{"id":1060,"date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/when-the-pressure-is-on-help-your-athletes-rise-to-the-occasion-through-radical-mental-skills\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:28","slug":"rethink-group-radical-mental-skills","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/rethink-group-radical-mental-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"When the Pressure is On, Help Your Athletes Rise to the Occasion through Radical Mental Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- blocks\/hero-editorial -->\n<!-- inc\/hero-editorial -->\n<div class=\"hero es-hero__editorial hero--var-1\" role=\"banner\">\n\t<div class=\"hero__image\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/08\/GettyImages-1178197333.jpg);\">\n\n\t\t<div class=\"hero__overlay grad-overlay content-bottom\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__content\">\n                    \n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero__content__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t                            <p class=\"es-label es-label--md\">\n                                Oct 03, 2019                            <\/p>\n                        \t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\" class=\"theme-dark hero__back-link back-link es-label es-label--sm\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon icon--md icon--arrow-left\"><\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"hero__title\">When the Pressure is On, Help Your Athletes Rise to the Occasion through Radical Mental Skills<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n        \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <section class=\"es-section theme-light hero__sidebar-wrapper container\">\n        <div class=\"hero__sidebar\">\n                            <div class=\"category-list\">\n                  <div class=\"es-label es-label--sm\">Category<\/div>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/category\/human-performance\/\" rel=\"tag\">Human Performance<\/a>                <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"share-list\">\n                  <div class=\"es-label es-label--sm\">Share<\/div>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/rethink-group-radical-mental-skills\/\">Facebook<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/rethink-group-radical-mental-skills\/&#038;text=When the Pressure is On, Help Your Athletes Rise to the Occasion through Radical Mental Skills\">Twitter<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Here's a Leaders In Sport article for you &amp;body=Check out this article: 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es-section__sidebar--sticky col col--12 \">\n                                                            <p class=\"es-section__label es-label es-label--md\">Performance Coach Denise Shull explains that if athletes respect, rather than merely reframe, fear, frustration and disappointment, they will ironically gain more capacity to outperform under pressure.<\/p>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                            <div class=\"es-section__text content-area\">\n                                    <p><p>A Leaders Performance Institute article brought to you in association with<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-30339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.leadersinsport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/RethinkGroup_logo_final_150dpi-002.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1002\" height=\"243\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Across the world of elite sport, a problem pops up over and over<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0again<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Top athletes under-perform when expectations are highest. One thing goes wrong, then another, then another. Soon, the higher-ranking opponent collapses and no one is really sure why. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe core of the problem is the wrong view of how the human mind actually works. Feelings and emotions are the foundation to thought \u2013 not the other way around. We have a flat earth-round earth moment right now where most advisors fear the round earth yet it\u2019s exactly the path to greater horizons and specifically the path for athletes to use to outperform under pressure.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That is according to <a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance\/denise-shull\/\">Denise Shull<\/a>, a Performance Coach who serves as the Principal of the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ReThink<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Group, a New York-based human capital consultancy that leverages the latest neuroscience and psychological research into creating new levels of human performance.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Shull and the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ReThink<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Group \u2013 who are the Leaders Performance Institute\u2019s official psychological training partners \u2013 work with athletes across elite sport and also work with hedge fund traders and investors where she is often called the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2018<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">real-life Wendy\u2019 from the TV show\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">B<\/span><\/i><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">illions<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0\u201cAthletes need to realize all of their feelings \u2013 even the so-called negative ones \u2013 can be helpful,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn their pure form, fear, frustration and disappointment make complete sense, are meant to help you. You want to win, you regret mistakes, you need fair officiating. When it\u2019s not going your way, how could you feel good? In reality, it\u2019s the effort to avoid those feelings that will make an athlete work their hardest to prepare.