Performance Psychology 01 Aug 2021 Sunday Times Sport Opinion Piece There has been an outpouring of support for gymnast Simone Biles after she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic Games all… Admin
Performance Psychology 17 Apr 2020 Athletes: you are allowed new dreams – it doesn’t mean you’re giving up Sport has been turned on its head with leagues, tournaments and matches being postponed or cancelled. As expected, there is… Admin
Performance Psychology 09 Apr 2020 Feelization: practice without practicing Have you ever thought about something that happened to you and then think, did that really happen or did I… Admin
Performance Psychology 07 Apr 2020 Why ‘Social Distancing’ is the wrong phrase in times like this If you haven’t heard of the Stockdale Paradox (made famous by business guru Jim Collins in his book Good to… Admin
Performance Psychology 03 Apr 2020 It’s okay not to be okay Despite all the positive and upbeat social media posts by many athletes, there are those that are really struggling during… Admin
Performance Psychology 02 Apr 2020 The science behind counting your blessings – and why we all need it now There is a clip on YouTube called The Monkey Business Illusion. Take a look: Admin
Performance Psychology 01 Apr 2020 Why structure is crucial for athletes If you want to be an Olympic athlete, professional rugby player or Protea cricket player, your yearly, monthly, weekly and… Admin
Performance Psychology 31 Mar 2020 Hope: willpower and waypower in uncertain times As many of you will know, I have an aversion to the common advice: just think positively. At best, it… Admin
Performance Psychology 24 Jul 2019 More than an Athlete What is the only sure thing in elite sport? Winning is not. Making money is not. Being selected for the… Admin
Performance Psychology 05 Jun 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip # 7: You can still get the job done regardless of how you feel (you still go to work in the rain) When you wake up and it's pouring with rain, you may feel like staying in bed, but you have to… Admin
Performance Psychology 04 Jun 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip #6: Get your superhero costume on One of my favourite psychology effects is the ‘Batman Effect’. Some very cool researchers were looking at what helped children… Admin
Performance Psychology 03 Jun 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip #5: Turn it into a series of games Joe Simpson was left for dead high up in the Andes Mountains after he fell into a crevasse and his… Admin
Performance Psychology 31 May 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip #4: Have a laugh Have you ever been stressed or anxious, and then a friend comes along and makes you laugh? It’s like magic… Admin
Performance Psychology 30 May 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip #3: Prepare to run 89km This may sound like the silliest Comrades tip you’ve heard; I mean of course you plan to run 89kms, that’s… Admin
Performance Psychology 29 May 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip #2: Feelings are Misleading The end of Comrades is synonymous with drama. The appointed ‘end-gun’ person standing under the finish line, arm raised waiting… Admin
Performance Psychology 28 May 2019 Comrades Marathon Mental Tip #1: Be an optimist (not a positive thinker) Ask anyone that has run 89km’s and they will tell you that getting through those last few kilometres has less… Admin
Performance Psychology 16 May 2019 What is a mental block? HINT: it’s not a block Often, I have been asked to help athletes overcome a mental block, ‘She has a mental block against this one… Admin
Performance Psychology 17 Apr 2018 Gold-Plated Grit vs Real Grit You are at once the quite and the confusion of my heart – wrote Franz Kafka. I think athletes would… Admin
Performance Psychology 06 Apr 2018 How to outsmart fear and be brave ‘What makes Heroic?’ wrote Friedrich Nietzsche. Interesting question. What would your answer be? His was profound in its simplicity: Heroic… Admin
Performance Psychology 15 Feb 2018 The mental trick to increased will-power By now most people have heard about the famous Stanford Marshmallow experiment. It was a piece of research done by… Admin
Performance Psychology 03 Nov 2017 Success vs Mastery Have you ever been so close to your goal that you could almost taste victory … but you fell just… Admin
Performance Psychology 19 Oct 2017 What glasses are you wearing? Attention & Expectation Try this: picture your favourite training run (or cycle or drive to work) - the route you take and what… Admin
Performance Psychology 02 Oct 2017 Can Sport Psychologist ‘fix’ Bafana Bafana? This weekend it was reported that Safa CEO Dennis Mumble wants to hire a Sport Psychologist to work with Bafana Bafana.… Admin
Performance Psychology 29 Sep 2017 Avoiding the ‘OK PLATEAU’ Have you ever tried to teach an adult to float? It’s really difficult. For me (a swimmer) I just float,… Admin
Performance Psychology 28 Sep 2017 Are the Springboks tolerating mediocrity? At the end of the 90mins of carnage delivered by an outstanding All Black side last week, the Springbok coach… Admin
Performance Psychology 12 Sep 2017 CAN YOU NAME THAT EMOTION? The first step to better performance High performance is all about staying cool, calm and composed when it counts the most – and in so doing,… Admin
Performance Psychology 14 Aug 2017 A Culture of Silence: mental health challenges in elite athletes Watching the recent IAAF World Championships in London you can’t help but be amazed at the physical and mental speed,… Admin
Performance Psychology the word focus gradually going blurred, concept for eye exams, short sightedness and concentration 09 Aug 2017 What separates the Great from the Good? With the IAAF World Championships on the go, we are all watching in awe the grace, strength and speed shown… Admin
