May 2015
Building A Resilient and Empowered Team
2015 Beijing World Championships
Clear evidence suggests that the athletes who have the most rewarding and fulfilling careers
are those who perform well in successive championships and Games. The research also
shows that this group of athletes is generally more empowered and resilient than the less
successful athletes. Perhaps most important is that research also shows that resilience and
empowerment can be developed, and that these skills can be largely improved with even a
modest investment of well-planned time, attention, and effort.
Australian athletes typically need to perform well in the domestic season, and then look for
further improvements during the period between June-August. For many, this involves
overseas travel prior to arriving at the major event of the year. This is the time to refine
mental and strategic preparation. For those coaches likely to have athletes compete in Rio
next year, using 2015 WCs to rehearse strategies and develop skills may provide an
important opportunity and competitive advantage.
This paper offers strategies for developing resilience and empowered team in advance of
the 2015 World Championships in Beijing. During the coach and staff discussions at the
Brisbane Nationals, groups identified and shared strategies to prepare themselves and their
athletes in the next several months before Beijing Worlds Championships. The strategies
recommended by coaches fell into four major areas:
1. AA and Team Coach communication between personal coaches & selected
athletes (reflecting two-way exchange of information, and ongoing
dialogue)
2. Coach and athlete plans from now until departure, particularly
competition-specific preparation
3. Athlete assimilation into the team environment
4. Athlete's travel, transition and time management (food, down time,
independence, family and friends, etc.)
Specific strategies for each area are offered below, and are best discussed by selected
athletes’ and their coach in planning for 2015 WCs.
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May 2015
1. AA and Team Coach communication between personal coaches & selected
athletes (reflecting two-way exchange of information, and ongoing dialogue)
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Make sure people are informed - expectations of athletes and coaches need to be
known and checked to see if they are realistic
Build relationship between personal coach and Team Coach prior to the holding
camp and Championships
Talking to relay athletes about their roles, especially if initially they look like being
the 5th or 6th athlete
Clear and early review of Beijing schedule, discussing any issues with Team Coach
2. Coach and athlete plans from now to departure, particularly competitionspecific preparation
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Plan and ensure access to specific individual competitions (coach to control)
o Early discussion with AA / Team Coaches
o Incremental level of difficulty of competition, especially for less experienced
athletes (e.g., don't start with Diamond League)
o Build confidence of the athlete in “bite-size” chunks of competition
Encourage athlete independence & responsibility prior to leaving Australia
Have a plan - implement change if necessary "be adaptable"
o Make anticipated changes here, so changes over there don’t have impact
Rehearsal of scenarios
o Coping and contingency plans for likely scenarios (Ideal Plan A, Plan B, Plan C,
etc.)
o What ifs….. Talk about how to deal with unexpected events that may occur
o Prepare for surprises
o Managing warm-ups; Athletes need to be prepared for personal coach not to
be at warm up. How can we prepare athletes for this?
o Rehearse athletes' training on their own to prepare for coach not being there
o Teach athletes to modify the session if needed, depending on the context
Plan and rehearse preparation and performance routines
o Call room practice
o Train @ competition times (e.g., early morning or late nights)
Practice or develop skills and strategies for...
o Dealing with imperfection
o Being comfortable with being uncomfortable
o Managing expectations
o Being flexible, malleable
o Focus plans, mental preparation/imagery
o Prepare for what they'll encounter
o Be "anti-fragile" - introduce scenarios they'll see through practice
"Ready" to get on plane - injury free
Keep fitness up to ensure confidence of high levels on arrival
“Control the Controllables”
Integrate heat adaptation – train in hot conditions, use SIS/SAS heat chambers
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May 2015
3. Athlete assimilation into the Team environment
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There will be Team staff/coach photos with names on AA World Championships
portal
Moving from Junior to Senior team
o AA will have awareness of who these athletes might be and ensure that they
adjust as quickly as possible, however the personal coach can help this
transition too.
4. Athlete's travel, transition and time management (i.e., food, down time, independence,
family and friends, etc.)
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Thoroughness of training/recovery/preparation for travel
Adopting a selfish attitude, especially when entering competition environment
(sharing training and warm-up space with competitors, the superstar and entourage,
etc.)
Making good use of dead time
o books, music, movies/TV, study/work, professional/career development
Stick to normal routines (communication w/family, coach, food, etc.)
o Comfort foods, drinks, etc.
Eat Japanese and Chinese food prior
o See what you like / don't
o consider dietary restrictions
Every athlete is different, and so are the staff with the team. There are no “one-size-fits-all”
solutions but we know enough from former athletes and past situations to say that certain
things should be encouraged, or others need to be avoided. Through the adoption and
refinement of the strategies recommended above, we can ensure that athletes and the
team are well-prepared and ready, both mentally and physically, to perform on the day!
Renee Appaneal & Brian Miller
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