Your Competitive Edge

The Power of Positive Words

During an interview before a preseason game, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke about how he prepared for a big game. Besides the usual film, playbook review and working on timing with his receivers, Rodgers also spoke about taking some positive words into each game.

So what is it about using positive words? First of all, they are of couse positive and things that should be floating around in our heads anyhow. How do you use them to harness your focus and facilitate better performance? There are several methods with the ideaof converting these positive inputs to reprogram our subconscious. Sounds almost pie-in-the-sky, but it isn't. 

Affirmations are the most common concept of applying positive words systematically. They are short, positive (a requirement), and elicit positive emotion in the athlete. They can be repeated in mantra-like form, written down, posted at one's desk, or placed/recited anywhere one sees fit. 

Mantras involve taking a word or words and repeating several times over mentally or quietly to oneself with the purpose of overriding negative emotion, anxiety, anger, or just to gain clearer focus on the task at hand. Australian swim guru Craig Townsend instructs athletes to practice affirmations repeatedly for at least 3-5 minutes per day.

As an athlete, I like to use positive words in both training and competition. I am currently building for a half-marathon race in November and have recently began to dial in my own personal mental training program. Townshend suggests changing our affirmations regularly to diversify positive inputs to the subconscious.

This week, I have found using the words "grace and confidence" and repeating those to have a positive effect. During the first and last few miles of my run this morning, I relaxed my hands, shoulders, and jaw like I usually do to loosen up, and spent about a mile repeating those two words, "grace and confidence" over and over again in my mind. I found it rather helpful in maintaining a positive outlook and focus as I put in 12 miles on the roads. 

Hopefully the reader finds this anectdote useful. Next time you're prepping for a game or event, try incorporating some positive words into your preparation.

Source: Townshend, C. (2005) Mind Training for Swimmers: Everything You Need to Know. Bellissima.

 

More than Football: An Insightful Look at Leadership

I am a steady consumer of research in the field, but often enjoy commentaries by other professionals in the field. Yesterday I came across Dr. Rob Bell's blog post, author of Mental Toughness Training for Golf: Start Strong Finish Strong, exploring the importance of Peyton Manning. Being a Manning fan myself- I feel he offers much not only to football but to the entire athletic culture-I had to give this article a read. 

Bell's key insights focused not on Manning's intelligence, dedication to the game and skill level, but his unique leadership qualities that he brings to the Indianapolois Colts organization. Leadership that is often so integral to a team's success that you don't realize it's importance until it is absent; as the current situation in Indy reveals.

The link to the full post is below, but the thesis is that "great players make others around you great". Think about situations or teams that you may have been on that just worked. Who and what comes to mind that made it so successful? What if this element was missing? 

In situations where the team leader gets injured, changes teams, retires, etc. how does the organization respond? Some good things to ask oneself are "what are some of the good things that the leader brought to the table?", "how has the best been brought out in me?", and "how can I reproduce that best side of me, even in adverse situations?". 

Recommended reading/source: http://drrobbell.com/2011/09/18/the-importance-of-peyton-

 

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Applied Psychological Principles for Coaches

I have done some fairly extensive work with swimmers and this morning found a good theoretically-based article on USA Swimming's website, a frequent link I visit. This straighforward article covers E.L. Thorndike's Three Laws of Learning as applied to teaching young swimmers. Many coaches I have met often already apply these principles in their programs. The purpose of this post is to basically 'package' these concepts and provide commentary on USA Swimming's aforementioned article. 

The first law is the Law of Readiness-stating that athletes learn best in an environment that is conducive to doing so; including enthusiastic and supportive delivery by the coach in a safe and movitating environment. In working with teams I typically reinforce use of motivational tools and having resources and supplies readily available; for example, easy access to kickboards or weights and equipment. Having a coach who's obviously enthusiastic about their sport and team sets the tone for successful development of athletes. 

 

The Law of Exercise is a straightforward principle that emphasizes consistency in learning a skill. A good coach balances repitition with engaging the athletes attention in performing the skill, for example stroke technique. While some young athletes may grow bored executing the same drill repeatedly, coaches can come up with cues to remind the athletes or rewards for improvement in technique. Explaining in an age appropriate manner in a step-by-step fashion the why and how of what they're doing often works well with young athletes.

 

The Law of Effect is all about positivity. Athletes will train and compete more consistently and harder when they see their experiences as being positive. Positive feedback and verbal praise go a long way when an athlete works to master a skill, especially one that they may find initially difficult. In layman's terms, the Law of Effect is a technical term for the precept "success breeds success".  I believe this is a great teaching anchor with young athletes, no matter how big or small the successful experience is.

 

Coaches often deal with how to balance pushing versus teaching athletes. I find that having at least some background knowledge in learning principles and teaching strategies, coaches can approach their athletes and teams with more confidence and have greater insight into where the team or certain members are currently at. While each individual athlete learns differently and has their own unique personality style, most learn best in a supportive environment with clear and consistent expectations, mutual respect, and a feeling that if they are not initially successful, they will not face reprecussion or feel as if they have failed (i.e. positive coaching).

For more information on how to foster a winning environment, the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) has a resource page exculsively for coaches. Questions can also be directed to alangelier@addwoodlands.com.

Original article: "Creating a Positive Learning Environment". USA Swimming. www.usaswimming.org. September 7, 2011.