Mental Attitude

In this months feature article we have a look at the Mental Attitude of athletes and what impact it has on their performance.

This feature was supplied by Dr Laurie Prosser and was written by Victor Krunrlick

“Athletic records continue to soar, and one hears outstanding professional athletes of the past claim that they could not make the grade today.”

MENTAL ATTITUDE by Victor Krunrlick
Supplied by Dr Laurie Prosser

Athletic records continue to soar, and one hears outstanding professional athletes of the past claim that they could not make the grade today. Even allowing for a certain amount of modesty, a check of the record books and a comparison of past and present height and weight charts would tend to substantiate the statement. Athletes today are faster, stronger, and bigger than their predecessors.

Certainly improved teaching and training techniques, and scientific nutrition are partially responsible. Unquestionably another reason for improved performances is that competitors in the past actually did not realize What their athletic potential could be .Today it is generally agreed that breaking the four- minute mile really involved breaking through a mental barrier that had existed for years in the sports world. The same hold true in swimming when 17 minutes was broken for 1500 metres. And today, as one talks to eminently successful coaches and athletes in all fields, time after time major emphasis is given to the importance of an athlete’s “mental attitude” .

By “mental attitude”, one undoubtedly refers to several more specific personality characteristics such as desire, confidence, “heart”, determination, fight, courage, drive, etc. However, these terms in turn are rather intangible, difficult to define, and have meanings that overlap. Moreover, a quick look at just the characteristics of “courage” illustrates the psychological complexity of the problem.
Obviously it takes courage to perform somersaults, while plummeting from a ten-meter platform into a pool below. Otto Schmidt, Who dives from heights of well over 100 feet, says that he must summon his courage for each dive and that it becomes no easier with time. Is this the same courage required by a boxer Who expects to withstand certain physical abuse, or the same courage required of a long-distance swimmer Who must undergo extreme physical discomfort, even agony? Even without exploring any Freudian aspects the problem may have, it becomes obvious that consideration of “mental toughness ” is not simple, yet it is vital to athletic success.

Another fascinating aspect of the psychological complications involved in the pursuit of championship performance is revealed by asking this question: “With two athletes of equal ability and opportunity, Why does one choose to pursue distance swimming , an individual sport, and the other basketball, a team sport?” Personality, motivation, and emotional attitude determine not only the degree of success of an athlete but also the sport in Which he is most likely to meet that success .

In the U.S.S.R. there are 16 athletic institutes using scientific methods to discover ways to further improve the performance of Soviet athletes . Prospects are given a battery of psychological tests to predict What sport a talented athlete is best suited for mentally and to try to determine his potential to “push himself”. Similar work is being undertaken at some schools in this country .

Supplied by Dr Laurie Prosser