Secrets of Olympic Gold Minds: What We Can Learn

The Olympics has long produced stories of mentally tough athletes and now those Gold medal mental skills are being taught to amateur athletes. Learning how to remain calm and confident under pressure, is a hallmark of mental toughness, and it can be developed systematically using proven techniques such as the Response System. One of the positive aspects of incorporating mental training for young athletes is its application to all aspects of life.

El Segundo, CA (PRWEB) June 20, 2005

The Olympic Games have always produced spectacular stories of mental toughness, but there are importantlessons we have learned from the Olympic-class mental training techniques that bring in those gold medals. Olympic skater Apollo Ono, wrestler Rulon Gardner, and gymnast Kerri Strugg all generate images of mentally tough athletes responding under pressure. Science and practice have now shown it can be systematically developed. While physical training has been long accepted, mental toughness is being taught to amateur athletes, giving an incredible boost to performance.

In a 2002 paper in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, researchers included in their definition of Mental Toughness; “… remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure”. Mike Gervais, a sports psychology consultant who has worked with professional and Olympic athletes and teams, agrees this is important. According to Gervais, “mental toughness is the ability to control your emotions under pressure and to be able perform on demand.” He helps athletes develop this skill every day.

“I felt better able to handle my own errors and get past them and focus on the next play. There was a new sense of calmness on the court which helped slow the game down and allowed me to block everything else out.” comments Katie Lindquist, a AVP Pro beach Volleyball player after working in the AdvantEdge program.

In a training facility in El Segundo, Olympic hopefuls, pro and amateur athletes are training hard and three high school athletes have just finished their weight training. As they sit stretching, a coach leads them through a discussion about making mistakes when pressure is on during games. “What are your yellow and red lights?” “Serving into the net is a yellow for me!” shares one athlete. “OK,” says the coach, “walk me through your 5 Rs.”

These athletes are learning the RESPONSE™ System. It’s a 5 step system that helps them respond when they are under pressure. The Five Rs to improving performance under pressure:

  • Recognize: Athletes learn to identify variables or things that might be negatively affecting their confidence. These are the Yellow and Red lights.
  • Release: Let it go, breathe. "When you're calm and confident, you're more likely to compensate and adjust in the moment," said Mike Gervais. Many athletes get caught up in mistakes and their performance deteriorates.
  • Regroup: Get big and go to battle. "When the mind is fragile, skills are fragile," Gervais said. In this step. Athletes learn how to get their body and mind ready again.
  • Refocus: Focus on one thing that drops you back into the moment and gets your automatic skills working on the next task at hand. This identified and practiced so it can happen when the pressure is on.
  • Respond: Trust your stuff and go do it.

“Even high-level athletes make mistakes and have things that can shake their confidence. The key factor is what they do about it. What we teach athletes is how to recognize the situation and manage it, before it affects them in a negative way,” says Gervais. These same skills can be applied to school, and business as well as sport.

Even professional athletes sees the value in promoting positive life-skills through sports. “Dynamics of this program are so valuable on many fronts. It’s a rare opportunity for so many young people to interact in such a positive way. This could be a model for so many other programs." According to Nate Hobgood-Chittick, a former NFL lineman and member of the 2001 St. Loius Rams Superbowl Champions.

To learn more about how ordinary athletes are developing the mental skills to perform better in sports, business, and life or schedule a visit contact:

Kenneth Vick

Athletic Development Specialist

310-406-6757

AdavntEdge is the sports performance training service of Integrated Performance Systems of El Segundo, CA. They offer performance enhancement and injury prevention programs appropriate for all levels of sport. The combined experience of professionals in strength & conditioning, sport psychology, speed development and sports nutrition provide safe and effective training programs for world class Olympians, professionals and amateur youth athletes.

# # #


Contact