TRAINING YOUR MIND by Dr Alec Kale (Dr Alec Kalell is probably one of the most experienced Clay Target shooters in South Africa, He has been shooting for almost 30 years, during which time he has earned his Springbok Colours, has managed several National Teams abroad and has beer: National President for the CPSASA for over 20 years, until his retirement in 1996. Dr Kalell is now the President of the South African Shooting Union.) PART ONE - INTRODUCTION Most athletes understand how to train physically. We know how to improve our » Strength and skills. However, how do we train to become better . to improve our mental toughness and fitness? Coaches and athletes agree that at least 50% or more of the process of playing well is mental - I believe that it is more Ike 70 - 80% mental and the balance physi Despite these facts, however, we rarely spend 5% of our total training time on our mental skills. The question Why is this so? The most probable answer is that we do not know how fo train mentall: Athletic competition is a microcosm of life itself. Frustrations, joy, uncertainty, pain and struggle are all there. Competition is more than simply learning physical skills, it is one thing Lo possess these skills, and yet another (o use them when it counts. Therein lies the challenge, the challenge being Self Control. In the final analysis every athletic contest is a contest of control, control of the delicate mind/body connection. The mastery of a competitive sport is a continuous process of self transformation, change and rebirth. It involves courage, commitment and discipline. It cach person against himself, a contest of Physical fitness and strength are essential to competitive performances but so too is mental fitness. To consistently perform to your peak in the heat of competitive battle requires mental str ly embodied in a core of acquired mental 7 controlling altitude, managing pressure. motivated and visualising h which is fundament skills. These skilly include concentration. thinking correetly, controlling energy, stayi Performing well does not necessarily occur naturally, One has to work at it. Trying harder and forcing the issue is often not the anywer. One should rather try to play better. not (o get angry and to concentrate on not being nervous. There is’a subtle difference between trying harder and giving 100% effort. One tends to worry about the other competitors. His not the other guy that you should be concerned with, he is easy and in fact not under your control. The Chicken or ligg Situation. Does enjoyment come only when you play well or does enjoyment come because youplayed well? Basically when you feel right you will perform well. If you do not feel right no matter how hard you try, you will not perform right. As athletes we know what we need to do. Why then can we not put if together when it counts? We are often overwhelmed by frustratio and self-doubt. During competition one’s inner world is a frantic mixture of panic. This ticd to a seemingly endless line-up of fears e.g. fear of looking bad, fei . even fear of winning. The result is often the same: mistake after take, and failure after failure. One believes that the only answer then is to try harder. ‘esults in one’s muscles getting tighter and one's head becoming more frantic and panic-stricken. ‘The psychologists call this "choking". Relaxation. The Physiology of Threat - Selye The natural alarm reaction Criggered in response to a threatenit important life-preserving response, but for today’s shooters it is a catastrophe. The body is alerted to protect itself, either by fleving from the threat or fighting (Selye). Pounding of the heart, rapid breathing, trembling of the body, elevated blood pressure, heightened anger or fear, braced and tight muscles and tunnel vision are just a few of the consequences. This state of immobilisation is automatic and involuntary and is mediated by activation of the central neryous system with the release of the hormone adrenaline. Perceiving the situation as threatening is automatic and so also is the alarm reaction that follows. Fortunately, there are no sabre-toothed tigers in competitive sport. Unfortunately, however, our bodies are still responding as if there were. g situation may be an Winning a World Championship by shooting 100 straight is not a life threatening situation, but the pounding heart, the rapid breathing, the trembling, the fear, the tight muscles are all there. This biological response, although very adaptive and functional is now very dysfunctional. To win the competition or to shoot the 100 straight you do not need the adrenaline pumping. On the contrary, you need calmness, relaxation, positive energy and self control. To be successful you must insulate yourself against that biological alarm reaction. Maintaining your internal performance climate once the alarm has been triggered becomes literally impossible and the trigger iy set for a reaction. This is not an ideal situation, Controlling the trigger means controlling the way we think about the situation we face as competitors. The key is to stop thinking about performing well. Focus instead on climinating the pressure, IC is this shill that separates the superstars from the, “also-rans". They have the ability to take the pressure off, transforming crisis into opportunity and thr lenge. All that your head! nds between you and that