Becoming a top athlete

Becoming a top athlete requires a well-rounded set of skills, encompassing physical, technical, tactical, mental, and social aspects. Here's an overview of each skill and some suggestions for Norwegian athletes who have excelled in these areas: 

Physical Skills:

Endurance and Strength: Karsten Warholm, the world-record holder in the 400m hurdles, exemplifies exceptional physical prowess. His ability to sustain high-intensity efforts and power through the hurdles showcases remarkable endurance and strength.

Agility: In sports like football, Erling Haaland stands out with his quick movements, sharp changes in direction, and agile plays, highlighting the importance of agility in various athletic disciplines.

Technical Skills:

Precision and Technique: Marit Bjørgen, a retired cross-country skier and one of the most successful Winter Olympians, displayed impeccable skiing technique. Her precision and technical proficiency contributed to her success in various skiing events.

Skill Mastery: Magnus Carlsen, a chess Grandmaster, demonstrates unparalleled technical skills in mastering the intricacies of chess. His ability to understand and apply advanced chess strategies highlights the importance of technical expertise in sports.

Tactical Skills:

Race Strategy: In cross-country skiing, athletes like Therese Johaug excel in race strategy. Johaug's ability to strategically pace herself and make decisive moves during races showcases the significance of tactical skills in endurance sports.

Decision-Making: Ole Einar Bjørndalen, a retired biathlete, was known for his tactical decision-making during shooting and skiing sections of races. His ability to make quick and effective decisions contributed to his success in biathlon.

Mental Skills:

Focus and Determination: Karsten Warholm's mental resilience and focus during high-pressure moments, such as breaking records in the 400m hurdles, highlight the importance of mental strength in track and field.

Strategic Thinking: Petter Northug, a retired cross-country skier, displayed strategic thinking in races, making tactical moves at critical points. His mental acuity played a significant role in his success.

Social Skills:

Teamwork and Communication: In team sports like handball, athletes like Heidi Løke showcase excellent teamwork and communication skills on the court. Effective collaboration with teammates is crucial for success in team-based sports.

Sportsmanship: Athletes like Aksel Lund Svindal, a retired alpine skier, exemplify sportsmanship by displaying respect for competitors, whether in victory or defeat. Sportsmanship is a key social skill that contributes to the overall positive image of athletes.

These examples emphasize the diverse skill set required for athletes to reach the pinnacle of their respective sports and represent Norway on the international stage. Each athlete's unique strengths contribute to their success, and aspiring athletes can draw inspiration from these individuals to hone their skills in various dimensions.

So how is Improve Performance System structuring the process?

The performance management system needs to be comprehensive and well-structured, providing athletes with a detailed and individualized approach to enhancing their skills. Here's a breakdown of the process:

1. Self-Analysis:

Athletes evaluate their skills across technical, tactical, physical, mental, and social aspects using the respective skills profiles.

They rate themselves on each of the 35 skills, providing a subjective assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.

2. Head Trainer Evaluation:

The head trainer reviews the self-analysis provided by the athletes.

Conducts an independent evaluation to assess the athlete's performance across the identified skills.

3. Agreement on Final Profile:

Athletes and the head trainer compare results and agree on a final skills profile.

Identify three strong and three weak skills to form the basis for setting goals and creating a training plan.

4. Goal Setting:

Athletes set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for improvement based on the identified strong and weak skills.

5. Training Portal Usage:

Athletes access the training portal, which contains exercises for each of the 35 skills.

Choose relevant training materials, which may include documents, images, videos, and sound-tracks/podcasts.

6. Training Logging:

The system starts a timer to track the duration of each training session.

Logs the minutes and hours spent on each skill-specific training exercise.

7. Post-Training Reflection:

After completing a training session, athletes answer four reflection questions:

1.     What worked well, and why?

2.     What didn't work well, and why?

3.     What will you do more/better in the next training, and why?

4.     Rate the overall training on a 5-star scale (1 being extremely poor, 5 being extremely well).

8. Continuous Improvement:

Athletes use the feedback from self-reflection to adjust their training strategies.

Regularly update their goals and training plans based on progress and areas for improvement.

9. Periodic Reviews:

The head trainer periodically reviews the athletes' progress, adjusting goals and training plans as needed.

Provides additional feedback and support to ensure continuous improvement.

10. Data Analysis:

The system aggregates data on individual and group training activities.

Provides insights into overall performance trends, allowing for further refinement of training programs.

This process creates a structured and iterative cycle of self-analysis, goal setting, training, reflection, and continuous improvement. It emphasizes individualized training plans based on identified strengths and weaknesses, fostering a proactive and goal-oriented approach to athlete development.

The integration of a comprehensive feedback loop ensures that athletes are engaged in their improvement journey and can make informed decisions to enhance their performance.

Next step:

If you are a trainer or athlete, or you simply want to implement the sports performance philosophy into your corporation; please feel free to reach out and we can discuss your needs and emo our solution.