- See prolonged efforts of distance runners and committed athletes and gain a respect for them and their level of effort.
- Cultural Limitations:
- "De-Evolutionizing of Abilities". The 'Vanishing Playground' idea. PLAY is a long-gone experience. Kids now have organized play dates, play groups.
- "High-Tech -- Low Physical". The 'Game Boy' era. Kids like passive recreation
- "Specialization v. Diversification". One-sport v. multi-sport athletes.
- Safety needs and concerns. Harder to leave kids unsupervised. Parents do not feel secure since the community no longer watches you.
- Family structure. Divorce now affects 50% of our families. Parents and fathers are not present and can't structure play and recreation. Wage-earners are at work and not able to assist in play or sport.
- Educational Limitations:
- The decline of P.E. Physical Education classes are now superfluous in a high-tech world.
- Removal of sport from school. We now have volunteer coaches, community programs through recreation departments.
- Lack of coaching education.
- Promotion of developmentally inappropriate things. The Game-Boy mentality.
- Exercise leadership is the main reason people drop out! When you are dedicated and committed, you attach to exercise.
- Sport and exercise is a lifestyle.
- Team concept for hard work: Together We Achieve More.
- Lessons from the Sydney 2000 Summer Games:
- Let the athletes know this may be the first time at the US Trials, but not the first time they have raced.
- Sports Psychology is there to ground the athlete.
- Sports Psychology is now Performance Psychology!
- A 1500m race may have 840 minutes of training per week for a 4 minute race.
- Find an athlete's aptitude. Where is their "knack" of performing?
- HEALTH is the single greatest danger. The peak time of danger seems to be when the athlete is in a different environment on a different routine with different stresses.
- Achievement needs:
- Talent
- Good fortune
- Support
- Work Ethic
- Attitude
- Marla Runyan (legally blind Olympian in the 1500). "I can't see but I can focus!" . . .and . . ."A negative attitude is the disability of most people."
- The "10 Keys":
- Patience.
Have 'passive willpower'. Let the situations come to you.
- Mental Toughness.
All of us are great when things are going well for us competitively. Stacy Dragila in the Olympic vault . . . misses low and grinding it out. When you are in a high performance state you are mentally passive.
- Attuning.
Getting in touch with protocols and familiarity. Know your surroundings. Know the track. Know the course. Know where the practice track and holding areas are. Know your situation. Take a look around.
- Routines.
Have a 'pre-performance' routine. Settle down to the matter at hand.
- Social Support.
We all need each other. It's tough to do this alone.
- Composure.
Passion helps you perform. Poison hurts you (poisoning of the mind with negativity). There is a fine line between the two. The team sport mentality of 'we can get to that guy' with trash talk or intimidation.
- Refocusing.
When distraction DOES get the upper hand, take time to re-center.
- Belief.
Do you believe in yourself or your opponent? You must have the willpower to believe in yourself 100% on that day. You must have a deep-seated belief that you at least have a chance!!!
- Confidence.
Understand you have done all you can do and it is enough to win.
- Spirituality.
Not necessarily a "Christian" sense. It is an 'inner strength'. It can come from religion, solitude, music, faith and hope, or self-fulfillment.
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