The Psychology of

MIND OVER BODY IN COMPETITION BRETT HAWKE - AUBURN UNIVERSITY BA PSYCHOLOGY

The athletes – Olympic Finalist/Medalists

Cesar Cielo – . Champion 50 free/Bronze 100 free 2008 - WR holder 50-100 free Fred Bousquet – France. Silver Medalist 2008 – Relay – . Final 100 free 2008 – USA. Final 100 Breast 2008/Gold medal relay Gideon Louw – South Africa. Final 2012 - Relay Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace – Bahamas. Final 50 free 2012 Tyler McGill – USA. Final 100 Fly 2012/Gold medal relay – Brazil. Final 100 free 2016 – Brazil. Final 50 free 2016 “You can’t think and hit at the same time” – Yogi Berra Sports psychology and performance enhancement

Sports Psychology is about improving your attitude and mental game skills to help you perform your best by identifying limiting beliefs and embracing a healthier philosophy about your sport Self Confidence Three essential factors in developing self confidence: Athlete-Coach relationship Performance contributors and performance detractors Training to perform Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace 5’5 - First woman under 47 sec 100 yard free Athlete-Coach relationship Develop working rapport Demonstrate knowledge, credibility, competence Build trust: Anything is possible! Break down barriers: Mental and physical Build self confidence Get under their skin – Find what motivates them: Internal or external Performance Contributors

Competitive Success Positive self-talk - I am powerful beyond measure! Visualization and imagery – Feeling the skill/movement (Divers) Staying focused on task and not training partners Accepting and releasing control of situations - Feeling – 200 Freestyle “The race of the century” Performance Detractors

Impede competitive success Fear of failure – Failure should not cripple you, but motivate you Negative self-talk – Words are powerful Negative thoughts or imagery – You are what you think you are Overanalyzing – move on to the next task quickly Distractions – social media, relationships, parents Training to perform Training to perform

Focus on potential – What you see is eventually what you become Build a competitive environment Recruit personalities and attitudes Create a learning/sharing environment Break down components of the race and train the components Process over outcome Value of compartmentalization

Compartmentalization is an unconscious psychological defense mechanism used to avoid cognitive dissonance, or the mental discomfort and anxiety caused by a person's having conflicting values, cognitions, emotions, beliefs, etc. within themselves. In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress (discomfort) experienced by a person who simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values, when performing an action that contradicts those beliefs, ideas, and values. Bruno Fratus – Pan Pacs 2014

8 breaths in morning swim – 22.4

Panic attack in warm down pool – Heavy breathing

Saw an article criticizing him - took his phone away on bus

Instructed to start fresh and reset, forget everything that happened for the next 5 hours

Focus on the action and movement in warmup for finals Get to the other side as fast as you can, don’t look to side only look straight ahead

21.4 in Final and won gold Confidence In competition

Not a wish, hope, or dream. A CHOICE! (Tyler 2012 Olympic trials) It’s a choice - Make the choice to act confident. Get the performance that YOU want. Is an action over a feeling – stand tall, shoulders back, smile often

Visualize exactly what you want to see happen – performing in front of a crowd Have confidence conditioning statements on your phone, above your bed, on the bathroom mirror – Set daily reminders on your phone Where is your focus? (Cesar V’s Fred)

Confidence Worlds 50 free final 2009 QUESTIONS?