The Confident Athlete

Hi Again:

Numerous publications, as well as research and studies currently in process indicate there is a strong relationship between an athletes self-confidence, belief in self, and their abilites to perform. Basically a confident player will outperform one of equal or more ability who is not as confident. How does this happen?

Essentially there are two general core belief systems when it comes to sport performance; 1) belief in self as a person, 2) belief in self as an athlete. What's tricky about this is that all too often the two belief systems get intertwined. If an athlete believes they are not the best at their respective sport or skill, they are typically not all that happy with themeselves. This unhappiness with their athletic performance can sometimes spill over into how they feel about themselves as human beings. This gets even more tricky because athletic ability is only one aspect of ones core belief system. We are, as humans, the sum of all of our individual attributes. Too much emphasis is often placed on one aspect of ones sum total of talents and this can send the self-belief system out of balance.

At its fundamental essence - young athletes want to simply have fun. They want to be good at what they do, but they do not want to be perfect. The "perfect syndrome" they develop is a learned system. High expectations are generally set - by external sources. Young athletes want so badly to achieve and receive approval - they will do anything possible to be the best. They do not want to fail or let anyone else down - least of all themselves. To achieve the expectations often set by others the athlete can develop a perfectinistic approach to their work ethic. Enjoyment starts to disappear when an activity that is supposed to be fun becomes work. We all know that perfection is quite difficult to achieve. Young athletes have no idea the hurdles they place in front of themselves when they try to achieve perfection. The #1 Killer of Confidence is Expectations.

Ok, so how does all of this affect Confidence. Confidence is task specific. The more repetitive success a young athlete can achieve - the more confidence they develop. The more confidence they develop the more they feel good about themselves. To complicate matters - if they struggle to achieve perfection - how likely will they achieve the "expectations" they have or someone else has set for them? Again, remember that happiness comes from within. Accomplishment and achievement helps us feel good because we are successful. If the expectation is set to high - the target is always moving - and therefore success is always moving. If the target is always moving and so the measurement of success is always moving - where is the fun in all of this?

Solution:

1. Parents - Fun is #1: Be mindful of what you say to your child athletes before and after their performances. Encourage competitive play, but more importantly encourage them to have fun without expectations of any kind.

2. No Expectations. Encourage your little athletes to "strive to achieve". Strive for success rather than avoiding failure. There is no "demand" connotation in the word "strive". Striving is about playing your best and not about end results. Remember, no matter how they performed - a child without "expectations" will forget about their poor performances quickly and be off and running onto the next activity. Children hang onto their performances if we as adults teach them to hang onto the past. The #1 Killer of Confidence is Expectations. Confidence is not an expectation.

3. Say Positive Things about Performance: Teach athletes to say positive things about themselves. It is very easy for an athlete to talk negatively about their performances. After each and every performance find at least three positive things about their performance and be sure to tell them. Believing in their perforfmance abilities at an early age helps to build strong self-esteem. Confident Athletes focus on success and the reasons to succeed not on end results.

4. Focus in the Moment: Teach the young athlete to enjoy each play and each moment of each play. There is always opportunity to improve on some aspect of the game or performance. Each play is only important for that moment in time. The next play is all that matters. Success and fun is not about the past play, the future play, end result or outcome of the game, match, or event. Performance achievement and the joy of participation comes from having fun in the moment.

If you would like to learn more about the fine elements of success and Confidence, simply send me an email at john@protexsports.com. I would be happy to provide more education or work with you or your athlete. The first step to solving any challenge is to first understand.

Ask yourself the following questions?

1. Do you believe in your ability as an athlete?
2. Do you see yourself as a winner?
3. Do you focus on the reasons to succeed?
4. How do you talk to yourself - in a positive or negative way about your performance?
5. Do you allow yourself to reward yourself for any accomplisment?
6. Can you remember that last time to had a successful performance? What was it?
7. Can you imagine yourself being successful?

If you answer no to any one of these questions you may have an issue with Confidence and could benefit from mental game confidence coaching.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,


John

Excelling Under Pressure - What does it Take?

Hello Again:

I am reminded of my own performances of the past and how being under pressure can cause all sorts of haywire things to happen. The pressure may come from a missed execution, a missed call, an error, or simply not being able to battle through a tough situation in a game or event.

Athletes who perform under pressure usually enjoy the challenge of the situation. I wasn't all that happy about those nerve wracking sticky game situations For sure, I did not want to fail. As athletes - none of us want to fail. Fear of failure might be a motivator, but it usually leads to avoidance behaviors such as reduced effort, loss of focus, comfort zone performing, high expectations, or perfectionistic tendencies.

Excelling under pressure requires several skills:

1. Focus on the task at hand - remain in the present & disconnect from the past & future. The task focused athlete is able to significantly reduce internal and or external distractions. By reducing dstractions - the athlete reduces the perception of stress. Less stress - the potential for better performance. Less stress and anxiety - muscles fire and respond with more flexibility.

