From the Editor (10.1.2011)  Some of you may begin hearing about Dave Scott and Mark Allen’s concerns over the upcoming release of Matt Fitzgerald’s depiction of  (“IronWar”, VeloPress, 2011).  They feel strongly enough about the piece to sue the author and VeloPress for defamation of character and state flat out that there are erroneous stories and misrepresentations galore in the text.  They both reaffirm their non-participation in the project, and state that Fitzgerald’s sensationalism takes stylistic license and is fiction, at best.  Long before this story, Podium recorded this Podcast with Dave Scott back in 2007.  Its worth a replay on its own merit, but in light of these revelations regarding Fitzgerald’s depiction its worth listening to again.  How cool would it be to hear the story from Mark Allen’s point of view.  Maybe Mark would like to contribute his interview to make this a matched set?  Mark………?

The beauty of this interview is the incredible depth of  knowledge and experience Dave Scott provides in discussing all manner of mental toughness.  That he and Mark Allen had such an epic race is testament to grit, skill, training, mental focus throughout the 9 hours of the most rigorous physical challenge one can imagine.  This interview is a must read for any IronMan competitor or for that matter ANY endurance athlete wanting to know about the techniques they used, the focus they were able to muster, the attitudes by which they raced, as well as the respect and appreciation for being able to compete at such a level.

Thanks Dave – Come on, Mark….we’d love to hear from you as well. 

Check out their Websites:  Dave Scott, Inc.com and Mark Allen Online.com

Scroll down to read the text or Click Here to listen to the PODCAST OF: 

THE DAVE SCOTT INTERVIEW PART 1

THE DAVE SCOTT INTERVIEW PART 2

THE DAVE SCOTT INTERVIEW PART 3e

Stay tuned after the printing of the interview to see the Ben Van James Channel’s YouTube Video of the entire race, complete with all the side stories and amazing features of arguably the most interesting endurance event in the world.

Who is Dave Scott?

Dave Scott is the most recognized athlete and coach in the sport of triathlon. He is a six-time Ironman World Champion and the first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame.
Dave’s career in triathlon began with the inception of the sport in 1976. He won his first Hawaii Ironman in 1980 and went on to win again in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987. In 1993, he was honored for his accomplishments in the sport and became the first inductee into the Ironman Hall of Fame. To celebrate, Dave came out of retirement and at the age of forty, after a five year absence from competition, decided to race again. In a stunning and memorable performance, beating out an impressive field of professional athletes – many of whom were in their twenties – Dave placed second overall. This incredible physical and mental feat earned Dave a new nickname among the triathlon community and he has since been known as “The Man”.
In terms of a personal philosophy, Dave believes that coaching people is more about being a teacher than a coach. Dave combines years of wisdom, wit and creativity to his passion for helping others. After thirty years in the sport, he continues to maintain world-wide appeal as fitness and nutrition consultant, product marketing consultant and nationally recognized speaker. He also organizes or is the main keynote for many fitness camps, clinics and races held throughout the year, forging relationships with many people along the way. Dave is based in Boulder, Colorado and greatly enjoys spending time with his three children and maintaining a healthy and physically fit lifestyle.

Podium – How did you make the transition from being a major competitor to coaching?

Dave Scott – It wasn’t a transition in any definitive way. I always had a synergy between my competing, teaching and coaching and there was always an overlap even when I was racing in my prime. I started out as a coach.

I actually started coaching swimming before I was a triathlete. I coached all through that period both as an amateur and after I turned pro. There was a two or three year hiatus where I was just focusing on athletics, when I realized how much I really enjoyed teaching. That teaching element came back to me. Also, I was fearful I wasn’t going to last in a sport that wasn’t recognized in the top 3 or 4 of this country and I worried how I was going to make an income. My dad was from academia, was a professor, and I thought I should probably have something steady and a paycheck that comes in every month. My coaching work was driven first by passion. I really enjoyed teaching as much as I did racing, even though the thrill of working with athletes is different than the individual thrill of competing at a world class level.

Podium – Interesting point. In retrospect, when you consider your life as a coach, as an athlete, as a parent, in any venue….what has been your biggest thrill in sport?

Dave Scott – I always enjoyed the game of getting fit and getting prepared, not just the physical part of it but I liked the parallel and the harmony between your mind and body and getting ready. Knowing that when you’re going to step into a race, there wasn’t a question of “Oh, I hope I do well”…It wasn’t a degree of arrogance, either …but rather, it was always more a vote of confidence…I know I’m going to do well in this race, Ironman, I just don’t know how well I am going to do?” I had a certain standard at that baseline level, but I always had one or two steps slightly higher than that I tried to reach. Each race had its own nuances, the competition was different, the training was different, my life circumstances might have been different going into the preparation for that race. But I always felt that when I went into that race I could say, “Okay, I’m going to have a good race…here we go!”

Podium – You’re talking about the definition of your goals. Give us an example of 2 or 3 goals that would be characteristic of you in an event.

Dave Scott – People always think that you’ve got to have a goal and its such and such. I think there is a real definition in my mind between your objective and a goal. I look at an objective as more seasonal or longer term…and then I have separate goals that are pretty short term. Quite often they are only two or three weeks out – because they’re tangible.

