How is Sports Axiology different?

Over the past week I have had the opportunity to talk with professional teams from multiple sports including the NFL, NBA, MLB, as well as soccer teams from three other countries. A common question that comes up is how does the profile compare with some of the more traditional personality tests that are commonly used?

Below is a simple chart that will help to give the answer:

How's this for being mentally tough?

I just finished watching the final hour of the US Open (men's golf) and what an unbelievable roller coster ride!

The story of Mediate and Woods is ideally what sports is all about! A highly unlikely player not even in the top one hundred in the world in the playoff's against likely the greatest player to ever have played the game other than Jack Nicolaus.

Here is the clip of Tiger's putt on the 18th to force the playoff:



Talk about being mentally tough! This was a make or break putt for him and as typical Tiger does, he makes the putt! Check back this week as I will be writing what makes Tiger so mentally tough along with the ability to have a laser like focus even in the greatest moments of pressure!

Is Team Cohesion Important?

You bet it is! Team cohesion is a common quality of championship teams. If you start to see cliques beginning to form than this should be a warning sign that the health of the team might be in trouble.

In fact, the sports axiological profile measures this exact attribute in the External Extrinsic dimension of value making decisions. Below is a great question to ask yourself regarding team cohesion:

Are you players playing with each other or are they playing for each other?

Skill Builder in 3D Listening

The interview below is with a very good friend and outstanding baseball coach Hal Bagwell. He just led his second year team to the state championship playoffs!

In fact, he was just named the Charlotte Observer 'Coach of the Year' in baseball!

Listen closely as he shares some pearls of wisdom when it comes to getting the most out of your athletes. Try and identify specific parts of his response that are instrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic.

This exercise will help to build your skillset of 3D Listening!

6 Questions for Your Players

Performing well begins with trust. This includes trusting yourself in your own abilities as well as building trust with teammates and coaches. Below are six questions to ask your athletes that will help them raise their intrinsic awareness of themself and others:

1. What do you trust most about the way you perform?
2. What do you trust the least about the way you perform?
3. What do you think your teammates and coaches trust most about you?
4. What to they trust least about you?
5. What do you trust most about your teammates and coaches?
6. What do you trust the least about your teammates and coaches?

What happens when things are going your way?

Last week I was talking to a colleague who works with a professional athlete, let's call him John, who is off to his best start yet of his career. In fact, training has actually slacked off as well as a few other things in this person's life, yet success seems to be ever present right now. Does this sound familiar with any of your athletes?

HOWEVER, because things are going so well this individual doesn't want to do anything at all that would mess up his mojo! In the past he hasn't consistently performed this well and is starting to be recognized as one of today's top talents which he says is starting to feel pretty exciting. There is only one problem here...

John can't identify why he is having this level of success and therefore doesn't want to change literally anything! YIKES!!

Talking with his trainer I made the point that this is the perfect time to take the sports profile in order to actually identify what exactly IS working for him right now. This way, he can continue to build around this present decision making pattern during competitive play.

Because this athlete was in shock of experiencing this current level of success, he went in to 'play not to lose' mode. Why? Because he did not want to lose this present momentum of winning. But guess what happened?

The following week he did not make it past the qualifying round which had not happend to him in quite a long time! So what's the moral of the story here?

Challenge your athletes to identify what is presently working for them and then expand on this pattern of decision making. Be sure to include exercises such as how they 'see' themself in their competitive environment as well as patterns of self-talk.

Simply by doing these few things will help to empower your player's inner game! I guarantee you that John now wishes that he had done so when he had the chance!