ability is - PART 2 NEXT NEWSLETTER -TRAINING YOUR MIND Dr Alec Kate (Dr Alec Kalell is probably one of the most experienced Clay Target shooters in South Africa. He has been shooting for almost 30 years, during which time he has earned his Springbok Colours, has managed several National Teams abroud and has been National President for the CPSASA for aver 20 years, until his retirement in 1996. Dr Kalell is now the President of the South African Shooting Union.) PART TWO - THE IDEAL PERFORMANCE STATE Physical changes which accompany the alarm response typically interfere with your efforts to perform to your peak. The cost in terms of energy consumption, tight muscles, tunnel vision, poor judgement, and poor reaction time is too high. In contrast, the ideal performance state creates a special condition of emotional arousal that is substantially different from the kind of arousal generated in the alarm response. When an athlete can start loving adversity he or she is becoming a competitor. Adversity is the most di it test of competitive toughness. If you want to achieve your potential as a great competitor you have gol to he challenged by all forms of adversity. In short, you have got to love it! The more the adversity, the more you love it! The greater the adversity, the more you feel the challenge, and the more you fight. Rather than panicking when the breaks go against you, you get inspired. This is what makes a great competitor. That is what produces a real champion. Transforming adversity and pressure is to challenge. Inspiration and opportunity begins and ends in your head. The Ideal Performance State (1.P.S.) The hypothesis of an IPS addresses the fundamental issue of consistency. Although performance inconsistencies can stem from a variety of physical factors, e.g. poor technique, fatigue. physical injurics, etc all too often performance inconsistencies are unrelated to physical factors. We niust now find a different set of answers to the problem and as they are not physical they must be psychological or mental. When then do athletes perform well on one occasion, and poorly the next? Something must be changing. From research with numerous athletes relative to their interiial feeling during performances, the same words consistently appeared when the athletes described what was occurring internally when they performed well, and the same held true for poor performances. Ts One’s level of performance is a reflection of the way you feel inside. When you feel right, you perform right. Is the IPS of playing well simply the consequence of playing well or of playing well? The question is casy to answer. The internal state comes first. If the right internal climate exists, playing well occurs naturally and spontaneously. If the internal climate is wrong the mind/body connection that manifests in excelling performances hecomes impossible. the causea of several hundred reports of performing athletes revealed 12 distinct categories which reflect the ideal internal climate for performing optimally. These are:- 1. Physically relaxed 7. Alert 2. Mentally c: 8. Mentally focused 3. Low a 9. Energised 4. Optimistic 10. Self-confident 5. Effortless U. In control 6. Enjoyment 12. Automatic Onee you understand what you are trying to feel in your head the process suddenly becomes much easier. Physically Relaxed Getting psyched up and ready to play is not tied up to being tight and nervous. To play with intensity you do not need to get emotionally charged up and your muscles to be a little tight. Athletes perform best when they are feeling louse, when they are experiencing no nervous tension, The more a sport requires delicate, fine motor skill, the more critical it is that your muscles are completely relaxed and loose. Mentally Calm This is one of the most important of the 12 items. It is also the most misunderstood. All too often athletes equate being psyched and pumped up for play with a fast, accelerated mental state. The fact is that athletes consistently report that when they are performing well they are experiencing a sense of calm and quiet inside. An athlete's success in concentration and in responding intelligently during play is directly related to this calmness. A host of familiar performance problems surface when mental calmness is replaced with a racy, fast, accelerated mental state. Mental calmness is often accompanied by a fecting that things are going in slow motion, the athlete will say "everything seemed to slow down and I had all the time in the world to make my move". Low Anxiety Being a little anxious and nervous is often regarded as being ready forthe competition. Actually athletes perform best when they feel no anxiety whatsoever. As soon as athletes begin to feel a little nervous or anxious usually the perforniance levels drop. A good performer will take tough and difficult situations and make them pressure free. No-one performs well under pressure. ‘The greatness of the athlete is in a learned ability to take the pressure off. Energised Along with calmness feeling properly ised ranks high nportance. Being calm, quiet and loose and experiencing no anxiety does not necessarily mean that you must be asleep! You must fecl pumped with energy. The source of the energy, however, must not be anxiety, fear, anger or frustration but must be JOY. Feelings of enjoyment and fun and loving what you are doing