With athletes I say, “Listen, its December, you’re out of shape, we’re just starting…where do we want to be in two weeks?” I do this because day one of a training period looks a lot different than day 14. Psychologically you feel a lot differently two weeks out. At first, you are thinking, “I don’t know if I can do this.” There is a lot of self-doubt…but you finally get through it…it’s painful. The second day you’re sore…you realize you’ve got muscles…the third day you feel a little bit better…the fourth day you feel a little like an athlete…and by the fifth day you’ve really turned the corner.

Getting closer to competition, I look at three goals that are all individually determined. They aren’t focused or involve my competition. I never focused my goals on Mark Allen or what I had to do in the swim or the bike compared to Mark Allen. Ultimately, the competition level sometimes dictated that. After many years of racing, in 1989, we had a very very close race. It seemed like we were bouncing off of one another. It was influenced by our competitive natures.

As an example, let’s look at the goals in that particular race. As it turned out, it was the Epic race in our particular sport, that being the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. He was able to win that race by 50 odd seconds…but we were essentially glued together the whole time.

My feeling on the swim in preparation for that race was such that I was swimming better than I ever had, even in college. I was 35 then. So my first goal was to get to a certain level in the swim right from the outset where it was extremely uncomfortable. I never thought of discomfort as pain. People say what’s the pain like? Pain is when you’re out of shape, just as what I described before, or you are injured. The barometer for discomfort is very finite. You can take it up and take it up and it can feel very very hard and then all of the sudden you ratchet it down just a little bit…and you think, “Okay this is manageable.”

It is the ratcheting up of that exertion level to the point where it hurts. I said I was going to go right to that point right from the start, because the second part of my goal was to see if I could drop anyone who wanted to try and stay with me.

I wasn’t the best swimmer. The better swimmers had already broken away from me. But the people I was most concerned with, including Mark Allen, were in the group right behind me. I wanted to tell those athletes that I was willing to go out extraordinarily hard. I was willing to work at a high level of discomfort. If they tried to stay with me I wanted them to know that this was going to be a very painful day for them. My first goal was really about myself, my conditioning and my intention to dictate.

I had much the same mindset on the bike. People asked me how I would pace myself going out on the bike. I would ride the first 20 miles as hard as I ever did an Olympic distance race (a 40k race). I would try to set the precedent. My breathing rate would be really high, and I knew my legs would feel heavy and loaded…I knew I would be producing pretty high levels of lactate. Physiologically I had trained to handle a pretty high load, but I knew after 20 miles I would ratchet it back a bit. I knew I didn’t want to suffer the consequences of being too overzealous in the beginning, 80 miles later.

My second level goal was targeted further out in the race, where I wanted to dictate pace. I wanted other people to be thinking about me, worried about when I was going to go hard. Psychologically, I wanted them to be reactionary to my pace. I wanted to get them out of their game plan. That is the way I always raced. I would identify periods where I felt solid or strong, or during a particularly difficult section of the course, I would decide to go very hard, right now.

As that particularly race developed, there was a shadow behind me pretty much the whole day. That shadow was Mark Allen. Two distinct times I put my goal into play, at 80 miles and then again at 96 miles. I was going to really make his legs hurt on the bike. I felt that even though I didn’t break him, I know it was uncomfortable for both of us.

Podium – These goals are still process oriented even though you are focused on the particulars of a race.

Dave Scott – You know, I look at it like pulses, in exercise. It’s not like a metronome. For example, when people train on the bike, they know the gearing, they know the terrain, they know the ups and downs of that course because they have repeated workouts on the same course so many times. They become comfortable because they know what to expect. But in a in a race all that goes out the window.

You have to be familiar with the course knowing elevation changes and where typically windy conditions may exist on the course. But the race dictates a whole plethora of different challenges. I always felt the easiest way to tackle a race is to break it up into pieces and do what you can do in the moment and not look ahead. I coach my athletes to train themselves physically in workouts to NOT always do what they like.

We all have a tendency to take the easier path. When we train with other people invariably someone will attempt to push the pace because your training is competitive. You have to respond in those situations. But if you can do that and practice that when training by yourself at periods where you feel discomfort, you can perform better in the race. But you must set those little goals to make them tangible.

Podium – How do you address athletes when they just don’t have it that day?

Dave Scott – Sometimes athletes that I coach will tell me “I felt really bad at the start of the bike…my legs were really heavy.” I’ll respond with a question which is usually, “What did you do right?” This takes them aback because they just told me a big negative. They don’t see where I’m going with it, because all they focused on was how bad they felt. So, I will elaborate. I ask them, “How did you correct that, what did your mind tell you to do right then.” I ask them about that to get a sense of their mental programming. Most of the time they will say, “I felt bad and I knew it was going to be a bad day.”

If your programming is like that in a race, a molehill becomes a mountain really fast. The magnitude of that molehill becomes psychologically overwhelming. So I give them a couple of strategies to work on.

I’ll ask them to take a physical inventory of their entire body the next time they get there. I’ll suggest that they stand up, do a physical inventory all the way up and down their body over a very short distance…maybe only a hundred yards from one pole to the next. And I’ll have them just relax, think about breathing, think about flowing, whatever those words are that they’ve used over and over….until they get back in control. It’s important that they do something different. Stretch their Achilles, move from side to side, change posture, tempo, cadence, position on the bike…these are all shifts that when combined with relaxing, breathing and focusing on their flow will restore their control.

