Читать книгу The Performance Mindset - Anthony J. Klarica - Страница 19

An oft‐cited story, due to his stellar career in the American National Football League (NFL), is that of Tom Brady. Brady was drafted at pick 199 in 2000. At the time of writing, he had won more championships as a player than some NFL clubs have won in their entire history. What is less well known about his story is the investment he made as a junior in a football coach with a wealth of experience, Tom Martinez. In his book The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle describes how Brady carries in his wallet a list of technique tips learned from the veteran coach and that he has an ongoing relationship with his long‐time mentor.¹ In the Brady 6 documentary, former NFL head coach Steve Mariucci comments on Brady being overlooked by clubs and his low draft pick: ‘We didn't open up his chest and look at his heart … and resiliency, and all the things that are making him great now.’²

While not identified at his draft as the player he would become, Brady had already invested in a range of ways other than his physical development while a junior that paid him back. Recognising this, Ian O'Connor, reporting for ESPN.com in 2016, wrote an article headlined: ‘Tom Brady's greatest talent is his desire to be great.’³ It's clear that more than talent contributed to his accomplishments.

I have had an insider's view of the AFL draft process, as well as selections of athletes in other sports. Over some 20 years I have been contracted by different AFL clubs and sports to participate in the interview process that supports coaches and recruiters in the selection of athletes. Over that time I have seen the emphasis on personal attributes and qualities grow significantly. Areas that recruiters now consider more than they used to include (in no particular order):

 capacity to learn and grow

 determination and drive

 independence

 capacity as a team member

 competitive spirit

 cultural fit

 general game‐day mental skills

 resilience

 wellbeing

 decision making on and off the field

 training attitude and commitment

 coachability.

The growth in consideration of psychological variables in athlete selection processes reflects the increased recognition of the importance of mindset. This consideration also helps support the wellbeing and development of players once selected. In sports, there is more awareness of the support a player may need before they begin. In the recruiting process, references from junior coaches and key support staff are checked. Of course, physical data and testing, injury history, specific sporting IQ, how they play the game and vital information on sport performance history are important and meticulously scrutinised. However, a multitude of other factors have been increasingly recognised as important when assessing whether a player will be able to utilise, and grow from, any talent shown.

One challenge in the selection process of any athlete in any sport is that while physical prowess can easily be tested and compared (it's simple to test how fast an athlete can run or how high they can jump), psychological variables are much harder to determine and rank. They are not as visible, they vary significantly and they are impacted by many factors, which makes mindset much more difficult to identify, compare and project. That many athletes are selected while still developing physically and emotionally adds further complexity. A person at 16 or 18 is often very different from the person they become in their late twenties.

Through the process of considering mindset variables, it is apparent that observed talent is only one variable in future performance. That's why Sam Mitchell and Tom Brady slipped through the top order of the draft net, only for time to reveal their true ability. If they had not been selected at those late picks, their sporting talent might not have been realised. I wonder what they would be doing now if they had been overlooked in their respective drafts.

On this topic, Alex Hutchinson, author of Endure: mind, body and the curiously elastic limits of human performance,⁴ observes that ‘even relying on the best science available, you're inevitably going to pick duds — and perhaps more significantly, miss some athletes with potential to develop into world beaters'.⁵