by Cade Gafford
"It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
- Sir Edmund Hillary
In a sports world obsessed with statistics, analysis, and insider secrets, it has always surprised me how little attention is given to the one thing regularly elevating athletes into sports legends – being fully present with the game.
Let me share a quick story.
As a kid, I loved football—particularly the quarterback position. Peyton Manning was my favorite player (yes, before he became a Denver Bronco), and I was always throwing the ball to friends at recess. In those days, the game was a joy. Now fast forward many years...I am starting varsity quarterback for my hometown football team. While a dream for some, my days often felt consumed by the pressure of expectations—both internally and externally. Concerned about what coaches and teammates thought, I was left anxious and fearful of how I might perform. My play suffered as a result. I so desperately wanted to be seen favorably that I lost sight of myself and the game. The thing was, I had been a very capable, competent quarterback. I had been throwing a football since grade school and when at ease, felt I could throw the ball through a pinhole. Unfortunately, I was rarely at ease as the starting QB. The fear of failure kept my mind and focus preoccupied with what MIGHT happen and not with what WAS happening. This slowed reactions, stifled adaptation, and cut off any opportunity for inspired play. As you might expect, this led to varying levels of success and a loss of love for the game of football.
The point of this short story is that as an athlete, no amount of practice or film review would get to the root of the problem. I had lost touch with the game and the moment. I spent more time thinking about a throw than I did throwing.
In essence, the success-altering secret can amply be summarized as one’s ability to be completely present with their sport. But don’t just take my word. Some of sports' best athletes exemplify this truth beautifully.
MSL CAPITA recently highlighted a post on our Instagram that detailed what made Michael Jordan so great. Now there is no denying that Michael was a historic athlete with a legendary competitive drive, but those elements alone do not equate to six NBA titles and five regular-season MVPs. No, according to Mark Vancil, author of ‘Rare Air’, Jordan was special because:
“(He) is a mystic. He was never anywhere else. His gift was not that he could jump high, run fast, shoot a basketball; his gift was that he was completely present and that was the separator… A big downfall of a lot of players who are otherwise gifted is thinking about failure. Michael didn’t allow what he couldn’t control to get inside his head. He would say, ‘Why would I think about missing a shot I haven’t even taken yet?”’
Another athlete we can look at is Tom Brady who was never touted as the fastest, strongest, or even most accurate quarterback in his class but had a mentality and focus that would later propel him to winning seven super bowl rings. As discussed here, rookie-year Tom Brady was filmed saying:
“You know I’m not really concerned with next year; I’m not concerned with next week, I’m concerned with today, and if I put myself in a position today to do well then when the time is ready for me to play, I’m going to be ready to play.”
Lastly, let us examine hall-of-fame basketball coach, Phil Jackson. With a total of eleven NBA championships to his name, Phil stands as arguably the greatest NBA coach of all time. So, what made him special? Phil himself admitted that his coaching style is predicated on poise and calm focus. To achieve this focus in his players, Jackson would have players meditate before many of their games. Speaking to this, Jackson said:
“We do all of this work to condition ourselves, to be the best basketball players, to get our muscles all right...but we don’t do mental exercises—mindfulness is something that expands your ability to focus, your ability to stay ‘one-minded’.”
These individuals are all legends in their area, you may be saying, but what about the rest of us? The challenge lies in fostering a skill that cannot be learned—only recognized. Fortunately, we always have the advantage. Being grounded in the present moment is readily available to everyone. How can it not be—it's happening now! As a coach, we only need to guide players toward this recognition and support the fact that the best opportunity for success is dependent on it.
Meditating:
In recent years, meditation has become increasingly popular as many apps and clinics are now dedicated to the process. There is also a wealth of research and data supporting the health benefits of meditation. Some benefits include reduced stress, better sleep, lower blood pressure, and improved memory to name a few. A lot of meditative practices revolve around quieting the mind and as a result, being more present. I will not go into specifics of how to meditate here, but here is a link to some helpful resources.
Breath exercises:
Focusing on your breath is a simple and effective way to bring yourself back to what is happening right now. This can be especially useful for athletes. Guiding your players in high-pressure situations to come back to their breath is an excellent way to level emotions and jitters. By focusing on their breath, they are compelled to focus on this moment and not the next shot.
Give up the ghost story:
This tip is a little less straightforward but extremely helpful if grasped. Most fears and anxieties exist because we tend to dwell on the past and project those fears forward into the future. Be aware of these stories and realize that we have the power to see past them. It is important to acknowledge that we are supplying them with energy—not the other way around. So, be willing to let go of your past. Be willing to let go of your future. And be willing to give up the mental projection you have about yourself. I promise if you do that, the rest will take care of itself.
Coaches retreat (MSL CAPITA):
Is this a plug? Yes. Does that mean it shouldn’t be on this list? No. Our retreat (see here) covers a variety of key concerns for coaches and their organizations. This includes segments dedicated to aligning your athletes’ mental and physical performance. We believe an athlete only excels when skill and preparation meet a calm mind. We’ll help you integrate skills and practices into your program to do just that.
Hopefully, this has acted as a starting point. Remember this will take time for most, but the fruits of the process will only grow sweeter as you recognize and re-establish yourself in the present moment.