The Successful Athlete: Different Sport, but Same Traits

The post by Allistair McCaw

The successful athlete: different sport, but same traits

A few years back I had the privilege of working with Delaney Collins, a 3x Canadian Ice Hockey World Champion. I must admit, it was refreshing to step out of my comfort zone and into an entirely different arena. Or was it so different?

Delaney has had an incredible athletic career as a member of the National Team of Canada for 11 years, but, like any other top athlete who has been around awhile, had a roller coaster ride of highs and lows, including a life threatening concussion that kept her out of the sport for two years. At 5’5”, Delaney is one of ice hockey’s smallest players, but makes up for her stature in true grit and attitude.

Over the course of our training time, Delaney and I spent many hours discussing our respective sports, what differentiates the good players from the great, how they train, and what makes them tick. In our chats, we agreed that getting to the top takes countless hours of hard work, sacrifices, disappointments, money, blood, sweat and tears. Also, an athlete’s daily habits and upbringing (parents and family) are important contributing factors to success.

We found additional common denominators in our sports regarding physical, nutritional and training preparation. During our time on the tennis court, I looked at her technique and game, but especially worked on her movement (my area of expertise). During our training sessions, we discovered how similar our ‘radically different’ sports really are.

For one, her natural surface is ice, so she certainly understood the importance of good, efficient movement skills. We also discovered the importance of good peripheral vision in our adopted sports – watching the ball (or puck), while simultaneously knowing the exact position of the opponent at every moment during play.

However, we both agreed the most significant factor in making a player great is the athlete’s mind set, attitude and thought process. She asked me what I thought distinguishes tennis players, for example, one ranked 60 versus a Top 5 player.

Of course, talent and good genetics play a pivotal role, but that’s a part of it. Players need a high level of fitness and the ability to stay injury free as much as possible. Everyone who reaches the Top 100 in any sport can play exceptionally well. They’ve all spent countless hours hitting thousands of balls, perfecting their games to become world class. However, in my opinion, the difference between the good and the great is their ability to do the following three things extremely well:

1. Play the bigger points or moments better

2. Control their emotions and stay calm under pressure

3. They’re able to handle any condition, stay focused and adapt better

Let’s start with the first one. By ‘bigger points’ or ‘moments’, I’m referring to the break points, serving to stay in the set, or serving for the set. Top players stay aggressive and don’t change their approach, especially when it’s working, to try to be safe. They see big points as simply another point and not a bigger or lesser point. They don’t put additional pressure on themselves. They understand that grading a point only leads to self doubt and anxiety, and can change their emotional state.

Great players master the ability to control their emotions and remain calm by staying in the moment and not thinking about the previous point, bad call or score. They understand the importance of staying focused under pressure and thrive in pressure situations. They rise to the occasion in a way that lesser players don’t.

How many times have you seen a top player being pushed to their limit, only to clinch an important point because their opponent double faulted or dumped a shot into the net?

A successful athlete understands what is within their control and what is not. They know to be concerned only about things they can control, like emotions, preparation, actions, etc. However, when it comes to handling the uncontrollable, like the weather, noisy crowd or bad line calls, they accept and respond better than their lesser counterparts.

A better mind set separates the best from the rest. From a good attitude comes confidence, probably the most important factor to any athlete’s performance. Without confidence, you can’t achieve success. Confidence can’t be bought, but can be earned through practice, good thoughts, self worth and a solid belief in yourself. How many times have we seen a world class athlete struggle with confidence during their career? Names that come to mind – Tiger Woods, Ana Ivanovic and even Roger Federer.

Delaney could relate to how confidence is a key factor in her sport. Ice hockey is a contact sport, and any moment of hesitation or doubt could prove fatal. A moment of lost concentration or doubt can lead to a concussion or other serious injury. Luckily in a sport like squash or tennis, it’s only a lost point.

Having confidence, staying calm in crucial moments, and playing well under pressure are vital elements in her sport, especially because all her competitors possess equal fitness and technical skills.

Unfortunately, sometimes we underestimate the power of a strong state of mind, especially in pressure situations or when it’s not going as planned.

Good fitness, efficient movement skills, consistency, good technique and nutrition make a good athlete, regardless of the sport. The difference that makes a player great, rather than good, lies solely in their daily habits, mind set and attitude.

I am happy to know that today Delaney is now head of the junior national development program in Canada and competed a half marathon!

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