Podium – What are the most essential mental conditioning skills you coach your athletes?

Dave Scott – The most important ones involve routines because routines breed confidence. The very first one is to be consistent. Consistency is huge. It helps build the second one which is mental tenacity. Those two go hand in hand. The third one involves dealing with adversity and/or how you turn adversity into a positive.

I go over every type of scenario that could possibly come up with the athletes I work with. I can talk about a 100 different things that could happen before the race that aren’t in their normal regimen of preparation. Things like their goggles break, they couldn’t pump up their bike, they had a flat tire, they walked out of the transition area and security wouldn’t let them back in, all those things that psychologically rattle people and that can set the tone for the race. I’ve seen it too many times that even though an athlete hasn’t even started the race…..they’ve already lost.

Handling adversity during the race can be even more important. During the race you can be too programmed for a certain time or work output. Physically they want to have their breathing a certain way, their stroke rate, tempo, shoulder rotation….but what if somebody bumps you and knocks you out of line and your goggles get skewed. How do you deal with that? You were in a great drafting position but now everyone’s gone and you’re by yourself, or maybe even pulling an entire train of people. That was not your plan, so handling adversity is probably the most difficult skill to instill. Contingency plans must be rehearsed for every imaginable circumstance.

Podium – Talk more about programming.

Dave Scott – It is important to have the highest degree of faith within yourself because that breeds the highest likelihood of success. Otherwise, there is self-doubt. Self-doubt allows all these other things we’ve been talking about to come into play. Because of this, it is pretty easy to know who has the ability to win the top races.

When I go out to Hawaii, I am asked all the time…”Who is going to win?” I usually say there are only 2 or 3 people who know how to win. It is the folks who know how to finish and are consistent in the big races over time that can win. Turning that corner is the key. That requires the highest faith in oneself. Everyone wants to win Ironman Hawaii. No one wins in Hawaii unless they have turned that corner.

Podium – How do you coach people to break through those barriers in their mind?

Dave Scott – We’re way too focused on controlling little things – the focus on splits, we constantly check on our heart rate, on our watch, our power meter, the gearing on our bike, how many ounces of electrolyte replacement drink we’ve taken in, etc. Going back through my entire career I never wore a watch in an Ironman.

I would only focus on what I thought I could do. Some thought that was arrogant, but I felt it was more of a realistic appraisal of what I thought I was capable of. I was focused on my ability and my training and conditioning going into the race. I thought I could do the swim in about 50 minutes while the really fast guys would finish in 48. I felt I could ride close to 25 mph, in roughly 4:35, and maybe run a 6 minute pace (2:37). This kind of thinking was never in relation to anyone else….I was only thinking in terms of what my capabilities were….in perfect conditions. How often do you get perfect conditions? There are never perfect conditions. But I felt those marks were realistic. People wondered how I could gloat like that? I never thought of it like that, I just thought about my capabilities…it was also true that I felt completely responsible for my actions during a race and what I could do. I never looked at it arrogantly…I thought of it as having confidence in my ability and preparation.

Podium – What about nutrition plans and the gut check an athlete needs to keep themselves properly focused?

Dave Scott – These things have changed over the years and the nutrition plan is very important. You can plan really well, but that is never a substitute for listening to your body. Hydration is more variable than caloric intake, but with everything considered we can plan to a high degree of accuracy what they are likely to need. That’s all part of confidence building….knowing they are prepared. Marking their water bottles, preparing gel packs, etc. is a real key for confidence.

The problem is that athletes often lose that intuitive feeling on hydration. What overrides the thirst mechanism is all the other stimuli you experience during the competition. If you actually listened to your body…am I loose?…am I focused?…is my energy level going well?…am I carrying the same gear?….am I maintaining the same running pace?…if I noticed I’ve fallen off a little bit…. I will need to drink some at the next aid station coming up. But many athletes lose track of that because their focus becomes too narrow.

When you feel that high level of discomfort inherent in the heat of the battle, you don’t try to run away from it. That discomfort is right there. Denying it is nonsense. Acknowledging it and focusing on what I’m going to do about it is the key. Too narrow a focus takes people away from that conscious awareness.

There are an infinite number of things we do to override the discomfort when we train, but, in a race a lot of times that awareness goes out the window. A finite nutrition plan is important to keeping your wits about you and helping you maintain that pace on your bike. But it needs to be good enough so that you can prolong that output on the run. In triathlon, it’s all about the run. The best athletes are remarkably in tune with themselves.

Podium – Do you do anything with mental imagery, visualization, or relaxation to control arousal level?

Dave Scott – Every athlete is different coming into a race. Most endurance athletes are better off keeping themselves calm and keeping that level of calmness. I ask my athletes to think back to their last really good work out and a time when they really felt in control. I have them make a list of those tangible things they recognized in their swim. I ask them how did you feel? Be really specific. How did your shoulders, arms or triceps feel? How did your lats feel? Describe that in 5 or 6 phrases. Do the same thing on the bike and on the run.

