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10 - Mindfulness and the Olympic Athlete – A Personal Journey

from III - MINDFULNESS: THEORY TO PRACTICE IN SPORT AND EXERCISE

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2016

By
Peter Haberl
Edited by
Amy L. Baltzell
Peter Haberl
Affiliation:
United States Olympic Committee, U.S.A.
Amy L. Baltzell
Affiliation:
Boston University
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Summary

Imagine, if you will, standing at the starting blocks at the Olympic Games. Let's say your race will last just under a minute. The margin of victory or defeat will be determined by one-hundredths of a second. You are part of a world-class field, a field consisting of a world record holder, a world champion, and to top it off, an Olympic champion. One of these is you (you can take your pick!). You are superbly fit, and so are your competitors. With the best time of the year, and your track record, you are considered one of the favorites. The emphasis is on “one” of the favorites. The outcome is uncertain. Your goal is to win. A victory today, an Olympic gold medal, may change your world. Anything less than a medal would be considered a disappointment by you and your team. Failure would mean a four-year-long wait for a chance at redemption that you know, full well, may never come again. Indeed, this is a very special moment for you – a moment for which you have trained for what seems like a lifetime. Certainly you have put in the proverbial ten years and the ten thousand plus hours of deliberate practice to get to just this moment and this level of expertise. You will give yourself the best chance to perform optimally if both your mind and your body are ready.

Your body is ready to perform, yet will your mind be ready? What happens to your mind in this moment when it comes time to perform? Will you be aware of what is on your mind, and will you be able to put your mind where you need it to be? Will you be able to direct your attention on the execution of the task at hand and keep it there, or will the pressure, the stress, and the magnitude of the moment constrain your mind, highjack your attention, and derail you from staying in the here and now?

My singular focus as an applied sport psychologist is to work with Olympic hopefuls to navigate the territory that is performance at the Olympic Games. To navigate this territory, these questions of what is on your mind and where you will put your mind are vital. To navigate this territory and address these questions, a map, a guide, and a compass come in handy.

Type
Chapter
Information
Mindfulness and Performance , pp. 211 - 234
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

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