr Ed. D