are strongly tied to tiie right energy source. - More next issue -| TRAINING YOUR MIND By Dr Alec Kalell (Dr Alec Kalell is probably one of the most experienced Clay Target shooters in South Africa, He has been shooting for almost 30 years, during which time he has earned his Springbok Colours, has managed several National Teams abroad and has been National President for the CPSASA for over 20 years, until his retirement in 1996. Dr Kalell is now the President of the South African Shooting Union.) PART THREE - THE IDEAL PERFORMANCE STATE (contd) Optimistic Negative thoughts and feelings undermine performance. Even slightly negative and pessimistic feelings make staying loose, calm and positively energised impossible. It is important to feel positive and optimistic when performing and positive thinkers are definitely better competitors. Enjoyment The principle is simple - when you can enjoy, you can perform. When playing your sport ceases to be fun, performance problems are inevitable. If you believe you had fun because you played well you've got it backwards. You play well precisely because you had fun. Having fun and enjoying yourself is an essential key to staying relaxed, calm, positively energised and optimistic. Having fun and enjoying yourself is a highly controllable feeling. The best competitors go well beyond loving to win. They have learned to love the struggle, the battle and the confrontation. To love winning is easy. But to love the struggle makes a great competitor. Effortless One must understand that playing well can’t be forced. When things don’t go well, and occasionally they don’t, one tends to try harder. In fact the answer is to try “softer”. Trying harder often translates into tight muscles and a fast and frantic anxious mental state, There is a difference between trying too hard and giving 100% effort. Automatic One must let go and play automatically and by instinct. The tendency is to become logical and analytical and we develop the so-called “the paralysis by analysis syndrome”. Being analytical often seems the natural thing to do; “head still, tuck your elbow in, follow through, watch your target and watch your feet, don’t forget to concentrate,” and So the list goes on. Learning to play essentially by instinct is fundamental to becoming a mentally tough competitor. Alert When athletes are experiencing their own Ideal Performance State they experience extraordinary awareness. They have an increased ability to anticipate well, to read what is about to happen and to respond intelligently to the present.N Mentally Focused The importance of concentration comes as no surprise. The ability to focus one’s intention to a specific target and resist being distracted from it is central to performing well in any sport. Attentional control stems largely from the right mixture of calmness and positive energy. You are more likely to concentrate well when you are experiencing an inner calmness combined with high levels of energy. Attentional control is impossible when the mind is in a state of turmoil of when it is no properly energised. Also concentration rarely increases with conscious acts of trying harder. Athletes who perform well typically are not trying to concentrate. Self-Confident The importance of self-confidence is a key ingredient in success. It is essentially nothing more than the feeling that you can do it, that you can be successful. It is a feeling that keeps you calm and poised when everyone else is racing and scurrying about. It is nothing more than a feeling that can be cultivated and controlled. In Control When athletes are in the IPS they experience a characteristic feeling of inner strength and self-control. There are of course many things that occur during competition that you cannot control but you can stay in complete control of your emotional responses to these events. Emotional control is the ultimate control. Pressure Pressure is something you put upon yourself. The only difference between playing a sport competitively and playing it for fun is pressure. Playing for fun is easy and playing competitively is too much like work. Competition is hard, threatening, frustrating and unnerving. The game however is played in exactly the same way both cases. You keep the score the same, the rules don’t change, and you are often playing the same people. In most cases, the only difference is the difference you make of it in your head. Differences like “one counts and the other doesn’t”, “my ego is really on the line in competition”, “what will people thing if I lose when it counts”, and the list goes on. These differences originate in your mind. You must accept that pressure comes from within and not from without. The sooner you can start shutting it down the better competitor you will become. It is your interpretation of what is out there that gets you into trouble. There are no concrete, physical forces working on you from the external world. Situations themselves are not nervous of anxious _ people are. Remember that nobody plays well under pressure not even the superstars. Skilful competitors play well in pressure situations precisely because they have eliminated the pressure. Mentally though competitors manage pressure well because they are disciplined thinkers. They recognise a connection between what they think and how much pressure they experience during play. Thinking