Do the intangibles in sport offer an advantage or disadvantage?
Are there intangibles that can give a player or team an edge? I recently spoke with Greg DePalma on Prime Sports Radio about what makes world-class athletes stand apart. Our conversation included a couple of interesting exchanges on intangible factors that can impact performance.
I told Greg about an NFL wide receiver I worked with who would shout a big-bomb word if he dropped the ball in practice. His emotions would run high in the moment, and he didn’t see that the negative outburst was a distraction. When he was cursing and kicking the ground, he lost that precious fraction of a second where he could reflect on why he dropped the ball – making him more likely to drop the ball again for that very same reason.
Watching him run a play, I noticed he didn’t always snap his head around to look for the ball. Sometimes he would bring his head around slowly, blurring his view. Once he focused on that specific skill, his performance improved. Instead of being distracted by negative emotion, I coached this athlete to focus on gratitude in the moment, to be thankful in all things, whether he caught the ball or not.
Greg also asked for my thoughts on University of Texas football coach, Mack Brown, who is stepping down after 16 years coaching the Longhorns. His last game will be the Alamo Bowl against the University of Oregon, a strong opponent that is favored to win. Greg asked if Texas has an advantage because they want a win for their coach in his last game.
In the case of the Texas players, their emotion will be evident. Especially at the beginning of the game, they will really be going for it. Will it lead to better performance? Maybe in the short term, but that can only carry them so far. They will have to maintain focus for the entire game. In the end, intangibles such as emotion even out and the better team will win. The better team is the one that can overcome distractions and maintain focus through shifts in momentum.
What makes a world class performer stand out is the ability to focus on the task at hand. Losing focus for even a split second can make the difference in winning or losing. There will always be distractions, the key is to maintain focus and allow your mind, body and spirit to work together towards the goal.
