My philosophy of practice assumes that “performance excellence is attained only through optimal personal development” (Miller and Kerr, 2002, p. 141). Increased performance, and the maintenance of this through the constant ups and downs of sport, is facilitated by the growth and development of the human being.
In light of this, it is important to support athletes in a holistic manner: instead of merely developing the sporting side of the athlete, we develop the core individual beyond their performance role as well as the environments they live, train, and compete in. When working with teams, this means giving attention to each individual athlete as well as the development of the team’s environment and culture.
People are psycho-socio-physiological systems – meaning that their psychology, environment, and physiology will all effect their behaviours. Increasing and maintaining performance requires a smooth integration of all of these components. Stressors arise from all aspects of life – these don’t merely go away when the athlete walks into training! Addressing these stressors is important for mental toughness, resilience, self-confidence, and overall readiness to perform. Developing the person as a whole rather than solely focusing on performance objectives has several important outcomes, including improved performance, higher resilience, improved mental health, and better preparation for unforeseen circumstances both in and out of sport.
Ideally, athlete development is tailored to each individual and includes long- and short-term planning based on numerous variables: training, health and physiology, lifestyle, family and social support, team variables, and psychology. Environmental considerations for positive athlete development include recognising that it is counterproductive to develop an individual without the support of the environment(s) they are in – this includes home life and their team. An athlete’s psychology combined with environmental factors is reflected in their mental toughness, and many stressors arise from organisational sources such as: ambiguity from above, a disorganised environment, lack of cohesion, team tension, and a lack of communication between and among performers and staff. On the other hand, a coherent organisational culture within a team has a positive effect on team performance.
Overall, athlete development does not mean working merely one-on-one with an athlete on performance objectives – it involves developing each person as a whole while also fostering the environment(s) they function in. There are many nuances to this simple idea – which is why my job exists! However, the most important thing for everyone involved to understand, including athletes, team leaders, coaches, managers, and staff, is two-fold: the more you cultivate personal excellence, the more performance excellence you will have. The more you foster an environment of organisation, cohesion, challenge, and support, the more team excellence you will have.
References:
Eubank, M., Nesti, M., & Littlewood, M. (2017). A culturally informed approach to mental toughness development in high performance sport. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 48: 1-17
Friesen, A., & Orlick, T. (2010). A qualitative analysis of holistic sport psychology consultants’ professional philosophies. The Sport Psychologist, 24: 227-244
Hardcastle, S. J., Tye, M., Glassey, R., & Hagger, M. S. (2015). Exploring the perceived effectiveness of a life skills development program for high-performance athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 16: 139-149
Henrikson, K. (2015). Developing a high-performance culture: A sport psychology intervention from an ecological perspective in elite orienteering. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 6: 141-153
Henriksen, K., Stambulova, N., & Roessler, K. K. (2010). Holistic approach to athletic talent development environments: A successful sailing milieu. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11: 212-222
Henriksen, K., Stambulova, N., & Roessler, K. K. (2011). Riding the wave of an expert: A successful talent development environment in kayaking. The Sport Psychologist, 25: 341-362
Larsen, C. H., Henriksen, K., Alfermann, D., & Christensen, M. K. (2014). Preparing footballers for the next step: An intervention program from an ecological perspective. The Sport Psychologist, 28: 91-102
Maheshwari, N., & Kumar, V. V. (2016). Military Psychology: Concepts, Trends, and Interventions. London, UK: Sage Publications.
Martindale, R. J., Collins, D., & Daubney, J. (2005). Talent development: A guide for practice and research within sport. Quest, 57(4): 353-375
Miller, P. S., & Kerr, G. (2002). The athletic, academic and social experiences of intercollegiate student athletes. Journal of Sport Behavior, 25(4), 346-367.
Smith, D. A. (2003). A Framework for Understanding the Training Process Leading to Elite Performance. Sports Medicine, 33(15): 1103-1126
Recent Comments