the wrong thoughts can quickly lead to pressure problems. You'll never catch a good competitor thinking thoughts like “if I don’t score well in this competition, I will not make the team” or “the whole game rests on me - what will everyone say if I miss the next clay.” More food for thought next month - don’t miss it., TRAINING YOUR MIND By Dr Alec Kalell PART FOUR - THREAT VERSUS CHALLENGE Different athletes face adversity in different ways. One becomes bitter, frustrated, negative and pessimistic. He finds all kinds of reasons why he can’t perform — the coach, the management, the weather or the light, etc. The other player becomes stronger, mentally tough and more determined, His play becomes progressively more inspired and enthusiastic. What is the difference between these players. The answer lies in how each athlete allows himself to construct the situation in his head. In the one athlete the situation becomes threatening whilst the other successful saw it as challenging. Whether the situation is seen as threatening or challenging is under one’s control, a control acquired by structuring one’s thoughts and ideas in positive or constructive direction. When you perceive a situation is threatening you will have IPS problems. The more threatening the situation, the more serious the problem. RITUAL Every good performer has rituals, Some are more obvious and elaborate than others. Rituals can become powerful triggers from creating the ideas. They help in deepening concentration, turning on the automatic, raising intensity, staying loose and more. Unfortunately, when the game begins to go badly or when we start feeling pressure we often short circuit our rituals. In difficult or troublesome situations we must be sure to take more than enough time to prepare prior to execution and complete our pre-performance ritual in its entirety. THE RIGHT ATTITUDES AND THINKING RIGHT Analysis of the thinking habits of successful athletes can be characterized by the following two statements: “attitudes are the stuff of which champions are made” and “mentally tough competite are disciplined thinkers”. Attitudes are nothing more then habits of thought and these habits make of break you as a competitor. You must learn to create and maintain a particular inner state, by doing this you will have created the single most important thing you can do to ensure your best performance. You have created the IPS. Your ability to control this special state is linked directly to the flow of positive energy. The right attitudes serve to both stimulate the flow of positive energy (energizing attitudes) and help to control the flow of energy in positive directions (controlling attitudes). Examples of controlling and energizing attitudes:CONTROLLING ATTITUDES ~ Pressure is something I put on myself. = I will always give my best efforts, - I'must simply perform and winning will take care of itself. + I take pride in what I represent. - Hard work can be fun. - Iam going to thoroughly enjoy myself as I perform. + When I enjoy I can perform. - Having fun is an important key to playing well. ~ Taccept full responsibility for myself. ~ I strive to be positive and enthusiastic no matter what, ~ Isimply focits on doing the very best I can ~ Tam willing to pay the price no matter what. at every moment. - Mistakes simply represent feedback and area - I will be successful. necessary part of leaming anything well. MENTAL TOUGHNESS Why do we play well one day and poorly the next? — Why do we go on a performance rollercoaster — one day up and one day down. This is extremely frustrating and this dilemma can be a powerful initiator of guilt, self doubt, anger and self criticism. All serious competitors hit this intangible barrier more than once in their sporting career and some never even get beyond it, When this happens, people start dropping out because the price is too great, the frustration and mental anguish are not worth the triumphs. How do we achieve consistency in performance? — what is the process or learning that allows you to begin performing consistently to your potential? Performing at potential is the focus of all mental training. Consistency is the ultimate measure of mental toughness in an athlete and is also the ‘a. champion. Performing well day after day and year after year requires two things. The first is good TECHNIQUE and FORM. If one’s technique is poor, no matter how mentally tough you are, your performance will be inconsistent. Secondly CONSISTENCY in performance requires good MENTAL SKILLS. The mentally tough competitor is consistent in performance precisely because he is consistent physchologically. Ups and downs in performance are often directly traceable to psychological ups and downs. Playing well is the result of creating a particular atmosphere with your intemal milieu. Players who can consistently create a special atmosphere of climate within themselves perform consistently well. MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS LEARNED NOT INHERITED. Personality traits are unrelated to mental toughness. You do not need to move out of your own normal and comfortable personality style to achieve a high degree of mental toughness. What is characteristic of mentally tough competitors. They are: a SELF-MOTIVATED AND SELF-DIRECTED They do not need to be pushed, shoved or forced from the outside. Direction comes from within. He