2. Mental & Physical Relaxation is critical. Your breathing can be your "silent partner" and will serve to equally reduce tension, and anxiety, while at the same time sharpen your "zone"focus skills. Controlled breathing will help with a balanced execution of your pre-game and pre-performance routines. The more you are in control of your breathing the more you will be in control of the fine motor control movements required in exectution of a complex skill, like swinging a golf club, or executing a pass in the midfield of a soccer game to set up a shot on goal. Regardless of the skill - being in control of your breathing will help you remain composed in critical situations. For more on the benefits of controlled BREATHING techniques, go to www.protexsports.com sports education.

3. Confidence. Confidence comes from repetitive and successful execution of a task. With confidence you do not think about mechanics or technique. You believe in your ability to execute and your mind knows what to do. When you are confident you also "trust" that whatever you do will be the right thing. When you are confident and you trust in the execution you eliminate the the need to overly think or analyze prior to performing the skill.

4. Visualize and Imagine. The more you perform a task - the more confortable you become with the task. The best place to learn is through physical practice in that sport environment. However, learning has been said to be as equally as helpful when using mental rehearsing techniques like visually rehearsing, or through a process called guided imagery. These techniques are the next best thing to being there. The more "focused" practice success - the chances of greater levels of peak performance.

5. Practice Planning. An athlete practices to "per-fect" skills, and not to be a perfect athlete.
Mentally tough players understand that on the practice field is where preparation begins and ends. During competitive events - thoughts on execution and mechanics typically cause interruptions in peak performance. The confidence and trust develop during the "per-fecting" process during practice. Practice routines are designed to: a) Improve confidence, b) Improve focus, c) Focus on the process - not outcomes, d) Simulate game situations, e) Fine tune strengths and work on weaknesses, f) Set process oriented performance objectives,
and g) Incorporate High Confidence and Strong Belief Statements about your ability as an athlete. For more on Perfectionism go to www.protexsports.com sports education.

Pressure during competition is not all that much fun if you are not prepared to compete, or prepared to cope with the unforseen thoughts, and feelings that surface during these challenging times. Proper training, coping tools, and perspective are key to reaching the peak performance you desire.

" A top athlete has to combine three different factors: physical strength, tactics, and mental toughness. The golden rule is to "strive" to never let any of those slip"
Felicia Ballanger - Ten-time cycling Gold Medalist

Until Next time -
Believe and it will happen
Coach John

Sport Psychology and the Business Executive

Hello:

I often receive requests from business professionals to consult with them about incorporating "peak perfomance" strategies into their professional lives. The calls come from professionals that are in some sort of a performance slump. There are many underlying issues that may precipitate slumping. Slumping can cause nervousness, anxiety, loss of focus, confidence and composure issues.

I have seen this happen at many different business executive levels and at the high school, college, elite, and professional levels in sports. This can be incredibly frustrating and embarrassing. So, where can these individuals get help?

Consider a Sports Psychology Consultant who has experience helping athletes and professional business executives reach higher levels of peak performance. It is particularily helpful when the sports psychology consultant has a combined business and sports background. A sport psychology consultant specializes in helping performers both on and off the playing field. Weather you are an athlete or business professional - everyone has slumps and wants to figure out how to "bust" through the slump.

Professional athletes are no different than any other professional. Each has a specific talent from which one earns a living. When in a slump - mental toughness is hard to find. Sometimes we try really hard to bust out, but continue to reinforce the bad habits. One could have an MBA from one of the best schools in the country or be a veteran professional athlete - and still have challenges with performance. Performance slumps happen as a natural aspect of our daily lives. We have peaks and we have valleys with our performance. We excel - reach plateaus - and then excel again. The key - is to recognize when you are in a slump - and then act on a plan to move forward and out of the slump. A Sport Psychology Consultant or Mental Game Coach can help with these types of challenges.

Take a FREE self assessment survey at www.protexsports.com

I happen to believe there are four general areas or competencies that require exploration in order to identify the "hurdles" that get in the way of achieving higher levels of peak performance. The areas of competency include:

1. Assessing variability of business or sport specific skill level.
2. Assessing levels of Confidence, and Belief Systems.
3. Assessing levels of Focus, and the Distractions that get in the way.
4. Assessing levels of Composure, and how Anxiety, Pressure, Worry hinder success.

After assessing and summarizing a sport psychology consultant will create a Mental Game Plan which includes a roadmap combined with an execution strategy to help the professional reach the levels of performance they desire.

Take the plunge - go to www.protexsports.com and review the Profiles in Success section. There you will get a pretty good idea of how others have been able to bust through the slumps that hinder their Peak Performance. The process is a win win! The first win is for "you", and the second win is for "the team".

All the best,

John