Stanmore Gratitude + sport = a winning formula 2nd XI Football team members George Psarris, Paul Howe and Hunter Karam celebrate a goal. Photo: Jared Leibowitz (ON 2013) In the lead-up to the recent US Open as kindness, compassion and gratitude As legendary basketball coach John tennis championships, the world’s best can help people feel happier. Wooden said, ‘If we magnified blessings tennis players would have worked on Fredrickson tested a loving-kindness as much as we magnify disappointment, their fitness and match play. But meditation intervention, which is a we would all be much happier.’ increasingly, many players are also meditation training exercise designed to Mr Mark Dickens working on their mental health to help generate feelings of warmth and caring Head of Sport them become more resilient. for the self and others. She found that After Novak Djokovic won his fourth people became more mindful and more Wimbledon title in June, he posted an self-accepting and developed more open letter on his website about the positive relationships with others after What are you mental hurdles he had to overcome to the intervention. grateful for? win. In the letter, he describes how Gratitude is an integral part of injury and lack of motivation left him Newington’s Positive Sport model, which Aiden Love (8/PR) vulnerable while dealing with the mental hurdles he faced. Djokovic also talked is built on four principles: All the opportunities that Newington about how having compassion, gratitude Strengths focus – identifying and College has to offer. For example, • and a sense of perspective enabled him focusing on boys’ character the music program, the drama to balance the demands of being a full- strengths, with the aim of building program, all the sports and physical time athlete with having a family. confidence and developing resilience activities. These things all come fromsomewhere, so I am also Research confirms what the world’s • Emotional intelligence – focusing on grateful for all of the generous elite sports stars already know – that building gratitude and empathy people who are willing to give up being kinder to yourself, and to others, Growth mindset – using the language their time to help us New Boys take and being grateful are good for your • of ‘I can’ or ‘I can’t YET’ advantage of these wonderful mental health. Barbara Fredrickson, a opportunities. leading academic in positive psychology, • GRIT – focusing on rewarding effort, has shown how positive emotions such attitude and perseverance GRATITUDE | NEWS SPRING 2018| 21