As athletes we’ve got very short retention and recall. If you have a very long or prolonged taper before a race, or if you’ve been sick or traveled, people often feel as if they’ve lost it. I will have them go back to the last few days, maybe the last Sunday…one where they had a strong training session and write down those tangible things they remember. Maybe it was that ride around Carter Lake, or on your home course, or your last race. What were the tangible things you remember from that? How did you feel on that? Remember that you felt powerful, and the snap you felt at the bottom of your stroke. These are the things to focus on. I have my athletes write them down.

When people see me when I run they wonder if I’m injured. I’m not injured, its just bad form. It looks dreadful. But in my mind I see myself being really light on my feet with my whole body really relaxed, my arms floating through space, and so quick that as soon as my feet make contact I imagine they are just floating on silky water. The imagery and connotation of easiness over smooth water is one that really felt right to me.

I see myself running like the best and most fluid Kenyans. In reality my form is horrific, but when I run I think that imagery helps my economy of effort because mentally I’m the most relaxed guy out there. I can run hard but remain relaxed. I remind myself of feeling lightness, with quick steps, fluid relaxed arms and torso…and I say those things in my mind over and over.

The number one thing is that I always remind my athletes to watch their breathing. I ask them, “What is your breath doing?” Over and over, focus on breathing, breathing, breathing, because that controls the physical side. Once you get to the point where you feel like your respiration rate gets up really high, then you’re likely to experience that feeling of panic….by then, you’re completely out of control.

I see that more often with the amateur swimmers who become disoriented because they don’t have the comfort of the lane line or the flags in the pool or pace clock. Their orientation is thrown all out of whack. I’ve always found that more skilled swimmers have a calmness or peacefulness in open water. It’s all just water to me. Even though the start is very fast and frenetic, there are feet and clamoring around. That part is all about breathing, breathing, breathing. I’ve watched lots of races where I see swimmers with their head down and they take 4-6 strokes and then take a breath and another 4-6 strokes. They’re hypoxic by the time they get a hundred meters out. Breathing properly is key.

Podium – The calm is huge to you isn’t it?

Dave Scott – I like to see an athlete that is calm, but ready. That hour before the race is when that element of self-doubt tends to creep in and permeate people. I always tell people to add some levity. Internally. I don’t recommend cajoling your competitors, I think that’s contrived. Also, I think it’s important to do again and again after the gun goes off. You have to have an appreciation of the joy in racing and the funny things that happen out there. I remember in the ’89 race with Mark Allen. The sirens are going off, everybody is yelling and screaming and I see this drunk guy at the end of the bike ride in cut offs and a big beer belly. It was a killer race, and we were running sub 6 minute pace and this drunk guy runs out on to the middle of the coarse with the cops chasing him and right before he’s dragged off… he yells…”Come on you guys, pick it up!” I still laugh about it.

Here is the entire race as courtesy of Ben Van James Channel – thanks Ben.

Ironman Hawaii 1989, Dave Scott v Mark Allen. Part 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ironman World Championships 1989, Dave Scott v Mark Allen. Part 2

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Ironman World Championships 1989, Dave Scott v Mark Allen. Part 3

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Ironman World Championships 1989, Dave Scott v Mark Allen. Part 4

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Ironman World Championships 1989, Dave Scott v Mark Allen. Part 5

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Ironman World Championships 1989, Dave Scott v Mark Allen. Part 6

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from Sports Illustrated’s 2004 article on Bloom’s lawsuit against the NCAA

Jeremy Ryan Bloom (born April 2, 1982) has long been known as an athlete of some repute in the Rocky Mountain Region.  Originally from Loveland, Colorado – Bloom was an all-star football player who thrilled crowds through his “lightning in a bottle” punt returns and, as a quality receiver for the University of Colorado Golden Buffaloes and later the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.  But Bloom is most widely known as a three-time World Champion, two-time Olympian and eleven-time World Cup gold medalist in FIS freestyle moguls skiing … whose speed and quick reactions earned him the titles and established him as the premier competitor in his event for several years running.

Podium Sports Journal is pleased to have Dr. TC North on its professional advisory board.  TC contributes regularly to the site and was gracious enough to shoot these interview segments with Jeremy Bloom.

Jeremy Bloom’s understanding of many key mental skills and the acuity of his descriptions of competition is telling.  Do you think Bloom encourages the use of mental conditioning as well as physical training in preparing for competitions?

Segment 1 – Mind Like a River

Bloom is widely read and very attuned to the mental skills training many of our athletes work on regularly.  His first segment speaks to the flow of thoughts and how to regulate them in a productive fashion, without getting stuck in an unproductive thought process.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Segment 2 – The Power of Intention – The Inner Mountain

Jeremy Bloom offers credit to Dr. Wayne Dyer and his book, The Power of Intention. The recognition of intermediate steps toward the accomplishment of large goals is big piece to Bloom’s success.  Here he explains how and why this is important and what the inner mountain signifies.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Segment 3 – Clarity of Focus

In this segment, Bloom discusses his preparation in the starting area for how we would limit distractions and develop his laser like focus at the top of the run.  The specificity of his description is important to note and in this video – he literally places himself in the starting gate describing in present tense what he sees, hears and feels.  This level of focus is huge and a clear component to success in competition.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dr. TC North is a well known executive coach whose work with entrepreneurs has been characterized through the use of the mental skills of Olympic athletes.  His new program “Blast through Fear for Women in Business” has garnered critical acclaim for its practical yet cutting edge approach toward helping successful women in business.

