{"id":899,"date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/reports\/in-2020-place-an-emphasis-on-building-mental-resilience\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T05:12:22","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T05:12:22","slug":"in-2020-emphasis-mental-resilience","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/leadersinsport.com\/performance-institute\/articles\/in-2020-emphasis-mental-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"In 2020, Place an Emphasis on Building Mental Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n Mar 11, 2020 <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>Articles<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In 2020, Place an Emphasis on Building Mental Resilience<\/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
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Category<\/div>\n Human Performance<\/a> <\/div>\n
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We explore the work being done around developing resilience in people at Sandhurst, Red Bull, Hockey Australia, Harlequins and the Brisbane Lions.<\/p>\n \n \n \n

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A Leaders Performance Institute article brought to you in association with our Partners<\/p>\n

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Where does the line sit between wellbeing and resilience? It is a question we posed to our performance panel and it was neatly broken down by Gareth Bloomfield of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.<\/h4>\n
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By John Portch<\/h6>\n

\u201cResilience means \u2018to spring back\u2019 and comes from the Latin \u2018resilio\u2019,\u201d he explains to the Leaders Performance Institute. \u201cOf course, people don\u2019t always spring back; and they might spring back in a different shape or they might spring back and break. Wellbeing is an ingredient of resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a military environment, what we\u2019re trying to do is give our officer-cadets a heads-up on the science of resilience \u2013 because it is a science. There are tools and techniques that you can use in terms of your own stress management, that\u2019s one ingredient of it, but also your cognitive ability to deal with failure.<\/p>\n

\u201cSleep is the next aspect. Then it\u2019s about the social environment you\u2019re in; there\u2019s a strong correlation between the way we socialise and our longevity and our physical and mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here we take a look at the three areas highlighted by Bloomfield \u2013 cognitive patterns, sleep and social relationships \u2013 and explore the work being done around developing resilience in people at Sandhurst, Red Bull, Hockey Australia, Harlequins and the Brisbane Lions.<\/p>\n

Cognitive patterns<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the questions Bloomfield looks to address is how officer-cadets at Sandhurst think about failure. They are introduced to the idea of cognitive patterns. \u201cWe want to know how they explain failure to themselves because on that course you are going to fail; it\u2019s important to learn from failure,\u201d he says. \u201cFirstly, you need to learn how to explain it to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Red Bull, Ralf Rangnick tries to cultivate fun environment that creates a safe space for young footballers to develop, with the organisation\u2019s teams in Leipzig and Salzburg in particular noted for their development of young talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s the job of coaches and sporting directors to make sure the players are enjoying what they are doing,\u201d he says. \u201cIt should be seen and felt that they have joy and fun by just playing football. It is not so much about \u2018we have to win the next game and we have to finish in the top four\u2019, which they will hear from the media anyway, but just enjoying the next game; the next minute in the game, just trying to develop them and make sure they become better players week by week in training.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Failure: firstly, you need to learn how to explain it to yourself<\/h3>\n

Gareth Bloomfield<\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There is also a recognition that a rarefied environment also requires a rare mindset. Toni Cumpston of Hockey Australia says: \u201cI think we need to create an environment that is safe and we need to have athletes that, within that safe environment, are comfortable being challenged because if they\u2019re not then high performance probably isn\u2019t the place for them \u2013 and that\u2019s OK. What\u2019s not OK is if we put people in that can\u2019t cope with the high performance environment and, regardless of the support, it\u2019s not right for them; for their own wellbeing they shouldn\u2019t be in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bloomfield explains that all people need at least 6.5 hours sleep each night to permit a full neurological reset. \u201cYour neurological performance depends on how much sleep you\u2019re getting,\u201d he emphasises. \u201cI don\u2019t care who you are \u2013 you need sleep. If you\u2019re not getting enough sleep then your sleep is disrupted in some way then that\u2019s going to affect your mind and powers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bloomfield explains to leaders through his work with the military and corporate sector but sport is starting to take notice. Sleep is one of the bases that forms the daily wellness tests at Harlequins, where Paul Gustard says wellbeing and resilience are not mutually exclusive. \u201cWe must discuss wellbeing as part of welfare and we do a daily wellness test on players; on how they sleep, how they move, their readiness to train; all the basic things you\u2019d expect at a professional sports team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a saying: \u2018resilience is not about your ability to endure, it\u2019s about your ability to re-energise\u2019,\u201d says Chris Fagan of the Brisbane Lions. \u201cWe pay particular attention at our club to make sure that we keep that energy in place.<\/p>\n

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Resilience is not about your ability to endure, it\u2019s about your ability to re-energise<\/h3>\n

Chris Fagan<\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAn example of that is, if we play interstate on a Sunday, and we get back to Brisbane at midnight, then I don\u2019t expect the players to come in the next day. I want them to wake up and do their own recovery and they know we\u2019ll see them on Tuesday. I think if we made them come in when they\u2019re tired from playing and travelling, then they\u2019re going to be flat and not really tuned in.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the same with our staff. A game goes on for two hours and it takes a long time to code a game; I wouldn\u2019t expect them at work at 8 o\u2019clock on a Monday morning with all their work done. I\u2019d say, \u2018come in at 3 o\u2019clock and we\u2019ll plan what we\u2019re going to do on Tuesday then.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI really watch the energy in our environment closely.\u201d<\/p>\n

Social relationships<\/strong><\/p>\n

Social relationships are an essential part of resilience. \u201cThere is considerable evidence that demonstrates our ability to get through any event in our lives relies on the support of other people,\u201d says Bloomfield. \u201cIn a military context, where you have other people around you who you like, trust and respect, they\u2019re strong leadership qualities. You don\u2019t need to make a decision that other people like, but you need to be liked, respected and trusted; and that means you need to be forming social relationships and social resilience together with other people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that people are looked after,\u201d says Gustard, \u201cthat that their experience at Harlequins is their best in rugby; that their family is looked after and nothing is left to chance; that their interests are our genuine interests.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more we treat people genuinely, and with respect, fairly, and with empathy and love, I think we\u2019ll be better.\u201d It led to the establishment of a welfare group to ensure it was not just Gustard on the lookout for his players and staff\u2019s wellbeing. Members offer their services voluntarily to ensure their commitment. \u201cIf the welfare of others is in your heart and if that\u2019s the way you\u2019re made up, then you\u2019re more likely to look for things in people.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a group of five or six, they meet once a week, and they\u2019re looking for changes in behaviour, mood, emotions; what\u2019s happening on social channels; are they suddenly talking about things that I don\u2019t see or hear. If they can feed that back then we can help people.<\/p>\n

\u201cFundamentally, what we\u2019re trying to do at Harlequins is place an emphasis on being people-centred.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What does the modern coach need to know?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We tackle this question in our latest Performance Special Report. Download Coachmaker: What the Modern Coach Needs to Know<\/em>, which features sports organizations as diverse as Ulster Rugby<\/strong>, the Geelong Cats<\/strong>, Minnesota Timberwolves<\/strong> and US Special Operations<\/strong> discussing personal development, creating performance environments, recruitment and using data in smarter ways.<\/p>\n