The Super Bowl and the Olympics: Just Another Competition, or the Biggest Event of a Lifetime?
Michael Gervais
Performance Psychologist working with the best in the world ? Host, Finding Mastery Podcast ? Architect, Finding Your Best Mindset Masterclass ? Every day is an opportunity to create a living masterpiece
I’m often asked whether an athlete is better served by treating the Olympics or the Super Bowl as “The Biggest Show on Earth” or “just another competition.” I have worked as a performance psychologist across two Super Bowls and supported multiple Olympians and Olympic teams for the past 20 years.
My response??
Either framework is valid. An athlete, though, must make a fundamental decision about which framework feels true to them and gives them the best chance for success.??
Equally important - and the piece that often gets missed - is that a bespoke psychological skills training program needs to be put in place to support their choice.
If an athlete’s first principle is “this is just another game,” with the same rules, same ball, and same sized field, then we develop psychological practices to reinforce that. That starts by the athlete identifying their ideal mindset:, being incredibly clear on the most effective way to speak to themselves (self-talk), being able to dial in the right level of focus and the optimal level of arousal inside their body. The goal is for an athlete to be in a position where they have full command of themselves.
Once an athlete has established an ideal mindset, the work is to refine and develop command over it by continually practicing up to the ideal. The athlete uses the ideal mindset as a reference point and target during mental training. Not confined to an athletic environment, every moment of life becomes an opportunity to develop one’s mental skills.
The advantage of the inside-out approach is that the athlete's internal experience is not dictated by the conditions of their environment.?
If an athlete makes the decision to treat the Olympics or Super Bowl as “the biggest moment of one’s life”, it’s essential to cultivate the mental skills to succeed in that heightened experience. Stressful scenarios are intentionally created to get closer to what that moment will be. Loud music is brought in. Moments of high consequences are created, played out and replayed. Wrenches are continually thrown into the performance path.?
We all have moments that feel like our personal Super Bowl or our bid for Olympic gold, where the stakes seem higher than usual. An interview. A presentation. A bid for promotion. It’s important to remember we can choose the lens through which we view that experience.
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Is it a big moment or another moment?
The critical piece, though, is knowing that you have to train the psychological skills ahead of time to support your approach.
Everything you need is already inside you.
With fire,
Michael Gervais, PhD
High Performance Psychologist
Founder,?Finding Mastery
Helping organizations clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision | Certified EOS Implementer | Entrepreneur I Keynote Speaker
2 年What to do with those butterflies is a choice - give them the power to consume you, or channel that energy to lift you up!
This is one of the best posts that I have read in a long while Michael. I struggle to explain why certain frameworks work for me, and some don't. I haven't looked at it from your angle: Look at your end goal and match your mindset and tools to support that. I am going to do more work on the back of your post to understand myself better, thanks for the direction Michael. It is a very valuable one.
SVP Operations at Sureskills
2 年Johnny Wilkinson speaks about being world class at doing the dishes....He looks at all aspects of his life and strives to be the best. Attacking the Olympics or the Super Bowl as normal events is absolutely necessary but the preparation beforehand needs to be worthy of winning!
VP, Operations & People @ Bam Digital | Sharing insights through Systems & Accountability Coaching | Podcast Host |
2 年Thank you for sharing Michael Gervais - super interesting - I have always wondered about this in particular to those athletes we deem as “clutch” and high playoff performers, etc.
Combat Vet | Market Access + Patient Services Leader | Speaker | Author
2 年Most of us aren't in the Olympics or the Super Bowl, but we all have "big games" in our careers and lives...this type of mental training is very powerful. I've found the "biggest moment" mentality to be effective because it makes me focus even more in my preparation and block out distractions. Just can't overuse it - being selective about what things we treat that way so we don't burn out or lose the impact by making it routine.