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August 21, 2019
“The teamwork is the most important thing, because when you have a group of guys who are playing for each other, playing hard and playing together, that trumps talent any day,” says Chris Paul, all-star point guard for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers.
Think about these three self-reflection questions regarding your role as a teammate: 1. What am I doing that is hurting my team (e.g., complaining, gossiping)? 2. What am I not doing that is hurting my team (e.g., cheering for my teammates, accepting my role on the team)?
Leadership responsibilities are taken very seriously within championship-caliber teams. While any team or athlete can have a winning attitude when the scoreboard is in their favor, a championship-caliber team understands that a winning attitude is most needed during tough times. Rather than pointing fingers or complaining, a championship-caliber team faces a loss or a lackluster performance with the attitude that “we’re all going to get better and find a way to make this work.”
Finally, be brilliant with the basics—because the fundamentals don’t change. The basics include: • Adhering to your regular exercise or training program • Sticking to your nutrition plan • Maintaining a regular sleep schedule • Taking time to relax and unwind • Feeling what you need to feel • Spending quality time with others • Looking for opportunities to help others • Updating your life goals and avoiding making any rash decisions
The mental skills are: • GOAL SETTING: Think It, Then Ink It • MENTAL IMAGERY: Visualize to Actualize • SELF-TALK: Feed the Good Wolf • CONFIDENCE: Flex Your Confidence Muscle • FOCUS: A Champion Is a Now-ist • BREATH CONTROL: Breathe Life into Your Performance • MENTAL TOUGHNESS: Build Your Inner-Strength Bank Account • ANXIETY MANAGEMENT: Go from Panicky to Pumped • ENJOYMENT: Humor Is the Best Sports Medicine • BODY LANGUAGE: Make a Golden Impression • INTENSITY: Own Your Zone • PERSONAL AFFIRMATION WORKS: Power Phrases for Becoming a Champion
Speed skater Dan Jansen won an Olympic gold medal in the 1000-meter race at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, and he set eight world records over the course of his stellar career. He explained the importance of setting your goals high: “I don’t think there’s any such thing as setting your goals too high. The higher you set your goals, the more you are going to work—if you don’t reach it, then it’s okay, just as long as you set it and then give a hundred percent of yourself.”
The following are five questions to ask yourself to evaluate each performance goal you set, whether the particular goal is for next week, this season, or your sports career: • Is my goal specific? • Is my goal measurable? • Is my goal positive? • Is my goal inspiring? • Is my goal displayed?
The two most important parts of setting goals are that you write them down and that you put them someplace where you can see them every day. I usually recommend the bathroom mirror or refrigerator door, two places I know you will always look. When I was 16 years old, training for my first Olympic Games, my coach wrote all of my goal times down on the top of the kickboard I was using every day in practice. I couldn’t escape them, but the result, after executing the plan, was that I made the Olympic team.
Scores of experimental studies have explored the effects of mental imagery on physical performance. In 1983, Drs. Deborah Feltz and Daniel Landers, prominent researchers in sports psychology, completed a thorough review of mental practice literature and confirmed the benefits of using imagery for performance enhancement. Their findings demonstrated that imagery is one of the most powerful performance weapons we have in our mental arsenal.
Although imagery will not guarantee that you will always reach best times or win the game, mastery of this mental skill will increase the probability of success in sports. Specifically, imagery works to enhance one’s performance by sharpening the mental blueprint and strengthening the muscle memory for the physical purpose at hand. This is why imagery is used by virtually all Olympic athletes as a critical part of their training regimens. Imagery can be used to prepare for all athletic performances, regardless of the motor skills involved.
Dr. Henry “Hap” Davis, a neuroscience researcher and sports psychologist, has studied brain function in elite athletes, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor their neural activity.
A 2008 study examined elite athletes watching videos of personal success or failure. Athletes reexperiencing a successful performance showed a greater increase in neural activity in the right premotor cortex, an area of the brain that plans actions, than those reexperiencing a failure.
When visualizing, strive to experience the action in 3-D from the first-person point of view (through your own eyes), as opposed to a third-person point of view (through the eyes of spectator). The aim during imagery rehearsal is to “see it, feel it, and enjoy it” (SFE). You experience yourself having achieved your goal through your own eyes, rather than watching yourself from the outside. Here are three key ingredients for successful imagery rehearsal: 1. Vividly see yourself performing successfully. 2. Deeply feel yourself performing masterfully. 3. Thoroughly enjoy seeing and feeling
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Canadian Duff Gibson, the gold medalist in the skeleton at the Turin Winter Olympics in 2006, described to me how he used visualization to attain peak performance: In the sport of skeleton, visualization is key. When you’re sliding down an ice run faster than a car goes down the freeway, to be successful and for your own safety, you need to be completely focused and in the moment. Visualization, like anything, gets better with practice, and ultimately I was able to use the skill to prepare for the sequence of turns on a given track as well as to gain my focus for what I was about to do.
