Written by There are plenty of quotes and cliches about the mental aspect of sports. Mountaineer Edmund Hillary, the first to climb Mount Everest, once said: “It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Muhammad Ali stressed that the will must be stronger than the skill. And as legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt put it, “it is what it is, but it will be what you make of it.”
What is meant by all this? What is mental “toughness”? What does it mean to “focus”? Most importantly, how can coaches and leaders incorporate these concepts into their organizations to improve performance?
An emphasis on mindfulness can be an excellent solution. To be mindful is to be aware of the present moment with clarity of mind, free from distractions and judgment. The focus is on observing the thoughts that come and go without interacting with them. This allows us to dedicate our attention to the task at hand. The application to athletic performance is obvious; “be mindful” could reasonably substitute “focus” as a form of encouragement.
There’s research to support the use of mindfulness as a tool for mental preparation in sport, as well. In 2017, a study backed by American Psychological Association found that athletes considered themselves to be more concentrated, relaxed, and “in the zone” after consistent mindfulness training. The study, which involved 81 athletes from several disciplines, involved exposing participants to meditation, breathing exercises, and sport-specific mindful movement exercises, which required the athletes to pay close attention to the movements they commonly execute in their sport.
Adding a mindfulness component to a team’s training program doesn’t have to be difficult. Coaches and leaders can apply the same mindfulness techniques in the APA study. Meditation is by far the best-known practice, consisting of a seated moment of observance, relaxation, and patience. It’s a chance for the mind to quiet, without the distractions of our daily responsibilities, thoughts, and opinions. Tacking on a five- or ten-minute period of meditation before or after practice is a simple way to better mentally prepare your athletes. Coaches can also encourage athletes to incorporate awareness into their movements on the field, similar to the sport-specific exercises in the study. Just as it’s easy to add physical exercises to the training schedule, there are numerous ways to add mental exercises.
With the benefits of mindfulness now clear, allow me to return to some of the quotes and tropes I mentioned earlier, now from a mindful perspective. Mental toughness could be described as the power to remain present through challenging situations. Muhammad Ali’s “will” is the awareness and relaxed concentration under the pressure of performance. Pat Summitt’s quote sums up the spirit of mindfulness the best, though — accepting the current moment, conscious of one’s ability to change the narrative at any point.