Thanks to Dan Peterson from 80percent mental – for his great interview with Peter Vint

Peter Vint is the High Performance Director for the United States Olympic Committee. His responsibilities include leading and coordinating the efforts of sport science and medical professionals focused on the Olympic sports of swimming, track and field, shooting, equestrian, weightlifting, and golf as well as the Pan Am sports of bowling and water skiing.

Stephen King once said, “Talent is cheaper than table salt.  What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” I’ve heard it put another way by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. “Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates.  There’s plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”

Dan Peterson, the journalist who keeps a blog called “Sports are 80 Percent Mental” writes on the latest in sports science and fitness research.  His observations are not only insightful but he entertains and makes one think.  Check out this blog featuring an interview with Peter Vint and his studied discussion of the nature vs nurture debate in sports.

Peterson starts out, “It’s a common belief among parents and some coaches that kids either have “it” or they don’t.  Of course, some skills can be gained from practice, but the talent theory of player development and team selection seems to favor the opinion that athletic skill is “hard-wired”, unable to progress much beyond the natural limit.”

He provides references to several books, which are out to prove this theory incorrect.  One is Dan Coyle’s book, “The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born, Its Grown, Here’s How”, another is Geoff  Colvin’s “Talent Is Overrated”, and David Shenk’s “The Genius in All of Us: Why Everything You’ve Been Told About Genetics, Talent, and IQ Is Wrong.” The common thread through all of the research studies quoted by these authors is the mantra that practice makes perfect.  More specifically, about 10,000 hours of highly structured practice is required to reach elite performance levels.

Is athletic success that black or white? Instead, is there a combination of talent and tenacity that is required to reach the top? Dan Peterson put these questions to an expert who spends most of his waking hours trying to find the answer.

For a really compelling read Check out the Interview: Click Here.

A Q/A With A Mom Who Wants Coaching on How She Should Motivate Her Twin Son & Daughter:

Dear Dr. Walker,

I have six year old twins, a boy and a girl.  They are both extraordinarily athletic.  My son, especially, seems to excel at every sport he tries, and already has a physique that resembles a professional athlete, as does my daughter.  They are both just solid muscle.  I’m not sure exactly how that happened, but it’s quite amazing.   People regularly comment on it.  Here is the question:  My son has wanted to play hockey for two years.

I finally let him try.  He did two weeks of an intensive summer hockey camp and made a local in-house team.  I paid for the season.   He is very motivated and a great skater and the coaches love him.  But sometimes he waivers, saying he doesn’t want to do it since none of his school friends play.  As you are well aware, hockey is unlike most other sports in that it is SO expensive, and requires a big commitment.  Do you have a suggestion as to how I handle this? What is the best approach?  I think once he starts the season he’ll make friends on the team and love it, but it is very difficult to gauge what his motivation is at this point.  I could probably get a refund now, but not after the season is in full swing.   And I don’t think it would set a good precedent to let him quit in the middle.

Dear Jayni,

Thanks so much for this question.  It is one I have fielded before, so I will share with you how I’ve responded – and – I’m going to plug some other websites and blogs at the end of this posting that do a great job in addressing parents’ concerns.

First off, the “fun factor” is king.  I believe that kids at this age will do well to learn every sport they can, and as Dr. Dan Gould says, “running, jumping, throwing, catching, agility drills, seeing ‘how many you can do?’ games, and those things that enable kids to acquire and practice skills” are “golden.” Yet it is the fun factor of testing our limits, seeing what we can do, and bettering ourselves over and over again that not only makes it interesting – but fun.  It is clear to me, that it is the social ‘uncertainty’ that has your son hesitating.  In short it sounds as if he’s concerned about “fitting in.”  Those familiar with youth sports will tell you that it is the opportunity to play with one’s friends that gets kids into sports in the first place – and playing with your friends is a key component to the “fun factor.”  That being said, now we enter into the ‘chicken or the egg’ part of the question.

You can do a lot to help your son and daughter with the social side.  Watch practice and see how and who your son gravitates toward.  Endeavor to know some of the other parents and arrange a play date outside of hockey that will help the kids grow their friendship.  Even a trip to the ice cream parlor after practice can do the trick…so keep your eyes and ears open.  Also, if the coach hasn’t already done this MAKE SURE the coach “requires” each child to know the names of all of their teammates.  I have been amazed at teams several weeks into a season and the only person who knows every player is the coach or parent manager.  If this simple detail is not taken care of the social structure and team cohesion does not develop as it should.  Just a simple go-round before the first practice identifying ‘who is who’ and whats the most fun part of hockey for “you” can make a big difference.

Now to the core of your question – should you allow him to bail mid-season.  Unless there is something going on around the team that is damaging or hurtful to your child – I say no.  The team will get to know him, learn how to team up with him, and his coach and teammates will end up relying on his contribution.  By setting a precedent that he can bail early into a new experience, he will never learn to buck up and hang in there – and there are dozens of reasons why this is important to him developmentally.  He should be having fun – there is no doubt about that…but…he also needs to learn how to be responsible for ‘making it fun’ both for he and his teammates.

