There’s truly nothing more fulfilling than being part of a team that functions as a well-oiled machine. We all know that the value of being on a team transcends wins and losses; between all the long bus rides and team gatherings are adversity-defying moments, character-building experiences, and budding friendships, all of which can serve as puzzle pieces that shape an athlete’s life for decades to come.

The dynamics of a team can truly shape lives…a vehicle for culture, growth, and learning.

Yet in a puzzle, no one piece looks the same…but they all play a critical role in creating a rock-solid final product. The same can be said for the dynamic of a team.

It’s important for athletes to understand the dynamic of their team…their relationship with teammates and coaches, if they feel that their voice is heard, and that their worth is valued as a human being…not just an athlete.

All of that and plenty more is measured by team support.

Team Support, What is it? 

Think of team support like a village; each person in the village presents an opportunity to support an athlete both on and off the field.

“Team support includes the community in which you surround yourself within a team environment,” Premier’s McKenzie Bromback says. “It measures how (those people in your team environment) contribute to your overall mental health and wellness but also performance. Team support can come from teammates, but also from coaches, parents, athletic trainers, and anyone who’s within the community of your team or athletic organization.”

Team support looks different for each person in that community; a trainer could provide physical and emotional support for an athlete with a difficult injury while a senior captain could provide emotional and mental support for a freshman on the college soccer team who has moved from across the country.

Whether it’s a coach staying after practice to work on a jump shot with a player or a parent consoling an athlete after a heartbreaking loss, team support presents itself in different ways…and comes from different people.

“One thing that is incredibly important to know about team support is that not everyone is going to give you the same kind of support,” Bromback says. “Maybe you don’t feel super comfortable being vulnerable about your emotions and mental health to a coach, but maybe there’s another coach or captain of the team that you feel comfortable having that conversation with.”

It’s critical that there’s someone in an organization for athletes to chat with about mental health and emotions; yet just because one coach isn’t that person doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not contributing to an athlete’s support system in a different way.

“On the other hand, that athlete may know that they can get great constructive feedback from that certain coach and that feedback can support their athletic performance,” Bromback says. “Understanding how different people in your team’s community can give you support in different ways is critical.”

A delicious three-course meal isn’t complete with just a Caesar salad and breadstick; it needs eloquent dressing, a delicious steak, roasted potatoes, some fresh fruit, and a scrumptious slice of chocolate cake to make it complete.

Are all the items tasty by themselves? For sure. Yet they truly complete the best possible experience when they’re placed together as a meal.

Team support is the same; an athlete needs support from all different angles and areas of life to be successful in a team setting.

Team Support in Action for an Athlete

An athlete’s level of team support can be showcased through positive and negative experiences, here are a few examples and hypotheticals to help gauge what both positive and negative team support can look like…they might just resonate with you.

The Good

• Athletes with strong team support feel as if their voice is valued and heard by teammates and coaches, regardless of whether they’re an All-Conference starter or a bench player that receives minimal playing time.  For example, third-string quarterback Richie may spend most of his time on the bench but feels confident going to his coaches and starting quarterback when he notices a unique defensive scheme that their opponent is running because he knows they value his thoughts and will take them into consideration.
• Winning is fun, but athletes are first and foremost human beings, regardless of outcomes. Athletes who feel strong team support know that they’ll always be valued as more than an athlete, even during competition. Perhaps Susie is going through a difficult situation at home and has a tough game on the field. Her teammates and coaches know this and instead of focusing on the outcome of her performance, they prioritize her human needs, checking in with her and providing emotional support.  This rings true in difficult situations but also applies to positive and neutral ones as well. Even if Jackie is a three-time national champion, her worth as a human being should always be at the forefront of her identity to her teammates and coaches. Athletes are human.
• Being a part of a team provides opportunities for meaningful relationships. Athletes who experience excellent team support feel a strong connection to their teammates, coaches, and can communicate openly with them because of it. Perhaps Dana is confused about certain play during practice and wants to understand it better. Because she has formed a strong connection as an athlete and human with those in her environment, she’s comfortable admitting that she needs a little extra help and clarification.

The Bad

• Being the new person in an environment is never easy…it’s even more difficult when you’re not welcomed into the group in a way that acknowledges that you’re new. Athletes with little team support feel a disconnect between themselves and their teammates and coaches. This could originate from a negative experience or lack of inclusivity from the beginning.Doug is a junior in college and just transferred to a new school to play on the tennis team. Instead of welcoming him to the team, inviting him to team gatherings, and getting him up to speed, Doug’s teammates assume he is fine and carry on with business as they did last year. In addition, Doug’s new coach chews him out on the first day of practice before evening getting to know him as a person.Given the sequence of events, Doug now feels like he’s on an island compared to his teammates and is intimidated to go to his coach for advice because of the negative experience.
• Again, winning is fun, but it shouldn’t determine how an athlete is perceived as a human by his or her teammates and coaches. Athletes with little team support often feel as if their worth and value on the team is based primarily on results.Lindsey had a great start to her track season but has struggled to maintain those results throughout the course of the year. As her results have declined, she’s noticed that her teammates are talking to her less and that her coach doesn’t provide compliments or feedback to her like they were earlier in the season. For Lindsey, this creates the perception that because she is struggling in competition, her value and worth on the team is less important than other runners who are succeeding.

