We’ve included further details on some of the potential areas and competitive insights from some past and present ADP/ASP team athletes. This is by no means exhaustive as the content covered greatly depends on the needs of the individual athlete;
Champion Mindset
Assisting athletes to learn about the mindset of a champion, and bring more discipline and focus to their sport, building on the foundations of skill and love of white water and freestyle. By adopting key attributes including goal setting, taking personal responsibility and self-discipline, athletes can develop mastery orientated motivation for long term motivation and maximum performance.
“This year I won the double again. This time with a freestyle ride that I am so proud of, that showcases how far I have come as an athlete and how far the sport has come. People have asked “will I continue”? The honest answer is yes. For as long as I feel I can be competitive I will compete and if I win medals along the way that’s a bonus but what I do know is I am proud of where I have come from. I am proud of what I have achieved. I have more drive to be even better. I have more to give.”
– Claire O’Hara, Multiple Freestyle ICF World Champion
Decision Making
By adopting the simple, commonly applied principle of Plan, Do, Review athletes can ensure learnings are adopted as part of a continuous reflective cycle. Great athletes prepare on multiple levels, both short-term to make each training session effective, and long-term, to progress toward their goals over the season. But it doesn’t stop there. Following training/competition, they review and evaluate to maximise learnings; this can be as simple as a training journal to learn from experience and keep improving.
“I kayak for a few reasons, in the beginning it was because of the pure fun I had doing it, then the joy and satisfaction of learning new tricks and perfecting rides, now I enjoy it most of all because of what I learn about myself through training hard and trying to compete at my best. It forces you to become a better person. When you make some significant progress and learn your lesson fast that’s when I end up winning stuff, when I don’t paddle my best it happens to teach me something. Either way it’s a success. I just love kayaking and being in the outdoors doing what I love and what that brings into my life.”
– James ‘Pringle’ Bebbington, ICF World Champion
Delivering Under Pressure
Outstanding, effortless performance happens when an athlete’s attention is ‘in the moment’, completely immersed in the activity – not focusing on distracting thoughts (others expectations, current placing, previous performance). These sessions will help athletes understand ‘flow state’, develop in the moment awareness through practice, and better focus by using a mental warm up, to execute their skills when it counts.
“It is difficult to describe the feeling of such a success in words. My goal was to win the title and there was not one minute outside of school that I did not dedicate to training both mentally and physically.”
– Ottilie Robinson Shaw, Multiple ICF Junior World Champion
Achieving More Together
The most successful competitors have learned that they can achieve more together by working as a team. Athletes need to learn how to work together to get the best out of the people around them. By knowing how to balance your own and others needs you can contribute to a supportive team environment.
“Reach out to other athletes that are raising the bar and learn from their experience. This, in turn, will help you improve your own paddling skills. Your friends and teammates are the best ones to help you fulfil your goals and aspirations. This is one of the most crucial components to a successful career.”
– Rush Sturges, pioneering extreme race and freestyle kayaker
Competing Internationally
Competing internationally brings both challenges and opportunities; travel, different cultures, media interest, and expectations of friends and family. By understanding the characteristics of international competition and the role of a constructive attitude, athletes’ can prepare and transition successfully to international competition.
“I have had an awesome summer paddling in Canada and Plattling, Germany. It has been my first time training abroad and I have loved every minute of it – the feeling that I have progressed in my paddling. To make progress and learn new things in your boating, it’s a good idea to train smart. In my mind training smartly is about having as much fun as you can on the water, but still optimising your time to learn as much as possible.”
– Harry Price, ICF World Championship, Multiple Bronze Medallist
Developing a Performance Plan
The most successful athletes have a competition day plan for international events. By understanding the key phases of a major freestyle competition and the associated challenges they must meet athletes are better prepared for competition day.
“My concentration was focused on the present moment, and the sensations of that moment. In the hole, I did not set a precise sequence of tricks, just tricks to be performed according to my placement. Letting the kayak live, letting go while keeping the instinct…In addition to a victory over myself, I learned a lot and I shared a lot.”
– Marlène Devillez, Multiple ECA Europe Champion
Maintaining Focus during Competition
Athletes need to be fully prepared and focused during competition; by understanding the right state of mind to perform at their best, having mental warm-up routines, and having techniques to refocus if distracted.
“Those feelings of nervousness carried with me right up until I caught the wave for the first time during the competition and then I don’t know what happened, The familiar feeling of dropping in, catching the wave put me at ease and weeks of preparation came to pass as muscle memory took over and I laid down an almost perfect competition rid. I could have made it into the next round just from one ride but instead I put down another almost flawless ride just to be sure and to ease any of my doubts that I had somehow had a lucky ride.”
– Bren Orton, World Championships 2015
You must be logged in to post a comment.