Here is my second question:  my daughter is also really quite good at sports — she is faster than any boy her age — but says she doesn’t want to play ANYTHING.  She excels at everything she tries (ice skating, baseball, swimming, gymnastics).  I am a big fan of team sports for all of the reasons you list on your website.   Should I just let her off the hook, or encourage her (as I have been doing) without forcing her to play??  She is so good, I just can’t quite understand why she doesn’t seem to have any interest.

I guess the real gist of my question is how to assess a child’s motivation at such an early age, and how hard to “encourage” them if they seem to demonstrate some real skill.  Perhaps you could simply recommend some articles for me to read as well.   I do not force my kids to play sports, although we do have a rule of thumb that if they start something, they finish it.

Dear Jayni,

This is a little different situation and yet it does have a tie in to your son’s circumstances.  My sense is that your daughter is not connecting socially as well as she could.  The number one reason most kids love sports is that they get to be with their friends and play together.  Your daughter may be very talented but not connecting socially and if she feels out-of-place – then she will lose the “fun factor.”

I would address her situation a little bit differently.  If she is in school, I’d talk to her teacher – find out who she likes to do things with and what she chooses to do at recess.  She may be more talented that the boys her age, but that doesn’t mean she enjoys competing…with them or anyone.  Sometimes the sports are framed in too competitive a manner.  My friend Dr. Jerry Lynch recorded a Podcast for Podium (Podcast-Dr. Jerry Lynch) that makes a great point…. that is to really appreciate and thank your opponent – for he/she provides you with the opportunity to bring out the best in both of you.  In his book, The Way of the Champion – this concept is beautifully illustrated.  It may be your daughter would do well to pursue collaborative games without competition – building things, campfires – cookouts, projects where everyone comes together for a solution.

Thanks for asking these questions and I hope my answers have been helpful.  There are some fabulous resources for parents in the youth sporting world.  Here are just a few:

Mark Hyman’s Blog

Ask Coach Wolff

Inside Youth Sports

Mom’s Team

National Alliance for Youth Sports

He was introduced by Dr. Sean McCann, last year’s president of AASP – and it was an unusual introduction because it set Loehr up to discuss many aspects of his career, including some of the scarier, lesser known experiences that have shaped his life.  I’ve rarely seen a keynote who allowed himself to acknowledge personal costs to great success – but to me this only strengthened his message.  Loehr acknowledged vulnerability as an essential part of the human condition – and its role in his life and the life of some of the most successful athletes and professionals of our time.  He maintains its how we address this vulnerability – or deny it – which can in large part lead to our ultimate success or failure.

One of Loehr’s main thrusts focused on the importance of recovery and its role in managing energy – the life blood of all productive human endeavor .  This video on You Tube gives us a strong sense of how he views this…take a look:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Podium has featured many superb articles and features on this topic including the interview with Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach as she reviewed her work at the Olympic Training Center, and the widely read list of recovery tenets found in Compensatory Strategies for Recovery.  The inability to properly regulate recovery and manage stress have ended the athletic careers of many truly talented individuals, but for Loehr, who’s research has now spanned three decades – recovery is the under appreciated elixir for our stress filled world.

How ‘your’ story aligns with the holistic energy system makes a difference

Loehr and his partner, Dr. Jack Groppel (a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine and nutrition/fitness expert,) envision the person’s ability to cope with the stresses and strains of life.  To do so one must understand the delicate balance found when the experience of stress interacts with the person’s purposeful focus on recovery and renewal.  Loehr’s center does comprehensive research on each of its clients so that they clearly comprehend that persons’ energy expenditures.  Then they customize a training regimen that almost without exception, reap huge rewards for the client and the world they are a part of.  This series of assessments follow Loehr and Groppel’s evolving model of the Holistic Energy System.

The Holistic Energy System is viewed as a pyramid, the top of which is comprised of one’s purpose.  When one’s story is aligned with this spiritual energy – it fuels motivation from our deepest values and beliefs.  The next level is centered on our mental abilities….involving focus, logical thinking and decision making as we apply our intellect.  A somewhat larger layer in the pyramid comes from our emotional energy – particularly positive emotions that include optimism, encouraging attitudes, confidence, enthusiasm, joy and a positive self-expectation.  Yet, it’s the recognition that the holistic energy system can be no stronger than our base fitness. Our nutritional habits, sleep and hydration patterns are key….for without a strong physical foundation the overall strength of the system shall be flawed.

The training program structures progressively demanding stresses to build competence, while matching an array of activities for recovery to keep each person in balance.  When this energy system is tuned – the power of each person is formidable.  Loehr, who came from a background in community mental health – believes that its the lack of recovery that contributes to so many broken lives in our world.

Jim Loehr readily admits to times when he lacked “alignment” in his own personal life, working non-stop without adequate recovery and the price was significant costing him a marriage and putting strain on relationships with those dear to him.  He surmises that the ultimate success in any persons life comes when their story, their purpose, and their expense of energy are in complete alignment.  When that happens the synergy creates a most potent, most focused, and most happy person.