Tips for Athletes to Improve Team Support

No one person is responsible for meeting every single need that comprises high-quality team support. It takes a village of resources and relationships to foster team support that allows an athlete to flourish.

Yet by helping fill one piece of the puzzle, you can help your entire team environment work towards strong team support for all parties involved. Here are a few ways how.

• DO model the type of culture that you want to be a part of…regardless of your role on the team. “How you act in a team setting is really important for athletes,” Bromback says. “I tell my athletes that if you want to be a part of great culture and have great team support, you need to model that in your own behavior.”That could mean a senior leader taking time to provide advice to new freshmen on the team, or even helping them navigate life outside of practice. It could be a freshman showing up and working hard at practice while also asking questions to upper class student-athletes. Athletes and Student-Athletes don’t have to be assigned captains to demonstrate positive leadership, both vocally and by example
• DON’T be afraid to talk and learn from individuals who are new to the team or differ from you. Healthy team environments are often composed of individuals from all walks of life but succeed because team members work together in a constructive way through a common goal of creating a successful, healthy, and collaborative environment.
• DO create a list of things that are within your control, and things that are not. “You can’t control how your coach behaves, but you do have control over how you act,” Bromback says.A staple in many corners of sport and life, controlling the controllables can be especially impactful for team support. You may not be able to control a coach benching you or a teammate acting poorly, but you can control how you respond to those experiences, and choose behaviors that enable or enhance team support.
• DON’T feel like your entire worth to the team is based on playing time or results on the field. A strong team culture takes everyone and even those who don’t touch the field as often can play a vital role in helping a team improve.
• DO check in on teammates as humans, not just athletes. A simple conversation of ‘hey how are you doing today?’ can go a long way in helping a teammate realize that their true self is valued on the team. 

• DO provide compliments and ideas to teammates during practice, games, and off the field. A simple compliment can go a long way in building confidence and embodying self-worth.

This article is part four of a five-part series from Premier’s Research and Analytics division on unlocking personal performance potential.  Stay tuned for part five.  Read part 1 here.  Read part 2 here.  Read part 3 here.

We all want to find ways to increase our mental game to compete our best on game day. And while we can’t always control outcomes, we can control how we prepare and what tools we use to get in the right mind space before and during competition. 

Finding that sweet spot requires a performance mindset. 

What is a Performance Mindset?

A performance mindset is a way of seeing performance as a collection of small, controllable steps and skills, and prioritizing those which are necessary to succeed.

Think of a performance mindset like putting gas in your car the night before a long drive.  The task of filling up the tank is essential to having a successful road trip.  Forget to fill it up?  Chances are, your drive won’t be too fun. 

Those tools are like the gas going into your car.  While a car can’t perform properly without gas, athletes can’t practice and compete at their best without using certain skills, tools, and practices to prepare for competition. 

Those skills require great intention.  Athletes with a strong performance mindset are deliberate, going into practice and competition with realistic process-based goals.  They find meaningful ways to stay in the present moment, rather than falling into the pattern of just going through the motions. 

“Someone with a minimal performance mindset isn’t really thinking about what they want to get out of their practice or game.” Anderson says. “They’re often just showing up and going through the motions.  When this happens, they are leaving their training to chance.  They aren’t being intentional and likely don’t reach their potential or gain the most out of that experience.”

Preparing with Purpose, Collected while Competing

Maybe you’ve heard the phrase ‘games aren’t won the day of.’ And while a strong performance mindset isn’t a direct indicator of outcome, the same concept applies: your best performance comes from taking steps prior to competition. 

Athletes with a strong performance mindset know that it’s important to take care of themselves the day before a big game or match; setting aside time for mental preparation, engaging in honest self-reflection before and after competitions, and setting measurable short-term goals that focus on the process (not the outcome).

Sound obvious? Maybe. Yet through our team’s research, data shows that taking tangible steps like these truly bolsters an athlete’s mindset going into competition. The same can be said for gameday; athletes with a strong performance mindset may take time to themselves to collect their thoughts, use breathing techniques, or meditate before competing.

Tangible practices and routines like the ones mentioned above are critical, yet focus is a grounding staple of a strong performance mindset. 