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Briton Steve Backley, the onetime world record holder for javelin throwing, won four gold medals at the European Championships, three Commonwealth Games gold medals, two silvers and a bronze at the Olympic Games, and two silvers at the World Championships. I was curious which mental skill Steve found most helpful to his performance throughout his remarkable career. He explained: I find it hard to distinguish one out of all the mental skills,
as there were various that were pertinent at different times. And I guess that in itself is one of the more important ones—knowing what to do and when. Having said that, I’d have to single out the ability to visualize. To be able to preempt the future by building high-definition videos in your mind’s eye of exactly what it is you are trying to achieve. I had the unfortunate incident of injury in the later stages of a buildup to an Olympic Games which gave me the tremendous opportunity to test this principle of preparation to the maximum. I basically did all of my late prep for the ’96 Games
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To be able to preempt the future by building high-definition videos in your mind’s eye of exactly what it...
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Mentally practice two or three times each week for about 10 to 15 minutes per rehearsal. Select a specific sports skill to further develop, or work your way though different scenarios, incorporating various game-ending situations. Examples include meeting your marathon goal time, striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth, or making the game-winning shot as the final buzzer is sounding.
There is an old Cherokee legend known as the tale of the two wolves. A grandfather explains to his warrior grandson that there are two wolves within each of us: One wolf is positive and beneficial, while the other wolf is negative and destructive. These two wolves fight for control over us. The grandson is curious and asks, “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather replies, “The one you feed.”
The first step in feeding the good wolf is learning to identify your own negative and self-defeating thoughts. Typical negative thoughts an athlete can have include “I suck at this,” “I’m not good enough,” or, “I don’t belong on the team.” We all have these thoughts at times, so take a moment right now and identify some
Now take the second step in feeding the good wolf and challenge these self-critical thoughts (such as “I’m not cut out for this”) with encouraging statements (such as “Bring it on now!”). Mentally beating on yourself does you no good. Instead, gain clear control of your thinking processes. Repeat these two winning steps to build mental muscle, improve your mood, and advance your athletic performance.
When the bad wolf (or Big Bad Wolf!) rears its ugly head during competition, stop it in its tracks. Self-talk (i.e., saying words or short phrases to oneself) should be positive: “I’ve just made a penalty. I’m getting anxious, I’m dwelling on it. Stop. Breathe. I’m pressing the reset button and deleting that memory from my mind. It’s over. I’m going to take a fresh, confident look at the next play in front of me.” In quick-reaction sports like basketball and soccer, simply shout to yourself, “Next play!”
“The mind guides action. If we succeed in regulating our thoughts, then this will help our behavior.”
according to legendary tennis player John McEnroe. In order to be successful, you must believe that you can be successful.
To paraphrase sprinter Maurice Greene, a onetime world record holder in the 100 meters, train like you are No. 2 (train your talent), but compete like you are No. 1 (trust your talent). On game day, play confidently by emphasizing your skills and strengths, drawing from past successes, and appreciating the encouragement from your coaches and teammates. Emphasize your strengths and your opponents’ weaknesses—not vice versa.
To perform at a champion’s level, you must understand the importance of a long-term memory for success and a short-term memory (selective amnesia) for failure.
Several self-reflection questions are included here, based on the pioneering work on the topic of self-efficacy (a specific strength of belief) by Stanford psychologist Dr. Albert Bandura beginning in the mid-1970s. These questions are designed to raise your confidence as you review accomplishments, recall positive feedback, resolve to mirror and model your athletic heroes, and listen to reminders of your capabilities. 1. What has been the biggest challenge to date that you have overcome in your sport, and how did you overcome it? Examples include bouncing back from a major injury, busting out
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minutes reliving the glory and magic moments from this performance in vivid color. What helped you make it over the top? What were your thoughts and feelings during the game, match, or race? 3. What are three of your signature strengths or attributes as an athlete? Be honest, but don’t be modest in answering this question. Examples include work ethic, mental toughness, and focus. 4. What are three compliments you have received from others that made you feel really good about yourself? Examples include a coach describing you as the hardest worker on the team, opponents saying you were their
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When I’m focused, there is not one single thing, person, anything that can stand in my way of my doing something. There is not. If I want something bad enough, I feel I’m gonna get there.
Spend all of your focus dollars efficiently—on the process of performance instead of on any potential distractions. For instance, a goalie in soccer should fully focus on playing moment to moment by tracking the ball with her eyes instead of dwelling on having just allowed a goal and glancing at the bleachers or at the other team’s bench to gauge reactions. Focus keeps distractions at bay. Distractions come in two forms: external and internal.
An important realization to accept is that something is a distraction only if you consider it a distraction. Simply look away. Ignore noises (even from your Big Bad Wolf). Focus on your breathing and your body. Be aware of your easing grip on the golf club, hockey stick, baseball/softball bat, or tennis racquet. In sum, trust your five senses to “feel the now” and stay in the moment. That is, always strive to be a now-ist.
