Rules should be properly implemented on the field, but should we apply them off the field? Many professional and elite athletes say that they are able to perform better during training sessions, due to the flexibility given to them. Performance level can improve if athletes are able to do things that they want. It is clear that flexibility is able to give us more room for improvements. Wherever and whoever we are, people are controlled by rules, so we are able to maintain order and achieve the highest level of productivity. However, restrictive rules will affect our emotions and eventually our actions. Inflexibility in training sessions can cause conflicting values among athletes. They prefer to avoid conflicts with teammates or fellow athletes, but they are always trained to be competitive. They want to push themselves to the limit, but for top athletes, this could mean leaving their fellow athletes behind. Balancing between professional responsibility and social interactions between fellow athletes can be hard at times. In order to achieve an excellent performance as a team, it is important to take professional responsibility above any personal interest. It’s that simple, so coaches and the management board should be clear about this.
Coaches should be proactive in asking the team about possible conflicts of interests. They need to balance the sense of comradeship and competition during training sessions. In fact, fellow athletes may find it more comfortable to compete with one another, because they can be honest about one another’s performance level. With proper training strategies, many issues during training sessions can be resolved. Holding back to avoid conflict with fellow athletes is one thing that need to be immediately resolved. The top performance of the whole team can be stalled as a result.
Coaches need to ask athletes to focus on improved performance, stronger confidence and more focus. They need to confirm that differences and gap of performances between athletes are to be expected, because it is a normal thing in any game of sport. If coaches sense that athletes are holding themselves back, they should figure out why this could happen. It is likely that they are simply uncomfortable about specific issues. It is important that you are able to keep your head in the game and figure out how to deal with various obstacles. Coaches and the management may apply a more flexible training session rules to ensure that athletes are able to achieve top performance.
If athletes have low confidence and feel stuck, their overall abilities and focus during the competition can be significantly affected. If people proceed with their poor performance, they can be in a long-term slump. A highly flexible training strategy should be able to change all that. Athletes should be able to shift their focus on what’s and what’s not working. They will know what it takes to be a great athlete. Coaches and athletes should talk, so they know how to proper improve their performance, by properly strengthening their overall mental edges.