{"id":678,"date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:12","slug":"leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaders Virtual Roundtable: Performing Under Pressure"},"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-1270976538.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                                Sep 09, 2020                            <\/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\">Leaders Virtual Roundtable: Performing Under Pressure<\/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\/uncategorized\/\" rel=\"tag\">Uncategorized<\/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\/leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure\/\">Facebook<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure\/&#038;text=Leaders Virtual Roundtable: Performing Under Pressure\">Twitter<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Here's a Leaders In Sport article for you &amp;body=Check out this article: Leaders Virtual Roundtable: Performing Under Pressure. https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure\/\">Email<\/a>\n                  <a href=\"#copyLink\" id=\"copyButton\" class=\"copy-link-clipboard\">Copy Link<\/a>\n                  <div id=\"textToCopy\" class=\"font-hidden\">https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/leaders-virtual-roundtable-performing-under-pressure\/<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<!-- blocks\/section -->\n<section\n  class=\"es-section flexible-section  text-only theme-light\"\n    >\n                <div class=\"container\">\n                                    <div class=\"bg-striped-pattern__inner section-padding-top section-padding-bottom\">\n                <div class=\"es-section__inner col-parent col-parent--stack-sm\">\n                                            <div class=\"es-section__sidebar es-section__sidebar--sticky col col--12 \">\n                                                            <p class=\"es-section__label es-label es-label--md\">An online meeting of Leaders Performance Institute members on 8th September.<\/p>\n                            \n                            \n                            \n                                                            <div class=\"es-section__text content-area\">\n                                    <p><p><strong><b>The roundtable covered:<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Creating challenging environments for athletes.<\/li>\n<li>Helping coaches understand how to create pressure environments in training.<\/li>\n<li>Tools to supporting performance under pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><b>Recommended Reading &amp; Listening: Leaders Performance Institute<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance\/why-training-drills-can-only-take-you-so-far-in-chaotic-and-stressful-environments\/\"><u>Why Training Drills Can Only Take You So Far in Chaotic and Stressful Environments<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance\/five-tips-to-help-improve-your-teams-performance-under-pressure\/\"><u>Five Tips to Help Improve Your Team\u2019s Performance Under Pressure<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><b>Discussion Points<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When considering how to create environments that encompass pressure situations, it all comes down to performance planning \u2013 how do we plan periods of time, knowing that particular phases can be \u2018sticky\u2019 where there will be challenges? Knowing this, we can think about how to factor this into our programme.<\/li>\n<li>In some sports, notably football, this is actually periodised on a weekly level. You need to have clear communication between the multidisciplinary teams in understanding what we will do in this phase and what it means, whether it is weekly or across a four-year cycle. The next consideration is, how do we scaffold this over a period of time to be better at those critical moments? The aim should be to make this more of an automatic process.<\/li>\n<li>GB Hockey had a concept called \u2018Thinking Thursday\u2019s\u2019 where the Thursday was a game-based day. They used random interventions and looked at the players emotional awareness of different facets of the game, to make them become more aware over time \u2013 the aim was to become more process-driven.<\/li>\n<li>Consideration: do we plan for this? Do we build this in over a longer-term view and how are we supporting coaches and athletes? Do we look to wrap a lot of support around them or do we adopt an approach where everyone struggles \u2018in the pit\u2019 and see how they handle that?<\/li>\n<li>We need to better consider our weekly and monthly cycles when we are not in competition. How do we get the feeling of competition, increase the player\u2019s heart rates and get that level of intensity that we would see on a competition day? How can we replicate that?<\/li>\n<li>When we think about performance under pressure, it really comes down to two things: can you execute to your physical potential and can you control your state? We need to have a good handle on both.<\/li>\n<li>Whenever we consider performance under pressure we tend to lean towards the psychology realm, but often players and coaches aren\u2019t taught the link of what happens in the mind and how that impacts physiology and biomechanics \u2013 this can all change once the human stress response kicks in.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s not often about coaching athletes to perform under pressure in the moment, we need a more holistic approach to performing under pressure. Often when it comes to this theme, it\u2019s more around what you are doing with the athletes around their lifestyle rather than just on the field. They need to understand what influences their arousal state across the board, and not just sport.