Sport Psychology Tips for Peak Performance and Sailing Retention Richard D. Ginsburg, Ph.D. Co-author, Whose Game Is It, Anyway? Mass General Hospital/Harvard Medical School Performance and Character Excellence in Sport (PACES) Institute Newton Wellesley Hospital

Key Ingredients to Great Leadership Show love for sailing & kids Be guided by your values and ethics Coach to the age of your sailor Be transparent Be flexible Create partnerships with your sailors Stay within yourself

Peak Performance Relaxed Effortless Focused in the moment Positive Confident Fearless In the Zone

Sport Psychology Skills Goal Setting Arousal Control Concentration Visualization Self-Talk

Fear of Failure Elite athlete dilemma Pete Rose’s advice Longest NCAA championship winning streak High school athletics Higher goals

Building Resilience Youth Fun Safety Friendship Elementary S-Spirit H-Hustle A-Attention R-Respect P-Positive P-Practice

Resilience in High School & Beyond Integrity- Loyalty Effort- Perseverance Dedication - Teamwork Compassion- Resilience Selflessness- Discipline Drive- Commitment Patience- Respect Self-Discovery- Collaboration Fun- Creativity

Who are we coaching/mentoring?

What does an emotionally healthy 12-year-old look like? (Ages 6-12) Develops Competencies and Established Friendships Has Multiple Interests Avoids Specialization Increases Frustration Tolerance Experiences Huge Variation in Skills

Elementary School Tips Competition is second place Instruction is brief Instruction is positively framed Roles are varied

What does an emotionally healthy 18-year-old look like? (Ages 13-18) Growing Sense of Identity Awareness of Strengths and Limitations Move Away from Parents toward Peers Integrating Sexuality Can Think about Thinking! Increased Sense of the Needs of Others Increased Capacity to Manage Emotions Humility

Adolescent and Young Adult Tips Solidify roles Simplify Utilize and normalize failure Celebrate growth Remember development

Differences Between Coaching Boys and Girls Boys are more competitive, aggressive and confident Girls are more team-oriented, collaborative & coachable Girls may care more about relationships than outcomes – –Social cohesion vs. task cohesion Girls internalize mistakes; boys externalize them, which greatly influences how they respond to criticism

Take Home Tips Use 5:1 ratio at least Incorporate accurate praise Pose criticisms as positive suggestions Follow up Be sensitive to sailor differences

Take Home Tips Show your passion Assign valued roles Remember your values Attend to age differences Stay within yourself