In elite competitive sport, athletes are committed to the daily training and preparation that is required for peak performance. Individuals with this degree of focus and dedication to their sport will settle for nothing less than achievement and success. Importantly, how athletes define and describe success and failure is integral to their approach to preparation and, equally, their likelihood to maintain their commitment.
Consider what typically happens with respect to events such as the World Cup team selection. Following an athlete’s successful inclusion – managers, coaches and athletes tend to focus on positive aspects and highlight why it was well-earned. In contrast, following an athlete’s non-selection it is likely that the athlete will struggle (alone) to identify reasons for the unsuccessful outcome, attempting to understand what went wrong. Saying that, it is not unheard of for successful athletes to highlight the many things they could have done better and to express disappointment in themselves. As well, some competitors may be unsuccessful but focus on positive aspects.
Given that competitive sport provides an environment that only allows one ‘winner’, it is crucial to manage athletes’ interpretations of outcomes and help them work from their strengths. One way to do this is by looking first at how athletes define success and failure, and second at the reasons to which they attribute their perceived successful or unsuccessful outcomes. For example, if an athlete believes their success to be defined by a range of factors that are subjective (e.g., ‘I prepared to the best of my ability’) and objective (e.g., ‘I achieved an 85% successful passing rate’), then they have more to draw upon when reflecting on their performance and for determining ‘success’. For individuals who maintain their focus solely on win or loss (objective) outcomes, they are far more likely to struggle to maintain their motivation and commitment to sport, especially in the event of a ‘losing streak’.
When considering the factors that athletes attribute their success and failure, there is good evidence that suggests athletes should attribute their success to causes that are unique to themselves (e.g., can quickly assess where players are on the pitch), are likely to positively affect an array of situations (e.g., can remain level-headed under pressure), and are perceived as likely to recur (e.g., need to find the open shot on goal). On the flip side, it is necessary to maintain a constructive focus following an unsuccessful outcome – in particular, if athletes believe that the reasons for their poor performance will affect a wide range of situations, then the objective is to identify aspects of that performance that are within the athlete’s control (e.g., can change the preparation approach).
For any level of athlete, there are few guarantees related to sport outcomes. However, there is at least one thing that athletes can be assured of prior to, during and following the event, and that is their approach – i.e., to preparation, engagement on any given day and their personal review of their performance. This personal approach is vital to maintaining enjoyment and thus helping athletes to be motivated to achieve peak performance in their sport.
Dr Toni Minniti, principle lecturer in sport and exercise psychology, Nottingham Trent University
To speak to Toni, call the University Press Office directly on 0115 848 8785 or email worldcup@ntu.ac.uk
[To view Nottingham Trent University’s team of World Cup experts go to www.ntu.ac.uk/worldcup]
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