Carly Anderson (nee Raab), 37, is a newcomer to curling but no newcomer to sports psychology. She has a doctorate and a thriving practice with her husband, Justin, in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina.

Dealing with curlers is a new experience for Anderson, the mother of two daughters, who said the sport “definitely lends itself to sport psychology.”

That’s because curling has the mental pressure of golf with the added elements of teamwork and communication.

“Where curling differs from golf is that it is a very team sport where every shot is directly influenced and made/missed by your teammates,” Anderson said. “You may throw a perfect shot but then it can be over or under, swept by the sweepers or the path misread by the skip (the team leader who shouts sweeping instructions). It can be frustrating when four people are involved in the shot. Everyone has to do his or her job almost flawlessly, because the difference between a great shot and an unsuccessful shot can be millimeters.”

Read more at Seattle’s connection to the U.S. Olympic curling team

It takes many qualities to be an Olympian; passion, determination, motivation, commitment, discipline and consistency to name a few. One important mental skill that can often be overlooked in Olympic athletes’ is mental toughness.

Mental toughness is described as the ability to cope with pressure, adversity and stress (Bull, 1996). After spending a lifetime of training and perfecting form for a single opportunity to compete in an Olympic games, Olympians can understandably feel an intense amount of pressure and stress when it comes time for their final performance. Research shows that athletes achieve the best performance results when they have more mental toughness, as measured by commonly associated attributes (Bull, 1996).

Mental strength and awareness influences many underlying mechanisms that operate in a combination to achieve a successful mindset and performance outcome. Every practice and competition begins with the way an athlete thinks and what their mindset is focused on. The quality of our thoughts is critical and can often attribute to our success or our shortcomings.

Being able to perform under pressure, such as competing at the 2018 Olympics, involves years of concentration, determination, and stability of a positive attitude to obtain mental strength. Just like practicing physical skills, practicing mental skills such as dealing with stress, performance setbacks, bad weather conditions or fatigue can impact performance. The quality of an Olympian that makes them so successful is that regardless of any implications standing in their way, they stand in the face of adversity and remain confident in their skills.  

Mental toughness is a skill any athlete can acquire that can help to positively influence performance. Studies conducted at Staffordshire University showed that athletes with high levels of confidence and control reported feeling less physical discomfort during competition and higher levels of concentration than those who had less confidence (Hamilton, 2015). This evidence supports the importance of mental toughness for performance and how significant it is to believe in yourself and your abilities.

References

Bull, S. J., Albinson, J. G., & Shambrook, C. J. (1996). The mental game plan: Getting psyched for sport. Eastbourne, UK: Sports Dynamics.

Hamilton, M. (2015) “How Much Does Mental Toughness Affect Race Times?” Runner’s World, 26 May 2015, www.runnersworld.com/newswire/how-much-does-mental-

toughness-affect-race-times.