Bede Music Box

. Mental Links to Excellence 107 a larger, more representative sample at a relatively low cost. Moreover, the fact that it was mailed provided an additional guarantee that the study results would be free from possible interviewer bias. Finally, since the questionnaire survey was conducted after completing our interview study, we were able to frame our questions 11U Orlick and Partington process was likely enhanced by the fact that ing by imagining or thinking about what they wanted to accomplish the night be- fore, the morning of, and on the way to training. Before arriving at the training site they had already committed themselves to their best effort in accomplishing those goals. When I'm training, I'm focused. I train to the best of my ability. By focusing all the time on what you're doing when you're training, focusing in a race becomes a by-product. Training with intens ity is just a matter of digging in. You say, "I'm here to train, and I'm not going to waste my time! If I don't train that way, I'm going to be the ultimate loser, no one else." When I say I've done my best and worked my hardest, I feel good about that. If I'm going to be second or third, it's going to be because someone else has superior ability. I have to accept that too, but I'm not going to question my training. That's the last thing I want to question. Knowing how to focus gives you that little extra push when you have to push in the everyday sessions. As much as I feel flat getting into the workout, and I may be flat for part of it, I'll recognize the fact that I can do it. I ask myself in a positive sense, wh y am I here? At that point it becomes a mind game. I'm here because I want to be the best I can be. (Highly successful Olympian-kayak) To prepare myself to do quality runs in training, I make sure I am in good physical shape, and I make sure when I do my free skiing that I try to make Mental Links to Excellence • 113 conscious of my hand, I'm just concentrating on that small part of the sight. Right now with my eyes open, I can see the sights hovering around the Mental Links to Excellence 121 122 Orlick and Partington race to be an effort, I wanted it to be very powerful, all my strength would be moving the boat. I knew that in order to have that power I had to be relaxed and I had to be very strong. You can be powerful but tense, and the boat won't go. You windmill and you stay on the spot and dig your self into a hole. I wanted to feel the power, the boat coming up, lifting and going. (Highly successful Olympian-pairs kayak) preparing for quality training, the best athletes had developed systematic procedures for drawing upon their strengths in important compe Mental Links to Excellence 121 122 Orlick and Partington In the last 3 years it has become more important to identify as closely as possible where I've screwed up, and then to work on that in practice to make sure it doesn't happen again. I also use words more explicitly now. I sit down and look at a race plan before I go out and use a certain point in the Mental Links to Excellence 121 122 Orlick and Partington the race in my mind and "see" how it wi ll go. I see where everybody else is, and then I really focus on myself. I do not worry about anybody else. I think about my own race and nothing else. I try to get th ose splits in my mind, and after that I am ready to go. You really know if you are on the splits by that time because you have spent so much time training on different kinds of strategies, so you know what time you are actually going, without the clock being there. You are really swimming the race. You are visualizing it from behind the block. In my mind, I go up and down the pool, rehearsing all parts of the race, visualizing how I actually feel in the water. (Highly successful Olympian-swimming) In discovering the proper tension leve l, I was on a continuing evolution the whole time I skied, but I think I really hit the key after 4 or 5 years on the Canadian team. I found out there was Mental Links to Excellence 121 122 Orlick and Partington the race in my mind and "see" how it will go. I see where everybody else is, and then I really focus on myself. I do not worry about anybody else. I think about my own race and nothing else. I try to get those splits in my mind, and after that I am ready to go. You really know if you are on the splits by that time because you have spent so much time training on different kinds of strategies, so you know what time you are actually going, without the clock being there. You are really swimming the race. You are visualizing it from behind the block. In my mind, I go up and down the pool, rehearsing all parts of the race, visualizing how I actually feel in the water. (Highly successful Olympian-swimming) In discovering the proper tension level, I was on a continuing evolution the whole time I skied, but I think I really hit the key after 4 or 5 years on the Canadian team. I found out there was a difference between winning and losing and took a while to zero in on it. It wasn't conscious until one time I went to far. Then I really noticed I'd gone overboard. I was way too nervous and I just blew the race. I thought, "Gee, I have to find that balance in there." Then I honed in pretty quickly. The way I did it, once I had an idea it was there, was to get really hyper for a race, and find out what reaction I got. Then be really laid back and see what the reaction was. Once you find out the outside limits you can Mental Links to Excellence 121 122 Orlick and Partington It is also important to note that when successful 1984 Olympians described their own previous worst international performances, some of the success elements evident for them at the Olympics were missing for that previous poor in- The final selection wasn't made until 3 weeks before the Olympics. Every- body likes to feel they have a position, then you don't have to worry about someone stealing it, or worry about having to learn a new position. I think that switching position is good beforehand, but once you've selected your team, then people should train in that position so they get to know all the variations. We had several players who played every position, I mean every- V/LL6h L U" I ................5LUIL away by distractions at the Olympics. The hype of the whole event, the Olympic village, the ceremonies, the star athletes , the crowds, the media, and the overall expectations they felt took their toll. We were uptight because of the new situation, the fact that it was the Olympics, and that people expected us to do very well. This was a different situation for us. The media and other outside people were suddenly showing a lot of interest. Prior to the Olympics nobody even paid any attention to us. We were sort of playing like separate uptight individuals on the court, not like a full team. There wasn't really a lot of team awareness or team cohesion. (Olympic team athlete) Mental Links to Excellence 127 128 Orlick and Partington One third of the written comments on this question illustrated Mental Links to Excellence 127 128 Orlick Partington to clear my mind, so when we did actually start the race all my thoughts about what I would be doing in the race could be uncluttered. I felt aggres- sive, powerful, and most of all in control because I knew our crew was capable of performing up to our expectations. Before the start of the game I was focusing on what I had to do to contribute to the success of the team by running my job through my mind. I felt very confident and relaxed before the game. Everyone knew what they had to do and were equally confident that they could achieve our goal of a gold medal. I've never really experienced th is kind of positive attitude. Everyone was so confident and no one had any doubts in our abilities. After constantly reminding each other that we could win, we believed that we were undefeat- able and no one could stop us. The plan or program was already in my head. For the race I went on auto- matic, like turning the program on cruise Mental Links to Excellence Conclusions and world champions) in virtually all sports: (a) total commitment to pursuing excellence, (b) quality training that included