The Sports
Psychology Blog
Today's Sports Psychology blog follows the frank comments of Tipperary hurling boss Michael Keating, after his sides surprising week-end defeat to Wexford, at Croke Park.
GAA: Tipperary - Decisive Under Pressure?
A
week on after their defeat to Wexford, and Michael Keating
is offering reflections about the manner of his sides defeat. He
expresses disappointment about Tipperary's inability to carry out
team plans and decisions. Keating says, "I wouldn't blame anybody.
We'd a lot of criticism this week but you hear it from people who don't
know what it's like in Croke Park with the pressure of 40,000 people
watching you. It's a difficult situation with the pressure on, it's
a daunting place to be."
Whilst his comments are understandable, it begs the question as to the effectiveness of the Tipperary mental preparation. A team well prepared mentally, would not find playing in front of 40,000 a pressure, or feel daunted. Far from it. They would be stimulated to play their best game. Inspired.
So how best should a team prepare for this kind of challenge? If, for example, they suspect that their decision-making will be put under the biggest test, then they should make decision-making under pressure a key preparation focus.
To do this, a sports psychologist would sit down with the team and evoke positive moments from their collective past when they have performed decisively under pressure. These moments should then be magnified in the minds-eye of the players...bigger and brighter imagery...clearer sounds of crowd and players...distinct smells...strong feelings. Almost as if you are there right now.
Each player should then make a link i.e. a simple gesture like pressing their thumb and fore-finger together and think quietly to themselves, 'Decisive Under Pressure'. They should repeat this exercise twice more, building the feeling of it each time. The exercise ends when each player is clearly able to feel the state of being decisive under pressure. It should be tangible. They will stand taller and feel invincible. Bring it on!
This exercise also be done with some background music playing, such as,'When The Going Gets Tough', or 'Be Cool'. The music will serve as an additional link to this key state of being decisive under pressure. The music can be played in the dressing room before the team goes out for their Croke Park match. The music will evoke the desired feelings.
If and when the team is under pressure on the pitch, the team-leader, or Decisiveness Leader, should remind / alert the players, 'Decisive Under Pressure'.
Each player would then make their simple link /gesture to reconnect them to the feeling of being decisive. This state would instantly be evoked, by the making of the gesture, as the gesture was programmed in as a link to past positive experiences, of being decisive under pressure.
Thus under pressure, the team is able to find the inner resources to thrive. They will feel decisive and thus act decisive. A classic example of this, was when England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup. A coded phrase TCUP (Thinking Correctly Under Pressure) was used by the players, to evoke a key mindset, before the critical moment in the game when Johnny Wilkinson kicked the winning goal.
Mental preparation is about preparing the mind for the moments in a game, when the mind must be stronger than the emotions. On such moments do key matches turn.