Not just focus, but having the awareness to focus on what is important in each and every moment.  Premier’s sport psychologists and certified mental performance consultants often teach the acronym W.I.N. for ‘What’s Important Now?’ to help athletes with this before and during competition.

“Let’s say you have an athlete who has a big competition the next day, what’s important now is getting good rest by getting sufficient time in bed, hydrating, maybe doing a little bit of movement prep or visualization.  What’s not important is worrying about the outcome, being fearful about whether or not I can sleep tonight, or simply trying to distract myself all night by staying on social media or video games. Letting the mind wander and just relaxing through breath work or a good book/podcast can be more effective,” Anderson says.

The same can be said for athletes during competition, regardless of whether they’re a key player or a contributor off the bench. 

“If you’re in the middle of a basketball game, what’s important now is often just doing the behaviors that will lead to more success.  For example, it’s getting your back on defense, running your lane on a fast break, or simply keeping your focus on the present moment versus thinking about your stats or what just happened.   Overall, it’s all about what’s important in that present moment,” Anderson says. “If you’re on the bench and not happy about limited playing time, what’s important now might be not reacting to that frustration, but being the best possible teammate on the bench, supporting your friends, and closely observing the game.  Often, this gets players in a much better mindset than being frustrated by an uncontrollable variable like playing time”.

Growing your Performance Mindset 

Preparing for practice and competition by visualizing how to respond to anticipated challenges, creating meaningful goals, and taking time to collect your thoughts are just a few ways to grow your performance mindset. Based on data from Premier’s research and analytics team, here are some more ways that you can elevate your performance mindset.

• DO set process-based goals instead of outcome-based ones. We cannot always control wins and losses, even if we play extremely well.  We can control how we prepare, how hard we work, how well we focus, and how we respond to adversity. 

• DON’T visualize perfection. Visualization is a common tool associated with performance mindset that can help athletes find a sense of calmness and focus…and most importantly, to increase their readiness for those moments when adversity occurs.  However, many athletes imagine themselves scoring the winning goal or hitting a grand slam. When those don’t happen athletes can feel discouraged and helpless. It’s okay to come to terms with all possible realistic outcomes…even the bad ones. 

• DO set short-term goals…and write them down! Individuals with a strong growth mindset set attainable goals that allow them to measure growth and success. Long-term, outcome-based goals can often result in feelings of failure and stagnation. Short-term, process-based goals instill confidence in athletes and open their eyes to things they may not have originally noticed. Writing these goals down creates accountability that can increase goal attainment.

• DON’T be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone…that’s how growth takes place!  You’ll learn more about yourself as an athlete and person and doing so is oftentimes an achievable goal in itself. 

• DO use refocusing techniques to help center yourself in moments of distress during competition. Many athletes will do this with breathing exercises or verbal/visual cues to help them rest and be present in the moment. 
• DO reflect and be honest with yourself. Premier Sport Psychologists recommend using WWW (What went well) and WWI (What’s worth improving) reflection tool for processing past competitions. When doing so, never use outcomes as one of the two; instead, focus on controllable skills and tools that will help you grow moving forward. Here’s an example:
  • WWW: “I did a really good job refocusing and resetting my mind after missing that penalty kick today.”
  • WWI: “I ate a gas station burrito for breakfast instead of something nutritious. I’m going to try and be intentional about what I eat before my next big competition.”

This article is part three of a five-part series from Premier’s Research and Analytics division on unlocking personal performance potential.  Stay tuned for part four.  Read part 1 here.  Read part 2 here.

I was sitting in my office a few years ago with a high level athlete as she described her recent experiences with continued health concerns.  She was facing another flare up of symptoms, which prompted feelings of isolation, uncertainty, and frustration regarding her season and the need to dial back her training.  “I feel like I’ve lost a huge part of myself,” she said, as she reflected back on the last decade of competition.  Her current reality no longer matched the trajectory she set for herself just a few years prior.

I have seen several clients over the years who have faced complex and chronic health concerns: Diabetes, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, autoimmune conditions, asthma, Meniere’s Disease, bone infections, Post-Concussive Syndrome, and most recently, metal poisoning.  Though these health concerns are not visible to the naked eye, they become central to an athlete’s life and often define an athlete’s ability to train and compete regardless of an athlete’s motivation or desires. 

For the majority of athletes, their athletic identity is a central pillar of life.  Many coordinate work, eat, sleep, and training schedules around sport.  When one’s athletic identity is challenged, athletes may begin to question who they are.  As a psychologist and a researcher who is always eager to grow and learn, I have searched far and wide over the years for research and resources designed to support athletes with complex health concerns.  Unfortunately, the field of sport psychology is lacking in this area, leaving many athletes in the community feeling even more isolated and uncertain about next steps.

