Courtney Dauwalter is an ultra-endurance athlete. She has been crushing running records year after year. How does she do it? This video is a short excerpt from an in-depth interview with Rich Roll in which Courtney talks about the importance and necessity of embracing pain rather that trying to avoid it. "Four or five years ago, I viewed the Pain Cave as this place that you should try to put off as long as possible . . . but in the past couple years, it's been the place I want to get to" ~ Courtney Dauwalter
Most of us do this, often relentlessly: we say things to ourselves that we would never say to anyone else we cared about. Dan Harris shares his years-long quest to improve his relationships with everyone - starting with himself - and explains the science behind loving-kindness meditation, and how it can boost your resiliency, quiet your inner critic and make you more pleasant to be around. For athletes, research shows that engaging in meditation and being self-compassionate enhances performance and the enjoyment of sport and competition. Might be worth putting into practice?
Triathlon powerhouses Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt talk about how their unique training and racing protocols are changing the world of endurance sports. This talk highlights the importance of teamwork, competition, drive, focus, and above all, process.
Do you struggle with comparing yourself to others? This talk uncovers how some of the top performers approach competition that takes them to a higher (and healthier) level. Brett Ledbetter specializes in human performance and team cohesion. He's worked alongside some of the most elite people in sports.
Ever wondered what goes on in the minds of the most elite athletes? This short documentary provides a brief opportunity to discover athlete's fears, weapons, strategies and what ultimately drives them.
Athletes often question how and why Mindfulness can be applied to i sport performance; "How could mindfulness possibly help me a better competitor?" In this short video, Amy Baltzell, Sport and Performance Psychologist, explains how Mindfulness & Self Compassion can enhance performance and allow athletes to better manage the stressful moments in sport.
What are the psychological rituals that athletes use in preparation for the big game? Do they work? How do top athletes get in the zone? Watch this video.
The late Kobe Bryant talks about his mindset and how he developed the mindset of a winner. "You Want First Place Come Play With Me, You Want Second Place Go Somewhere Else." ~ KOBE BRYANT.
An inspirational piece on Stephen Curry, narrated by Alan Stein. It's about doing BIG things once or twice, it's about making the small choices every day because those are the right choices. Over time, these small daily choices create a habit of excellence that will set the foundation for success.
Des Linden is the 2018 Boston Marathon champion. In this Podcast with Rich Roll, Des talks about the mental challenges that all athletes face and how she sets her mindset default to ensure that she shows up every day and gives herself the best chance of success. Enjoy!
The late Kobe Bryant talks about the importance of sleep and mindfulness-meditation practice in helping him be the best he could be and perform to the top of his capacity.
Practicing mindfulness is one of the single most powerful things you can do for your wellbeing as a person and as an athlete. Staying present and focused on the now - the moment you are in right now - is critical to maximizing performance. Want to give it a try? The er are many apps and websites where you can find guided meditations and other mindfulness-building activities designed by experts.
To be world-class at anything it takes more than natural skill, it takes physical, personal, spiritual development and a healthy relationship with one's own ego to begin a fulfilling journey to greatness - something we are all capable of, given we know how to use the appropriate tools.
We are taught in sport (and life) to work on our weaknesses and improve them to make us stronger. It is not that this is wrong, but there are other (better?) ways to enhance performance. In this Ted Talk, Shawn Achor discussed the impact of positive psychology and provides tips and tools to enhance a positive mindset.
Shawn Achor is the winner of over a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University, where he delivered lectures on positive psychology in the most popular class at Harvard.
How is smiling related to sport performance? Smiling can make you feel better about yourself and reduce stress levels, both mentally and physically. Have you ever felt sport-related stress or anxiety? A BIG smile can be the key to reducing the negative impact of anxiety and increase your self-confidence. Take a look at this great Ted Talk by Ron Gutman.
Here's a great short video about responding to stress. Sometimes it's about taking a new perspective on things.
Do you truly know how you can give your athlete the edge? This video will likely open your eyes, even if you are a high performance coach with years of experience, and/or a parent who's well-intentioned and supportive. This is also a fantastic video for athletes to watch to get a sense of direction.
In the following video Natascha Wesch discusses the use of imagery in sport. This video captures a seminar entitled 'Illusion in Sport, which was held at Fanshawe College, London ON.
When you look at sporting achievements over the last decades, it seems like humans have gotten faster, better and stronger in nearly every way. Yet as David Epstein points out in this delightfully counter-intuitive talk, we might want to lay off the self-congratulation. Many factors are at play in shattering athletic records, and the development of our natural talents is just one of them. So, ensuring that athletes cover all the bases of sport performance means not only tapping in to the physical and technical aspects of sport, but just as important is the psychological side of sport.
This presentation was delivered part of the Stay in the Game: Pathways for Women in Sport conference put on by The University of Western Ontario. The session focused on the importance of mental health for athletes, sport volunteers and professionals, and provided tools and strategies for developing and maintaining optimal mental health. Stay in the Game was a one-day virtual conference aimed at promoting the continued involvement of women in sport in a variety of roles beyond graduation. The conference provided young women and their mentors an opportunity to explore further the many ways they can continue to be involved in the sport world.
With so many athletes facing the challenges of anxiety, Natascha Wesch debunks the myth that anxiety is the bad guy. This seminar was presented as part of a Coaches Association of Ontario program called Changing the Game Changing the Conversation, which focused on the development of female coaches in the province of Ontario. The seminar highlights ways in which we can help athletes manage their emotions and enhance performance.
A brief overview of the importance of sport psychology use by high performance athletes. How to achieve success is not a secret; you simply have to be willing to put in the time and energy to learn the mental, physical, technical and tactical skills of sport.
This is a great video that reviews the various concepts of sport psychology. The video provides an overview of what is sport psychology, how mental skills can be developed and used, and what separates each individual athlete or performer.
You've heard the saying before: "Fake it 'til you make it." Does it work? If so, how? In this video, Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy, talks about the power of body language and how it affects the way others perceive us, and how our very own body language affects how we feel about ourselves. This important information can be applied to your sport performance. Strike a power pose for two minutes before you compete or before you go into tryouts. It's that simple, and that could be the difference between a good performance and a great performance!
Brief and concise video on the basics of sport psychology. This video covers a few basic mental skills and how they can influence performance.
This video captures Mike Cammalleri's pre-game visualization routine (2010, when with the Montreal Canadiens). The majority of athletes use some form of visualization or imagery to enhance sport performance. Imagery or visualization is an extremely powerful and effective skill that can be learned by anyone.
Tiger Woods is arguably one of the world's best golfers of his time. His physical and technical game are superior to most, and he has trained his mind to enable complete focus. Find out more about 'The Tiger Zone' in this video.