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">She continues: \u201cConventional wisdom in sports psychology leaves the athlete with nothing to work with\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">during<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0moments of frustration in big events. Standard strategies such as \u2018focus on the process\u2019, \u2018be positive\u2019, \u2018control what you can control and don\u2019t worry about what you cannot\u2019 and \u2018think of it as just another game\u2019 are ill-suited to the realities of championship or final games.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cEach of th<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ose phrases is also intended to create a different emotion\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2013<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2018<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I feel comfortable, I feel confident\u2019. The radical but more effective approach is to embrace the negative so that it facilitates a natural and more powerful transition to the positive feeling we want. But even if it doesn\u2019t do that in the nanoseconds of a contest, the athlete can learn to use fear to focus and frustration to create more power \u2013 if they have practiced doing so<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The regular season might be one thing, but the playoffs are quite another. \u201cOn a day to day basis, athletes go about their training, whether it\u2019s regular seasons or regular contests; moments that are merely average for them,\u201d says Shull as she places her observation in its proper context. \u201cAt those moments they\u2019re encouraged to set aside any unpleasant feelings; to be positive, to focus on the process. It works in those phases due to the feeling that there will be many more plays to make up for mistakes or that losing on that day doesn\u2019t have many implications. Think of the golfer who bounces back from a poor shot on Thursday while having an outsized, performance sapping reaction to the same shot on Sunday. What\u2019s different about Saturday? Or for the tennis player, what\u2019s different about the final?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201c<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The implications of playing poorly as the ultimate prize comes closer create a literal fear of disappointment. Both feelings need processed and in the big picture, both feelings can lead to better\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">play in the future through amplifying motivation. In the moment however, using intellectual instructions like \u2018stay positive\u2019 or \u2018it\u2019s only one shot\u2019 is no match for more fundamental meanings and foundational desires. Athletes have worked their entire lives to win these big contests. No one is going to talk them out of how important they are. Their subconscious\u2019 will never bend to the idea it\u2019s just another event, but the good news is that the latest in psychological science says if just admit to our worst fears they become more manageable. Absent the ability to own one\u2019s darkest feelings, the athlete faces the hardest situations with the least powerful tools<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhat also happens in a few athletes is they haven\u2019t been able to use their thoughts to make themselves feel positive all the time even in the regular season, but they cannot tell anybody because they feel guilty; they feel as if something must be wrong with them because this strategy that everyone has been inviting them to use has not been working. They don\u2019t tell anyone, and it gets bigger, it gets worse, it becomes more of a problem than it should be. The background feelings come pouring out. This is what is happening when we watch athlete after athlete under-perform even their average during their biggest contests.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How does Shull suggest athletes approach those feelings?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe more an athlete and their coach take the radical approach of respecting these so-called negative emotions, the more ability to rise to occasions the athlete will acquire. First, they need to gain the skill of being able to recognize them and name them. The more they can recognize them, name them, understand them, establish what their patterns of fear, frustration and disappointment are, the better they can do in the bigger picture. Everyone is scared to do it but allowing, through language, the expression of, \u2018I\u2019m so frustrated or afraid I am going to lose or be embarrassed\u2019 actually reduces the intensity of the feeling and allows the athlete to return to the moment.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cAthletes don\u2019t know they should do that; and then those feelings take over. They play scared, they\u2019re frustrated. There will be a mistake, another mistake, and it cascades; people ask, \u2018why did that happen?\u2019 and it is because the fear and anger literally seep into the muscles and get acted out in the physical performance.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When Shull or her\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ReThink<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0team starts to work with an athlete the first step is an assessment of how well the individual can recognize and respect their negative feelings through identifying the emotional logic.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cHow much of it is really about the here and now and how much of it stems from your history? Are you afraid of being criticised by the coach because you grew up in a really critical environment? It\u2019s really helping the person to understand themselves and their own pattern of what they feel and then untangling the feelings that happen in the middle of a contest so that not only can they feel better about feeling bad but they can take the energy of the fear, frustration or disappointment and use it to focus.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Shull explains that this process, from the conversations pursued to the time it takes for her ideas to take effect, differ from person to person. \u201cThat\u2019s all over the board because different people have different\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">defense<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0mechanisms to help them cope,\u201d she says. \u201cThey have different opinions of their own negative feelings and they each have different ways to deal with fear, frustration or disappointment.