Our Research on Athletic Identity and Complex Health Concerns

After seeing the need for information regarding complex health concerns and athletic identity, I did what many researchers do and launched a research initiative to get this important conversation started. Over the past few months, 47 athletes with complex and/or chronic health concerns volunteered their time and energy to share their experiences.  The majority of our participants were white females.  They had a variety of health concerns including but not limited to Lupus, MS, PCOS, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Hashimoto’s Disease, IBS, and Meniere’s disease.  They represented 25 sports, including but not limited to weightlifting, cycling, running, snowboarding, and martial arts.

We asked our participants one question: In what ways has your identity as an athlete changed as a result of your chronic and/or complex health condition? What is different about what you know or understand, what you do, and how you feel?

Our team collected over 100 responses from the athletes, which included a breadth of feelings and experiences.  After our team went through and cleaned up some of the responses, we sent the 100 responses to the same participants and asked them to sort the responses into piles based on similarity and to name the categories.  We then compiled all of the data, which revealed six common experiences of athletes in this community.  Here is what we found…

Six Common Experiences of Athletes with Complex Health Concerns

The first theme that appeared in our research, and the one that was rated as most salient to our participants, included increased physical awareness. Our participants shared that chronic illness has made them more aware of what is happening in their bodies.  They shared that they “actually take days off” and have “come to understand that there are good days and bad days.”  They also reflected that they have learned to listen to their bodies. 

Second, our participants reported that they have more health knowledge now than ever before, which serves them in training and competing.  One participant reflected, “I know that some advice that helps other people won’t apply to me.”  Others shared that their health has an impact on their ability to train consistently, so they’ve had to learn to accept that inconsistent training may be their norm.  Another athlete noted that they don’t recover from workouts as quickly as others, which has served as pivotal knowledge for their training and competition routines.

The athletes also reported many experiences that signified increased resilience.  One athlete stated, “I now understand how important it is to be my own advocate” when speaking to healthcare providers.  Gratitude was a central feeling in this section.  Athletes shared that they are grateful for the moments where they feel like their old self; they also feel grateful to train and compete.  This section also included reflections that the athletes have learned to overcome big challenges.  As one participant shared, “I have learned that my health is everything.”

The fourth category of experiences reflected the need for personal modifications in training and competition.  Athletes reported that they now spend more time figuring out how to fuel, train, and strengthen their bodies now when compared to pre-diagnosis.  They also shared that they recognize that there are times it’s too risky for them to compete or train.

Though many of the categories above can arguably serve as positive adjustments, the athletes also shared feelings of frustration and uncertainty.  Such feelings of frustration often revolved around a lack of clear solutions or treatments to resolve concerns.  Others expressed frustration with their body during a flare-up and reflected that it feels as though their body has let them down.  Participants also described worrying about their potential limitations as an athlete.

Finally, athletes reported feelings of isolation and loss.  As one participant shared, “it’s still pretty isolating and distressing at times to try and balance my athletic goals with what’s actually realistic for my body.”  Another athlete described that the world feels very isolating when they experience a flare of symptoms.  It was not uncommon for athletes to reflect on past accomplishments and experience feelings of loss.  As one athlete stated, “I feel like my body will never be what it once was or should be.”

Implications for Athletes

There are several takeaways from this research, thanks to the athletes who so willingly shared their experiences with us.  Themes of resilience and self awareness were clear; many of the quotes spoke to the importance of listening to the self, meeting (and accepting!) their body where it was, and making personal adjustments as needed to stay engaged in sport.  These are important lessons for all athletes!

Though it was never explicitly stated, our findings also speak to the power of self-compassion within this community. The athletes shared feelings of gratitude and acceptance for their bodies and their health, while also naming feelings of isolation, frustration, and loss.  This didactic is an important one because it demonstrated how powerful “both/and” language can be here.  Both things can be true.  Athletes with complex health concerns can feel grateful and isolated.  They may practice acceptance while also feeling frustration or loss.

Implications for Healthcare Providers and Coaches

There is one very clear learning opportunity here for healthcare providers and coaches.  Of the 100 items, the one rated as most salient was “I now understand how important it is to be my own advocate/ally.”  Additionally, the items with the lowest ratings were about giving up athletic dreams and letting go of one’s athletic identity.  In short, our research suggests athletes with complex health concerns are persistent, adaptive, and unlikely to let go of their athletic identity when faced with health concerns.  That said, they may feel dismissed or overlooked by healthcare providers when seeking explanations for health concerns.  When they advocate for themselves, it is important for coaches and providers to listen, trust, and help them adapt their training in a way that will support their health.

Concluding Thoughts

Ultimately, it is vital to provide an environment for all athletes to be athletes.  It is my hope that this research provides healthcare providers and coaches with an increased understanding and awareness of the experiences of their athletes who continue to train and compete in the midst of complex health concerns.