My observation this Olympics
Observing player’s body language and facial expressions is what I do with Vaishnavi while my husband and her focuses on “who is winning!”
Have you observed how runners exhale to calm down before a big run?
“Sports people can often get themselves into ‘A right state’ before or during a big match or event. It is far more useful to be in ‘THE right state’. Jeremy Lazarus
Anchoring is a technique for managing state
Let me explain, see the (1st Image) below where the players hands are at when they win. This is an automatic body reaction when you win something. It also releases dopamine. Your monkey in the brain is calm. You are alert, focused and happy!
During anchoring, this is the state that you will think of. And you will be ready for that match point!
Momota will not want to Anchor his defeat pose every time he walks into the court, right? You don’t walk into a boxing ring looking down, you look up! I always teach my students the superpower poses and it works!
Instead of dwelling on negative performance, use anchoring to turn your performance around. Anchor that great save, that amazing goal, that fabulous pass.
Have you observed how some players celebrate every small win? And does this break the spirit of the opponent? We all know Carolina Martin. Even watching the game makes you feel uncomfortable.
Have you observed how some players do their anchor pose before and after their game? Usain Bolt is a great example! (See Image 2). I took a screenshot of him doing a signature pose at his lane before his run in Beijing Olympics and of course there were lots of photos online of his after run pose. He told his mind that he has won even before the run.
Watching coaches scream at their players can be a form of breaking their state of mind. I wonder? So the players get back to their form – ready to play state of mind.
If you are visual you may want to anchor an image such as receiving a medal or an award for your performance, the time you completed a winning race.
If you are auditory you may prefer to use specific words to motivate you or a piece of music that you can hum. You see swimmers, football players doing this.
Lots of sports people are kinaesthetic, they enjoy being active and they are conscious of the feelings in their body. Are they aware though of how they can use their body to create a state in their mind to improve performance? This is what Usain Bolt does.
Anchoring enables us to consciously associate a great resourceful state using an action, image or sound that we can apply whenever we need the state. This can overcome our unconscious negative anchors that get in the way of sports success and affect our state and performance. Mind and body are one. By increasing our awareness of how each affects the other we increase our control and manage our behaviour by giving ourselves choices and flexibility. The person with the most flexibility controls the system.