Full presence produces seamless fusion—you become your performance. Otherwise, you are always one step behind what you are doing because you are judging what is happening and are not fully in the moment. A mind in the moment is not self-conscious or concerned about what opponents or spectators are thinking or doing. Chris Sharma, one of the world’s best rock climbers, says he gets so focused when he climbs hard routes that he completely loses himself. He channels all his energy directly into what he is doing in the moment of the climb. In the same way, get out of yourself and get into your
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Your breathing can become shallow when you feel angry or anxious. When this occurs, oxygen intake diminishes and muscle tension increases. So make sure to take a deep breath in tough situations. Simply prolonging exhalation, regardless of inhalation length, promotes the relaxation response. Proper breathing helps expel the stress and tension from your system and brings you back into the present.
Check in with your breathing throughout the day. Are you breathing from the belly or from the chest? Is the breath deep or shallow?
Breathe in through the nose for a count of one, two, three, four, and five. 2. Hold for one and two. 3. Breathe out through the mouth for a count of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight.
Mentally count to five for the in-breath, count to two as you hold the breath, and count to eight for the out-breath. Take your time with this 15-second breathing intervention and repeat the steps for four cycles (your 1-minute breath workout) or as many times as desired. Do this exercise when you observe that you are getting tense, feeling down or stuck in a repetitive negative-thinking cycle. Breathing in this manner will help you to slow your heart rate, calm your thoughts, and find inner stillness in the moment.
Mental toughness is the ability to remain positive and proactive in the most adverse of circumstances.
Around the time Zátopek was tearing up the track, Billy Mills was living in poverty in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He was orphaned at the age of 12 and was raised on an Indian reservation rife with alcoholism. He turned to athletics for a positive outlet and eventually took up running. Mills made the U.S. Olympic track-and-field team for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He was an afterthought in the 10,000-meter race—his qualifying time was almost a full minute slower than the favorites. However, the fiercely resilient Mills overcame a lack of international experience, a wicked shove and elbow on the
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In the 2007 NFL divisional playoff game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, Packers running back Ryan Grant fumbled twice in the first 4 minutes and his team fell behind 14–0. He told himself, “It happened, that sucks, gotta move on.”
A champion knows that thoughts cause feelings, and feelings affect performance. Rather than retreating into a shell, Grant gave himself a pep talk and gained 201 yards and scored three touchdowns to help lead his team to an impressive come-from-behind 42–20 victory. He was able to “fumble and forget” so he could get back to work. It is always better to acknowledge and accept whatever happens. Then let it go and focus forward with complete confidence. Grant’s attitude was that he needed to keep his head in the game because there w...
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Nerves are natural. It’s normal to be anxious, so don’t concern yourself with what other athletes might be thinking or how well they seem to be doing. We often don’t suspect that others are overcome with or overwhelmed by anxiety. No matter how calm your opponents may appear, they are likely experiencing the same level of anxiety—or more so—than you are.
Stay on a positive thought channel. Flip the switch from negative to positive self-talk when you are emotionally spiraling down. Try to talk sense to yourself (feed the good wolf) instead of letting your fear run wild (feeding the bad wolf). Remind yourself, “Even though I am feeling anxious and uncomfortable right now, I can still play well and reach my goals.”
Remember that FEAR means to “Face Everything and Respond.” To perform at a champion’s level, let the butterflies fly in formation!
According to recent research by psychologists Dana Carney, Amy Cuddy, and Andy Yap, simply holding one’s body in open, expansive (versus closed, contractive) postures for only a couple of minutes can produce meaningful elevations in testosterone, decreases in cortisol, and increased
Are you prone to making I-just-drank-some-expired-milk facial expressions or showing negative body language after missing a shot on goal or making an error in the field? To perform at a champion’s level (and to be a good teammate), keep a positive demeanor and attitude rather than pouting or moping. Your body language will send the right message to the opposition: You can’t be mentally beaten or fazed—no matter what happens.
Findings from a 1988 research study by psychologist Fritz Strack and his colleagues revealed that simply creating a smile by clenching a pen lightly between the teeth will almost immediately make people feel happier about what it is they are doing. So keep this discovery in mind when you need a quick boost in mood. Do not simply drag a down mood into your performance. Put a big confident smile on your face instead!
Psychologist John Clabby has coined a handy acronym for giving one’s BEST—“Body Language, Eye Contact, Speech, and Tone of Voice.” Strive to always give your absolute BEST: body language (strong, not slumped), eye contact (focused, not
“If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good.”
To get in the zone, each athlete has an optimal intensity level for peak performance, depending on their sport. For example, golf is a game of calm, serenity, and narrow focus. American football, on the other hand, is associated with passion, emotion, and excitement. Yet a golfer might need to increase his or her intensity level to blast a long drive, while a quarterback might need to decrease his intensity level for precision passing.
“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives,” wrote author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau.