Johnson and Johnson must think so too – for they bought The Human Performance Institute to carry the message and expand the reach of the organization beyond even Loehr and Groppel’s imagination.  Both continue to be fully engaged in the Institute’s mission, and we’re glad they are.  For me, it was as insightful, dynamic, clearly delivered, and potent a program for AASP – since Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi gave the Griffith Coleman Lecture in Savannah, Georgia in 1990 – presenting the concept and data illustrating “Flow” and the ideal performance state.

Although Loehr has written 15 books, he believes The Power of Full Engagement, The Power of Story, and Stress for Success serve his audience best.

by Noah Gentner, PhD, CC-AASP

Over the last month much of the content on this site has dealt with the Olympics.  One of the most interesting things about the Olympics is that they give us a glimpse at how athletes deal with highly pressurized situations.  Most Olympic athletes spend a lifetime preparing for one event in one Olympics.  There is no second chance for most of these athletes.  In many ways the Olympics represent the most difficult challenge in all of sports.  Given one opportunity can an athlete perform at her best on the biggest stage in the world?

While no other athletic event can match the pressure of the Olympics one may come close:  The NFL Combine.  Taking place each February, the combine provides an opportunity for each NFL team to medically, physically, and psychologically examine and evaluate potential draft picks.  The players are put through a series of strength, agility, and skills tests in addition to medical exams, psychological tests, and 15 minute interviews with each team.  The results of these tests can often mean the difference between millions of dollars in salary for the players.  In fact, the NFL works on a “slotting system” where rookie salaries are based on their draft position.  So, if a player drops from a top 10 pick to a late first round pick he will most certainly lose millions of dollars.  For example, in 2005 Aaron Rodgers was being considered for the first overall pick by the 49ers.  Partially based on the results of the Combine, the 49ers chose Alex Smith instead of Rodgers.  This caused Rodgers to fall all the way to the Packers at number 24.  What did that cost Rodgers?  Well, Alex Smith signed a 6-year $49.5 million deal with $24 million guaranteed while Rodgers got 5-years and $7.7 million with $4.13 million guaranteed.  That’s a BIG difference; one that helps us realize the importance of draft position.  Based on all of this it’s easy to see why the Combine is an extremely stressful experience which requires a tremendous amount of mental toughness.

As a Sport Psychology Consultant I am fascinated by events like the Combine.  Where else do athletes have one chance to secure millions of dollars?  Where else can one mistake cost you more money than I’ll ever see in a lifetime?  I’ve always wondered how athletes deal with that experience.  I believe we can learn a tremendous amount about achieving peak performance by watching how athletes handle situations like the Combine.  By identifying the challenges these athletes face and the strategies they use to overcome them we can gather information about how to help other athletes, or ourselves, deal with difficult situations.  So, to find out more about the Combine I decided to talk to someone who was there.  Mike Rosenthal is a 1999 graduate of Notre Dame where he was a four year starter on the offensive line.  After the 1998 season he was voted First-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation and was subsequently invited to the 1999 NFL Combine.  He was chosen in the 5^th round by the Giants and had a successful 9 year NFL career.  I asked Mike about the Combine because I believe we can draw upon his experiences to understand more about how to deal with difficult situations.  Over a series of blogs I will be discussing his answers and how they can be used to improve performance in a variety of situations.  However, before I discuss the strategies he used to enhance his Combine performance it is important to identify the challenges he faced.  Therefore, the rest of this blog will deal with the unique challenges of the Combine while subsequent entries will discuss strategies to deal with those challenges.

One of the major challenges presented at the Combine is dealing with the knowledge that you are constantly being scrutinized.  As Mike said, “I think the biggest mental challenge was the stress of knowing that everyone was watching every step I took.”  This is a sentiment echoed by many athletes at many different levels of compeition.  In highly pressurized situations athletes often feel “on stage” or that they are constantly being evaluated.  This leads to anxiety and a focus on others’ thoughts and feelings.  This is something that all athletes have experienced and often leads to poor performances.  Of course the question is how can we deal with those challenges?  The most successful athletes are those who are able to perform well in these situations.  In future posts I will examine how Mike dealt with the anxiety of being evaluated and how you can use that information to improve your performance.

While they are being evaluated at the Combine the athletes are also pushed to the limits both physically and mentally.  “It was mentally draining because at the combine they try and stress you to the limit physically and mentally.  They keep you up late at night for interviews and have you up early in the morning.  They want to see how you perform with little sleep and in uncomfortable surroundings.”  This is interesting because one thing we know about elite athletes is they are able to perform well even in less than ideal circumstances.  We are all good on our best days but the great athletes are good even on their worst days.  This is exactly what the Combine is designed to test.  Which athletes can still excel under difficult conditions?  In future blogs I will examine this issue and Mike’s suggestions for handling challenging situations.

There is no doubt that you or your athletes have experienced stressful situations.  We have all been nervous in important competitions and we have all dealt with the challenges of performing in difficult circumstances.  Over the next few weeks I will examine how you can deal with those challenges and achieve your goals.  Please check back to hear more about how Mike dealt with the challenges of the Combine and how you can improve your ability to deal with difficult situations.

Noah Gentner, Ph.D., CC-AASP is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Sport Psychology graduate program at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA.  He received his Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2004.  He has published his research in several journals and has given presentations on Sport Psychology at worldwide and regional Sport Psychology, Coaching, and Athletic Training Conferences.

