Last Wednesday during MLS play, New York forward Thierry Henry scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Montreal. It was the second goal that made the highlight reels. Watch it for yourself.
During the replay, the announcer says: “You can’t teach that stuff. You can practice it, but you can’t teach it. That’s just genius. Goal of the year. Goal of the decade.” Beyond the hyperbole — Goal of the Decade! — there is a larger myth many commentators perpetuate: that excellent performance can’t be taught.
Of course it can. There are probably thousands of kids trying that exact bicycle kick now. Some coaches will be teaching it too. I might even try it with my own team of 11-year-olds. Which kid will stick with it and learn that move?
The point is, we don’t need to mythologize excellence. We can admire it. But it is teachable.
Several years back, when Henry was dominating with the Arsenal side, he was asked by a reporter, “Are you experiencing the best form of your career?” “I don’t know,” Henry replied. “And I don’t want to know.” It was an irrelevant question to Henry. If he tried to think about it, he would self-evaluate in an unhelpful, distracting way — a manner of self-reflection that is incompatible with flow or being in the zone. Instead, over the years, Henry has worked on his ability to focus and on his many soccer skills. Henry has had access to a sport psychologist since he was a boy in France; his drive for perfection and mental skills were noticed early and strengthened. In the video, you can see Henry react instantly to the flicked ball, redirected by his teammate. Henry is in the moment, fully present, and fully focused.
How do you teach that kind of precision? That kind of focus?
In my interviews with elite athletes, the same answer comes up about the importance of staying in the present. And though most athletes don’t name it mindfulness, this mindset is crucial. Further, it goes beyond simply being in the present moment. It also means being engaged in the moment without evaluating or emotionally reacting to it. Most psychology research on the topic shows that training yourself to be mindful has tremendous benefits: reduced stress, improved emotional health, less pain and better physical health. One recent study demonstrated how mindfulness and relaxation work on a cellular level — improved metabolism, mitochondrial function, insulin function,and telomere maintenance; reduced inflammatory responses along stress-related pathways. In other words, when you practice mindfulness, you change yourself on a molecular level via gene expression. And the better you become at this, the more potent the changes.
How does mindfulness work on the more practical level? Psychologist Amishi Jha, who studies neural bases of attention and mindfulness, writes
Mindfulness training works, at least in part, by strengthening the brain’s ability to pay attention. [It] uniquely builds the ability to direct attention at will through the sea of internal and external stimulation while also allowing for greater awareness of what is happening in the moment… without getting caught up in [ongoing thoughts, feelings, and sensations].
Now we’re talking! This kind of focus is EXACTLY what elite athletes seek and what facilitates excellent performance. It has clear ramifications for anybody wanting to improve the ability to stay on task. Especially when the sea of internal and external stimulation feels like a roiling ocean.
In a study of two military cohorts preparing to deploy to Iraq, Jha and her colleagues found that marines who most consistently practiced mindfulness meditation training showed the greatest benefits in two important areas: mood and working memory. Reducing mind-wandering appears to free up working memory capacity — our ability to hold and manipulate multiple pieces of information in our mind. Not surprisingly, this also has implications for the ability to perform in the classroom. On the playing field, it would certainly be advantageous to have increased working memory along with a positive, focused mindset. (As an added benefit, you might even recover from workouts more quickly, based on the genomic research described above. I know I’ve always wanted mitochondrial resiliency!)
Ready to start? There are hundreds of instructional books and videos on mindfulness training. Yoga training works too. Here is an introduction to mindfulness training video from Dr. Jha and her colleague at the University of Miami. Start today. Ten minutes of daily practice will have an impact on your focus, attention, health, and mood. And the training should carry over to sports. Let me know…