is involved because he wants to be, it is his desire not somebody else's.b. POSITIVE BUT REALISTIC He is not a complainer, a criticizer or a fault finder. He's a builder not a destroyer. His trademark is a blend of realism and optimism. His eye is always fixed on success and on what is possible. ~ IN CONTROL OF HIS EMOTIONS A player must understand the unfortunate performance consequences of poor emotional control. Bad refereeing, stupid mistakes, obnoxious opponents, poor playing conditions, etc. present powerful triggers of negative emotion. Anger, frustration and -fear must be controlled or they most certainly will control you. The tough competitor “has tamed the lion inside”. d. CALM AND RELAXED UNDER FIRE The mentally tough competitor doesn’t avoid pressure. He is challenged by it. He is at his best when the pressure is on and the odds are against him. Being put to the test is not a threat it’s just another opportunity to explore the outer limits of his potential. e. HIGHLY ENERGETIC AND READY FOR ACTION He is capable of getting himself pumped up and energized for playing his best no matter how bad or meaningless the situation. He is his own igniter and can do so in spite of personal problems or bad luck. £ DETERMINED His sheer force of will to succeed in what he has started is beyond comprehension for those who do not share the same vision. He is relentless in his pursuit of his goals. Setbacks are taken in his stride as he inches his way further forward. g MENTALLY ALERT AND FOCUSSED He is capable of long and intensive periods of total concentration. He is capable of tuning in what’s important and tuning out what is not. He is able to do this whether he is under great pressure or under no pressure. In short, he has attentional control. h. SELF-CONFIDENT He displays a nearly unshatterable sense of confidence and belief in himself and in hir ability to perform well. He rarely falls victim to his own or others self-defeating thoughts and ideas. As a consequence he is not easily intimidated. On the contrary, because of his confident appearance he often becomes the intimidator. ss FULLY RESPONSIBLE He takes full responsibility for his own actions. There are no excuses. He either did or he didn’t. Ultimately, everything that begins and ends with him and he is comfortable with that. He is fully aware that he and his destiny as an athlete is in his own hands. His future is his own. Athletes who fit into this description dominate the world of sports. They give testimony to the reality of mental toughness everytime they perform. All the great sportsmen exemplify this special kind of inner strength, a strength that goes well beyond the limits of their natural talent and skills. There is a thin line which separates the few that make 3it from the thousands who don’t, That deciding factor is always the same — your INNER STRENGTH makes the difference. The world’s great athletes almost universally agree on one thing you will always be your own toughest opponent. The ultimate battle is between you and yourself. Until you can conquer yourself very little is possibl< against another opponent. The greatest obstacle between you and your goal is YOU! Once you have learned to control you, the contest with the outside world or your noble opponent becomes easy. Experience has shown that to perform at your best you should have one focus; doing the best that you can:- e2Q¢/, |, Focusing on winning or losihg ee cOMtBSTfoo frequently leads to performance paralyses. Fears of winning and losing quickly leads 6 musclesti tpespexgessive anxiety and poor concentration. Here's how to win the match with yourself’ Answer the next three questions at the end of play or practice and if your answer is yes to each question you will have won the most important contest of you life. 1. I gave my best effort every moment. I gave 100%. 2 I maintained a predominantly positive, healthy and optimistic attitude with myself. 3. I accepted full responsibility for me today, for what I did and didn’t do, I did not blame the weather, bad equipment, my opponent or anything else for my performance. A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS Step One — Self Discipline - Everything worthwhile begins at this level. It simply means doing whatever you have to do and making whatever sacrifices are necessary to get the job done the best you know how. It’s hard work, it’s giving up things you like in order to achieve a higher goal, Step Two — Self Control - Self discipline leads directly to self control. As you discipline yourself you experience steady increases in self control — control of what you say, what you think, and how you react. Without self control, being the best you can be as an athlete is nothing more than a fantasy. Step Three — Self Confidence — Self control leads directly to self confidence. What tracks are to a train, self confidence is to the athlete - without it, he can go nowhere. Self confidence, that unshatterable belief in yourself comes from knowing that you are in control, Step Four — Self Realization’— Self realization is simply becoming the best you can be, the manifestation of your talent and skill as an athlete. It is a fulfillment and the ecstasy of sports. Self realization follows directly from self confidence. Once you believe in yourself and feel good about yourself you are opening doors to your fullest potential.