Dr. Gentner and Dr. Vanessa Shannon (coaching education specialist at West Virginia University) contributed one of Podium Sport Journal’s most popular Podcasts – “The Gold Medal Secret Sauce – Whats in it?”  Check it out:

Click here to view the embedded video.

aasp-oct07-gentner-shannon-gold-medal-secret-sauce

by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP

In another review of interviews carried out during the poster sessions at AASP 2009, Stephen Walker interviewed Paige Gregson, a graduate student Brock University completing her masters in sport sciences.  This podcast provides a good synopsis of research she conducted with Dr. Philip Wilson and Diane Mack also from Brock, located in Ontario, Canada.  Curious as to how a coaches interpersonal styles might contribute or take away from the athlete’s motivation – Gregson and Wilson examined a number of factors involved in coaching success.  Things as simple as a well stated purpose for the day’s practice, choices and the sense of personal connection an athlete may feel from the coach – do matter when it comes to motivating athletes as this research pointed out.  This research has also been featured in a Chapter titled: The Importance of Interpersonal Style in Competitive Sport: A Self-Determination Theory Approach in The Handbook of Sports Psychology edited by Calvin Chang.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Paige Gregson – Coaches’ Interpersonal Styles and Motivational Processes in Competitive Sport

A Podcast with Dr. Daniel Gould - Advisor to the USOC and Director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University

by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard athletes on the Podium at the Olympic Games speak to dreaming about this achievement since they were little.  There is no doubt on planet earth that these athletes are motivated, committed to their training – their coaching – and their quest to perform.  As everyone knows, these things are not automatic.  Talent is nothing until it is developed.  So if you ever wondered about what the Olympians did to develop their talent…then this Podcast is for you.

Dr. Gould is one of the foremost sport psychologists in the world and this Podcast goes straight to the heart of what  parents and coaches of young gifted athletes should know.  Capturing this segment of a clinic with Dr. Gould we were thrilled when he consented to air this 5 minute piece.  For those engaged in the “Quest” this is invaluable information.  His delivery is practical, useful, and delivered with good humor – yet he doesn’t mince words on how we oftentimes mess our kids up even with great intentions.  This audio is a must for any sports parent.  Enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dan Gould – What Parents Should know about What Makes an Elite Athlete

]]> http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/2010/02/19/vancouver-olympics-2010-are-your-kids-dreaming-of-being-olympians/feed/ 1 http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/2010/02/17/%e2%80%9cthe-gold-medal-secret-sauce%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-mental-techniques-and-preparation-strategies-used-by-olympic-gold-medalists-2004-olympics-part-2/ http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/2010/02/17/%e2%80%9cthe-gold-medal-secret-sauce%e2%80%9d-%e2%80%93-mental-techniques-and-preparation-strategies-used-by-olympic-gold-medalists-2004-olympics-part-2/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:31:11 +0000 Stephen Walker, PhD http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/?p=623

Podium Sports Journal’s Podcast of the Week – An interview with Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon

by Dr. Stephen Walker, CC-AASP

This podcast was the second of a two part podcast with Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon on qualitative research they conducted with Olympic Gold medalists from the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.  The interview was given at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky October 2007.

This study evolved over a number of years in a series of interviews focused on identifying and describing the mental techniques and preparation strategies used by world champions.

The key exploration focused on how these premier athletes differed from those less successful athletes in their preparation and mental conditioning.  A total of nine male and female athletes from six different sports comprised the sample for this qualitative research effort.

Some of the techniques employed included self-talk, attention cues, process focused physical moves, smart “techniques”, short-term and long-term goals.

Dr. Noah Gentner is a sport psychologist consultant from the Georgia Southern University and Dr. Vanessa Shannon is a coaching education specialist at West Virginia University.  Both were students of Dr. Craig Wrisberg  and Leslie Fisher Gould at the University of Tennessee.

Click here to view the embedded video.

aasp-oct07-gentner-shannon-gold-medal-secret-sauce

Podium Sports Journal’s Podcast of the Week – An interview with Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon

by Dr. Stephen Walker, CC-AASP

This podcast was the first of a two part podcast with Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon on qualitative research they conducted with Olympic Gold medalists from the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.  The interview was given at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky October 2007.

This study evolved over a number of years in a series of interviews focused on identifying and describing the mental techniques and preparation strategies used by world champions.  The key exploration focused on how these premier athletes differed from those less successful athletes in their preparation and mental conditioning.  A total of nine male and female athletes from six different sports comprised the sample for this qualitative research effort.

Some of the techniques employed included self-talk, attention cues, process focused physical moves, smart “techniques”, short-term and long-term goals.  Stay tuned tomorrow for part 2 of this interview.

Dr. Noah Gentner is a sport psychologist consultant and Assistant Professor of Sport Sciences from Georgia Southern University.  Dr. Vanessa Shannon is a coaching education specialist and Assistant Professor at West Virginia University.  Both were students of Dr. Craig Wrisberg  and Leslie Fisher Gould at the University of Tennessee.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click Here to Listen to the Podcast: aasp-oct07-minding-for-gold-gentner-shannon3