Category: Psychology
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Why Superstitions Can Help Athletes Perform Better
From rabbits feet to wearing the same speedo several days in a row… here’s why superstitions really help athletes perform better.
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Courage and Vulnerability: Lady Vol swimmer shares mental health journey
Lady Vol swimming and diving senior Kaitlin Harty’s favorite quote comes from a friendly neighbor in a red sweater – Mister Rogers. “Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we…
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How Penny Oleksiak is managing life in isolation with a tip from Michael Phelps
A Michael Phelps book recommendation resonates with Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak more than ever these days. Oleksiak has read Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now” multiple times since the American swim legend suggested the title to her. The 19-year-old dove back into the book when the COVID-19 pandemic forced her out of the pool in…
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Missy Franklin haunted by missing swimming goal
MisMissy, five-time Olympic gold medal swimmer, was forced to retire prematurely with injury in 2018, so she has had two years to come to terms with the frustration of missing out on Tokyo, but as she explained in an interview with Laureus.com, it has not been easy. “I never expected that my career was going…
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How the U.S.’ best all-around swimmer overcame competition fear
Melanie Margalis calls them complete mental breakdowns. They used to be commonplace for the Olympian — at every meet, before she swam the 400m individual medley. “The event freaks me out so bad,†Margalis said of a race labeled the decathlon of swimming for its grueling, all-around test. “I wish it didn’t. People are like, Mel,…
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The Ready-Room: Relaxation
How to relax and stay calm before a meet, before a swim and after practice This episode of #FFTLive was led by Olympian and Olympic Coach Brett Hawke, and Olympian Kim Vandenberg. We discussed: Relaxation techniques Importance of relaxation as it relates to recovery How to stay calm before a meet How to control your…
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How Swimmers can be Mentally Strong in a Pandemic | Interview with Dr. Sean Sullivan
Clinical psychologist Dr. Sean Sullivan shares mental training tips to help swimmers improve their mindset and cope with difficult emotions while they’re out of the pool.
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What Separates Champions From ‘Almost Champions’?
The researchers found that super champions were characterized by an almost fanatical reaction to challenge.†They viewed challenges in a positive light — as opportunities to grow — and overcame them thanks to a “never satisfied†attitude. This runs in contrast to almost champions, who blamed setbacks on external causes, became negative, and lost motivation.…
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FFT Live: Sprinting and How Attitude Affects Performance with Olympians Gail Devers and Brett Hawke
This is be a very special episode from #FFTLive that will be relevant to ALL athletes across ALL sports. One of the greatest sprint coaches of all time and one of the greatest sprinters of all time will be discussing how a positive mental attitude affects performance.