PCA Trainer Ray Lokar (@CoachLok) has coached a variety of sports for over 25 years at the youth, high school and college levels, including his own children who are currently playing college and youth sports. Lokar has also served as the Head Basketball Coach of the 2002 California Interscholastic Federation Champions and the President of the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.

Here, Lokar discusses that coaches today are not only looking for athletes with athletic ability, skill, and production; they are looking for athletes with great character and toughness. This toughness is not physical, but mental toughness. Athletes need to possess mental toughness in order to overcome adversity, fight through hard times, and be a great teammate. Coaches are looking for athletes that not only perform on the field, but also represent their programs well off the field, which is why Lokar thinks it is the key skill that college coaches are searching for.