Four Keys to Athletic Performance
According to PurplePatch Coach Matt Dixon, there are four keys to better performance. VASA “How to gain confidence in Open Water Swimming – Build on four pillars.”
Consistency
Specificity
Progression
Patience
On the other hand, Jim Taylor, Ph.D., University of San Francisco, wrote, "Four Keys to Consistently Great Athletic Performance, Succeeding day in and day out in sports requires consistency in one’s life.”
Jim Taylor, Ph.D.
… I work with athletes at many levels of sport, from juniors to collegians to pros and Olympians. A primary goal that I help them achieve is consistency in their competitive performances.
I see so many athletes who have big swings in their performances, from great one week to mediocre to even lousy the next, with those ups and downs continuing frustratingly throughout the winter…
Consistency:
It is vital because it separates the best in every sport from the rest. The best athletes in the world can perform at a consistently high level day in and day out, week in and week out, for months and even years. This notion of consistently high performance is essential because it is a vital part of my definition of Prime Sport: Performing consistently high under the most challenging conditions. This is the goal toward which all athletes, whatever their ability or sport, should aspire.
Of course, not every athlete becomes a superstar in their sport, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be as consistently good as they are capable. All athletes and coaches ask: How does an athlete perform as consistently as possible?
I have identified four keys to consistently great athletic performances.
Consistent Effort:
One must be consistent in all aspects of the training efforts. When training in the gym or on the hockey rink, pool, course, court, field, track, hill, or wherever one performs the sport, one must exert maximum and consistent effort. One must be in the best physical condition, which includes strength, agility, and stamina. One has to be technically and tactically consistent in the sport with no significant flaws that can lead to inconsistency. One’s equipment must be consistently well-prepared if the sport requires equipment (e.g., tennis, golf, sailing, cycling). And, of course, one’s mental training effort must be consistently strong.
Consistent Life:
Many athletes think doing what is necessary in their athletic life is enough to achieve their goals, but often it isn’t enough. Instead, what one does away from the sport in one’s regular life also impacts one's ability to perform consistently well. In other words, to perform consistently, one must lead a consistent life. Aspects of one’s broader life that can help or hurt performance include nutrition, appropriate rest, and sleep. What one eats and drinks is fuel for the body. If one isn’t eating and drinking consistently healthy, the body cannot perform consistently well on the field of play. The consistency of sleep also plays a vital role in the recovery process. For students, being consistent in one’s school work also has an influence. If stressed out because one is behind in homework or unprepared for a big exam, one has little chance of performing consistently well. Lastly, if one’s relationship, whether with family or friends, is turbulent, one will not be in a place emotionally where one can be consistent.
Consistent Mind:
A consistent mind is also essential to consistently high athletic performances. This begins with a consistent attitude toward the specific sport whereby one sees it as a challenge, not a threat, thinks about the process, not results (!), has a long-term perspective on the sport and is willing to take the necessary risks to perform at a consistently high level. It would help to have an attitude toward the sport free of overinvestment, perfectionism, fear of failure, expectations, and negativity.
From these healthy attitudes, one must have consistent confidence that isn’t significantly affected by frustrating training days, disappointing results, who one is competing against, or the importance of the competition. Consistent intensity, focus, and mindset come only from training and competing with each other every time one performs.
Emotions play an immense role in the consistency of one’s athletic performance. If feelings aren’t consistent and there are big swings in emotions, particularly on the day of competition or game, it’s challenging to consistently perform at one’s best. Getting excited about an event is okay, but it’s normal to feel disappointed if things don’t go one’s way. Too much fear, frustration, anger, or disappointment puts one in a place mentally, emotionally, and physiologically, making it difficult to find performance consistency.
Mental imagery is the most powerful cognitive tool for creating consistency in athletic performance. Consistently using imagery, in which one sees and feels oneself performing consistently well, ingrains the images and feelings associated with that goal. Thus, everything one imagines comes true on the day of competition or game, and the result is much more likely to be consistently great athletic performances.
Consistent Preparation:
Consistent preparation leading up to competitions is the final contributor to getting the consistently excellent results one wants. This consistent preparation begins in the days before the events to focus specifically on consistency in training and ensure that one’s life and mind stay consistent.
On the day of competition or game, create consistency in the preparations by having a clearly defined and well-practiced routine that maximizes every contributor to consistently great athletic performances, from what to do the night before to what to do first thing in the morning to the arrival at the competitive venue to the final preparations before the competition or game begins all matter. Consistency throughout this process is the final piece of the “consistently great athletic performance” puzzle that must be implemented to perform one’s very best consistently and achieve one’s game-day goals.
Reference:
Dixon, M. (2024, October 15, by PurplePatch Coach). Taken from “How to gain confidence in Open Water Swimming – Build on four pillars.“ VASA Trainer. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://vasatrainer.com/blog/gain-the-confidence-to-swim-stronger-better-4-pillars-by-rob-sleamaker-m-s/
Taylor, J. (2016, November 23). Four keys to consistently great athletic performance: Succeeding day in and day out in sports requires consistency in one’s life. University of San Francisco. Post. Source: CCO Creative Commons.
Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/ blog/the-power-prime/201611/4-keys-consistently-great-athletic-performances? msockid=1e8213bf95336cec37c206f894366db2