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cA lot of athletes are fairly open because they\u2019ve had to be at the edge of their comfort level for a long time, but really someone\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">defense<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0mechanisms are set up early in life; the fundamental pattern was created before they were a professional athlete. We can sometimes make super progress with them\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">in an afternoon but the person has to practice with it also. It\u2019s an actual skill to say \u2018this is what I\u2019m feeling. I tolerate the unpleasantness of fear, frustration and disappointment and I allow these feelings to be and practice examining them.\u2019 It can take a short period of time or it can take a long period of time.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOne of the advantages that our athlete clients have over our Wall Street clients is that, by the very definition, they are in touch with their bodies; they\u2019re more likely to be what science calls \u2018interoceptive\u2019, which means you\u2019re aware of your internal sensations and feelings. Athletes are always thinking about how their body feels so they have a leg-up already. Emotion, after all, is just another type of physical sensation<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt can take one month or three, but usually there is some progress early on where the athlete goes from \u2018I\u2019m trying to control my feelings\u2019 to \u2018I\u2019m going to respect those feelings, try to recognize them, and understand what they\u2019re really about.\u2019 When you can articulate what you\u2019re feeling and why then you\u2019ll have different tools to deal with the anxiety.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cTelling yourself that you don\u2019t care, that it isn\u2019t important, is not going to solve the anxiety or decrease the intensity of the feelings, or the disappointment and it actually creates another problem. If we try to ignore the intense feelings, they take over and the performer does things that they don\u2019t usually do, effectively operating at a much lower level of performance.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Beyond the field or the court, Shull also explains that her approach can help athletes to improve their relationships with both teammates and staff. \u201cAs long as your coach or teammates are able to be empathetic, nod, and respect your feelings and not say \u2018you\u2019re not supposed to feel that way\u2019 then you can better own your own feelings and not act them out; you will create less disruption or a power struggle with the coach, for example.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIf you\u2019re not owning that\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">frustration<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0you\u2019re acting it out; you\u2019re not training properly, not showing up on time, you\u2019re being overly aggressive in the wrong moment, defying what the coach asks you to do. But if you own it, you can put it into words which reduces the chance you will act it out.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While athletes tend to be amenable to the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ReThink<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Group\u2019s methods, management level staff have not quite been so receptive. \u201cWe\u2019ve had coaches who are interested, who told me \u2018this makes so much sense vis-\u00e0-vis this player or this situation\u2019 and they want to bring me in but they don\u2019t know how to integrate it with existing psychology or mental skills services. \u201cOne recently hired coach at a large US franchise can see the value but said \u2018there\u2019s no way I can talk about it this year \u2013 they\u2019ll think I\u2019m crazy! Maybe next year when I have time under my belt.\u2019 I think that\u2019s the\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ReThink<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0Group\u2019s biggest challenge as a consulting company.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nevertheless, Shull and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ReThink<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0are making inroads across elite sport from North America\u2019s major leagues to Hendrick Motorsports\u2019 pit crews to Olympic sport and it is based on one premise: \u201cAt their core, fear, frustration and disappointment are meant to help us. Fear \u2013 make sure you\u2019re prepared. Frustration \u2013 what\u2019s wrong here and how do I fix it? Disappointment \u2013 what didn\u2019t work and how can I make it better next time?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThere\u2019s power in every single feeling. We need to lose our fear of fear and instead learn how to use it and the other unpleasant feelings. They literally are a power lever that the most forward-thinking coaches can leverage.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n                                <\/div>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                    <\/div>\n                                        <div class=\"col visibly-hidden col--flex-align-right\">\n                                            <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Performance Coach Denise Shull explains that if athletes respect, rather than merely reframe, fear, frustration and disappointment, they will ironically gain more capacity to outperform under pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1061,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[21],"pathway":[],"topic":[],"sport":[],"class_list":["post-1060","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-human-performance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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