FEATURE: WRESTLING WITH AN EDGE WRESTLING WITH AN EDGE volunteers. They are all juggling training that they already have like their coach, Hopefully it won’t be needed, but part of commitments with paid work and family family, friends, teammates and mentors. my role will also involve responding to any commitments. Accordingly, education unforeseen events that occur during the around time management, stress How I allocate my time within a team will Games. This might be an injury, family management and relaxation skills forms also be influenced by the psychological issues or disagreements between an important part of my role. experience of each athlete. Some roommates. athletes, who are quite experienced at HOW HARD IS BALANCING psychological skills, may only need small CAN YOU GIVE AN INSIGHT TIME BETWEEN AN ENTIRE grabs of my time, while other athletes, INTO AN ATHLETE’S PSYCHE TEAM? who are newer to the high-performance IN THE BUILD UP TO A MAJOR benefits of psychology, may require more TOURNAMENT SUCH AS THE In large teams, it can definitely be a significant time allocations. COMMONWEALTH GAMES? challenge to ensure that you are dividing your time equally between all athletes, as WHAT WILL YOUR DAY-TO- How an athlete approaches a benchmark well as the coaching and support staff. DAY ROLE ENTAIL AT THE event is unique to them. However, there The team that I am currently working with 2018 COMMONWEALTH are some common thoughts, emotions is relatively small — just 8 athletes plus GAMES? and behaviours that are likely to be coaching and support staff. However, present at some stage of the build-up. psychologists may work with teams of a The Commonwealth Games will be an few hundred athletes. When working with extremely exciting, but also An athlete is likely to experience these larger teams, I make sure all stressful, time for both excitement, anxiety, pride, fear or relief. athletes have access to my contact coaches and athletes. So at Most likely, it is a combination of these details and my time, whilst also a macro level, my work with emotions. leveraging group sessions to the athletes and coaching discuss common issues, staff will be to act as a With regard to behaviour, athletes tend to supply athletes with support system and to either increase the amount of time they resources that they can offer perspective as focus spend engaged in performance related access on their own and inevitably narrows in activities which includes increased video help athletes connect the lead-up to analysis, engaging in longer recovery or in with supports competition. At a frequently discussing their upcoming micro level, my role performance. They may also try to will be working with engage in activities unrelated to their the individual athletes sport like connect with family and friends, to ensure optimal performance. watch a movie the night before an event My daily schedule is likely to involve or chat to competitors about topics formal sessions with athletes, unrelated to sport. Some athletes will informal sessions with athletes and seek out quiet time. Others will need the coaches, attendance at training distraction of people and noise. Neither sessions to offer my observations to behaviour is right, it is just about athletes and coaches and running determining what works best for a relaxation or mindfulness sessions particular athlete. for the athletes. 48 VOLUME 36 • APRIL ISSUE 2018 avoS jilatiV/kcotsknihT