When someone asks me bluntly, “How do those who win repeatedly differ from other athletes? The equally firm answer is, “By how they react to competitive pressure, difficulties and mistakes.” A more specific answer to this question comes from one of rugby’s world-class coaches when he acknowledges that it is mental toughness that is an important dividing line between successful players and others who are their peers in skill level and fitness:
Mental toughness, to me, is the ability to keep doing what you’re supposed to do regardless of the situation, regardless of whether you’re physically or mentally fatigued. Why it hurts. Sport at a high level is uncomfortable. We try to teach players to be comfortable being uncomfortable (Eddie Jones).
In those moments the athlete’s other skills if they are not supported by toughness come to a standstill. An athlete can have a constructive dialogue with himself but at decisive moments if he is not supported by tenacity, his self-talk can become negative. An athlete knows what to pay attention to and how to adapt it to race situations, but when faced with an unexpected event he may lose this ability if tenacity does not intervene, which is the conviction to continue competing at one’s best even if it seems impossible.
Four dimensions were identified to define toughness: attitude, training, competition, and post-competition consisting of 13 components. Research on athletes who achieved world champion status showed that their goal was the enhancement of all 13 components to the highest level. Several factors influenced this enhancement during a 2-4 year period; these included competitiveness, a great desire to compete against and beat the world’s best, experience gained in major international competitions, awareness of opponents’ capabilities, and knowledge of competitors’ preparation programs. Athletes reported that the experience of competing at the highest level, and observing and speaking with world-class athletes and coaches, improved their knowledge of training programs and training styles conducted by the world’s best. This knowledge combined with the desire to win increased their mental toughness.
(Source: A. Cei, Fondamenti di psicologia dello sport, 2021)
0 Responses to “Toughness in sport”