The Mental vs Physical Balance in Sports

At the top level of sports, mental strength is crucial, with a 50/50 balance between mental and physical abilities, emphasizing process over outcome.

### The Impact of Mental Preparation and Focus in Sports
* 💪  At the top level, sports are almost all mental because everyone has talent and works hard. Those with the **mental capacity to handle intense competition** at an NCAA or Olympic level tend to **perform the best**.
* 🧠  As you come down the ranks, there is more emphasis on **physical training for better performance**.
* 🏅  A good mental preparation strategy is to focus on the **process of success** rather than the **outcome**. Focusing on the outcome tends to **raise arousal levels** and make athletes **nervous**.
* ❌  An example from figure skating at the Olympic Games shows that **focusing on the outcome can lead to poor performance**, while **focusing on technical aspects can help athletes stay relaxed and lower their arousal levels**.
* 🤝  Coach Alexander Popov noted that if you need to talk to the athlete a lot during competition, **something is wrong**. Michael Phelps' coach hardly speaks to him during meets to **maintain his focus on the process**.
* 😌  Athletes who are **happier, in a better mood, and more relaxed** tend to perform better than those who are **tense and serious**.
* 🎯  At the top level, it is essential for coaches to keep athletes relaxed and not transmit nervousness to them. Treating big meets like regular races and allowing athletes to perform without additional pressure is **crucial for success**.

what percentage sport is mental? What percentage is physical? Oh jeez, wow, because honestly at the top level, it's almost all mental because everybody has talent and everybody works hard. Um, but I think when you're talking about super high level or intense competition at an NCAA or Olympic level, those with the mental capacity to handle that are the ones that do the best. So I'm going to say at that level, it's 50/50 'cause everybody's got physical talent, but as you come down the ranks, uh, the lower you get, I think the more emphasis you put on the physical training, the better they seem to do. And then one last question, what's a good mental preparation? Well, the first thing is to try to never think of it that way. You never want to think about, Man, this is what I work so hard for, because that puts all of your focus on the end result, and you need to be totally focused on the process of success. I went to a great class one time as some kind of course, and they

showed these two figure skaters at the Olympic Games. It was kind of one of these years where there was like some American Girl, some Russian girl, you know, and they were going to duel for this gold medal. And they showed their coaches and athletes right before they went out for their last thing, which was going to decide who won. And the one came over and her coach said, This is what you've worked so hard for. And the girl was clearly really tight. And if you think about it, that focuses all your focus on the outcome, that tends to raise your arousal level. When you talk to an athlete about, We really need you, got to do win this event if we're going to have a chance in this meet, that'll raise their level. And maybe sometimes it's appropriate, but this girl was clearly already kind of nervous. And he said, This is what you work so hard for. And then they tried to high-five each other and missed. And that's a sign of being too nervous, is that you can't perform.

fine motor things or any kind of coordination. She went out and was terrible. They showed the Russian and her coach, and they came over and they were chitchatting about basically nothing, except for the coach that, uh, gave her a technical thing, said, Make sure that you have your foot in a certain place on the first jump or whatever it was. I don't speak the lingo, but it was very technically focused, and she was clearly relaxed because when you talk about the process, it lowers your arousal level, you know? If I wanted, if I had somebody's really nervous before they swim, and I want to kind of help them do better, I go over and say, Let's make sure that you really control your stroke the first 75 and nail that first turn. Make sure you get your toes over as fast as you can. So that's what they're thinking about, not who they're swimming or what the circumstances are or anything beyond their control, and I think that's how you work with the individuals at the top.

level um I think tety who's a very famous coach coach Alexander poof had a very good observation, and he says if you're talking to the athlete a lot, that means something is wrong at the competition. If you watch me in meets, said Michael, I hardly speak to him. All the coaching's done is here when we get to the meet. Everybody always ask me, what' you tell them before the race? I didn't say anything. I was like, you're in lane four, that's that's all we talk about. Or, you know, he might ask me, you know when do I go, go in 10 minutes. He knows what he wants to do, and he knows, and I don't want to interrupt that with anything except for his focus on the process of what he's going to do and how he's going to swim that race. So, I think in general, that's how we handle our athletes, and the ones who are happier and in a better mood and more relaxed always do better than the ones that are tighter and real serious.

mistake that I've made as a coach sometimes at the top level is getting to a big meat and getting real serious. Watch Eddie Reese said a meat, he's not real serious. Doesn't mean he doesn't want to do well, but you got to keep everybody kind of relaxed. And you actually have to work as a coach at the top level not to transmit nervousness to the swimmer. It's very hard to do and I'm only now starting to get pretty good at it. In my early years, you know, he going to break a world record, you know. But now you just have to treat it like a regular race. And you have to allow them to do what they do best without putting any added pressure on them. Does that make sense?

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The Significance of Mental and Physical Aspects in Sports

At the top level of intense competition like the NCAA or the Olympics, the mental aspect of sports is just as important as the physical, often considered a 50/50 split.

As athletes come down the ranks, there is more emphasis on physical training for better performance.

A good mental preparation for sports involves focusing on the process of success rather than the end result, to avoid increasing arousal levels and nervousness.

The Impact of Technical Coaching on Performance

Technical coaching, focused on specific actions and processes, can help reduce arousal levels and improve performance.

By directing athletes' focus to the technical aspects of their sport, coaches can help them feel more relaxed and in control.

This approach allows individuals at the top of their game to concentrate on the aspects within their control, leading to better results.

The Impact of Minimal Coaching on Athletes' Performance

Famous coach Alexander Popov believes that minimal communication with athletes during competition indicates a good performance.

Michael Phelps supports this, stating that he rarely speaks to his coach during meets, focusing on the race process.

This approach aims to keep athletes relaxed and in a better mood, leading to improved performance.

Coaches at the top level need to avoid getting too serious and maintain a relaxed atmosphere for the athletes.

It's important not to transmit nervousness to the athletes and to avoid putting too much pressure on them.

Instead, the focus should be on allowing the athletes to do their best without added stress.