<\/li>\n<li>Considering these strategies, how could we dial this back for younger athletes, whilst also drip-feeding those skills?<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s never too early to begin this process. With some of our athletes we talked to them about the ability to handle their state. You often see athletes make a mistake and then they lose their cool \u2013 we would push scenarios in training where athletes would begin to grumble about things. We want them to experience that victim-mindset.<\/li>\n<li>In gymnastics, we were actually taught how to visualise at eight years old \u2013 it might sound extreme, but the concept actually stuck, as you become a more mature athlete. With younger athletes, keep the sessions shorter and start with one point. You can progress this with more elite athletes so it becomes a lifestyle.<\/li>\n<li>Context in any \u2018pressure training\u2019 is so important, it has to look as close to the game as possible, then adding in scenarios and constraints around that.<\/li>\n<li>We shouldn\u2019t be afraid to create pressure in sport specific environments. Where else can we add uncertainties away from the training field? Where we are looking to test that performance under pressure response (usually on the field in practice), look to start that arousal earlier.<\/li>\n<li>Preparation is important, especially with younger talent. Are they prepared to mitigate where the potential stressors may feed in? \u00a0We have to get them to understand the importance of preparation and make that become a habit.<\/li>\n<li>Returning to visualisation \u2013 athletes are often taught to visualise perfect. What about visualising things going wrong? Get them to experience what the panic response is when they are visualising and then see them take control of the scenario around that before executing what they want to execute.<\/li>\n<li>Our programme is based around self-awareness. If we are increasing our awareness of things such as performance under pressure, we should in theory be able to manage it better.<\/li>\n<li>Pressure usually means that the chances of something really good about to happen are pretty high. We\u2019ve worked a lot on changing and adapting our language with the coaches around how to drive this perspective.<\/li>\n<li>We also talk about fear a lot. Athletes are more inclined to talk about fears and pressures in smaller groups, so we have created pods with three of four athletes in where they can be more vulnerable and open than in one large group.<\/li>\n<li>We\u2019ve stressed the importance of mindfulness, especially when in competition and you have players on the bench \u2013 this is the time to reset before going again or preparing to come in and perform. We also talk about how we will always control our breathing, even in the highest-pressure moments, because that\u2019s something we can control.<\/li>\n<li>A lot of coaches are very good at creating pressure scenarios in training, but they are not as good at allowing that \u2018scaffold\u2019 to happen. It\u2019s also important to consider relationships with athletes in this piece as well. If you haven\u2019t got a good relationship and it becomes too demanding on the athlete, it can really effect the performance output.<\/li>\n<li>When thinking about developing coaches in this space, it often comes down to self-awareness \u2013 they can have all of the strategies to influence performance under pressure, but they don\u2019t implement them at the right time and they don\u2019t allow the athletes to solve the problems. The coach will troubleshoot every problem that can occur and have offered a solution to those.<\/li>\n<li>When we look at scaffolding and providing challenges, we need to create an emotionally safe environment where they can make errors \u2013 how can we better teach the coaches to do that?<\/li>\n<li>Integrating the support: can we integrate other specialists from the support team in the component of training? Usually we would hand over an athlete and say \u2018can you help fix this?\u2019<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s also important to consider supporting coaches to perform under pressure. They need self-awareness of how they operate in high-pressure environments as well.<\/li>\n<li>Strategies to develop coach self-awareness: having a mentor, having a video of themselves (coaches can find this threatening, despite the fact we video the athletes all the time) and either using a diary or having a critical friend. What other practical strategies could we use with the coaches to understand their impact on pressure situations?<\/li>\n<li>Consider coaches going through a mentoring programme themselves \u2013 it can help their understanding of some softer skills such as listening and humility. \u00a0Record conversations between coaches so they can debrief and review them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>Looking for more performance insight?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Performance<\/em> <em>21<\/em> is available for download now and leads with a selection of insights lifted from our At Home With Leaders podcast series, which has featured the likes of <strong>England Rugby\u2019s Eddie Jones<\/strong>, the <strong>Toronto Blue Jays\u2019 Mark Shapiro<\/strong>, and <strong>Chelsea\u2019s Emma Hayes<\/strong> speaking directly from their home offices.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/info.leadersinsport.com\/l\/285402\/2020-06-23\/b3234b\"><button>Download Journal<\/button><\/a><\/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>An online meeting of Leaders Performance Institute members on 8th September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":679,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[1],"pathway":[],"topic":[],"sport":[],"class_list":["post-678","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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