The Essential Piece of the Puzzle (and how it almost did not happen)

The Essential Piece of the Puzzle (and how it almost did not happen)

July 9, 2015

By Chris LeGates, Tackling College Sports Co-Host

By now, we all have heard many stories about athletes who have initially failed at one time or another and then have achieved greatness. Mark and I enjoyed our recent interview with a world-renowned sports psychologist, Dr. Jim Taylor. In the interview, Dr. Taylor made references to what makes successful athletes and what allows them to achieve peak performance on the biggest stages and at the biggest moments. He also mentioned the Michael Jordan story of being cut from his high school JV team. This highlights how athletes take failure as a motivating factor to lead them to success. Sometimes, it is overcoming the mental and physical obstacles of an injury to continue on and persevere. A little over a month ago, I was fortunate to be able to sit in on a discussion with one of the assistant coaches of the USA Women’s Soccer Team as they prepared for the World Cup. In this discussion, I asked about the psychological preparation for the players and if it was difficult for them accepting new roles in a new system of play. I was surprised to hear from the coach that it was difficult, and, that almost all of the players on the team employed or met with a sports psychologist or “mental guru” on a regular basis. One of the reasons the coach gave; with an increasing player pool and competition for spots on the team, players were never secure with what their place may be and they felt the need to have every advantage possible.

In the lead-up to the World Cup, former USA Coach, Pia Sundhage said about World Cup superstar Carli Lloyd “she was a challenge to coach. When she felt that we had faith in her, she could be one of the best players. But if she began to question that faith, she could be one of the worst.” Interesting comments to make public from a former coach. Lloyd said that she found the comments “not true” and “a little upsetting”, but as we all know, she was able to use this negative situation as a motivating factor and has carved out a place in American sports history. But it almost did not happen! In 2003, Lloyd was cut from the USA Under 21 national team. At that point, Lloyd was not even sure that she wanted to play anymore. She said she had lost the passion for the game and was going to finish up her last season at Rutgers University and get a job. Her father convinced her to get in touch with a former professional player and trainer James Galanis. Initially, he was not impressed with her conditioning and mental approach to the game. He said that she had many bad habits and she was filled with too many excuses. Her improvement began with a full out commitment to training, changing her personal life by improved eating habits and sleeping patterns – with that came a new desire and passion for the game. The confidence that she gained from this regiment over the last 12 years has proven her to be considered one of the fittest players in the world. Lloyd is now one of the greatest players in the world, as well as an American athletic icon. A true story of perseverance in the face of initial failure.

Not all athletes will have the chance to perform in front of tens of millions of people, but the traits for mental success are the same, regardless of the forum of competition.

Not all athletes will have the chance to perform in front of tens of millions of people, but the traits for mental success are the same, regardless of the forum of competition. Confidence in your ability – belief that you are prepared and have talent. The motivation and passion to push yourself even harder, especially in the face of adversity. The ability to handle pressure during intense situations – this may be a tryout scenario, taking the last shot in a game, or improving time by .1 second. These are all characteristics that Dr. Taylor says exist in successful athletes. If you work on the mental approach and the way you train the body, you will find that you can become an essential piece of the puzzle!

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Good Luck and ALWAYS #BeYourBest

Chris