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Do You Know How to Prioritize Effort Over Outcome?

  • September 1, 2024
  • A Good Sport
Athletes

As an athlete, you know that not every competition will end with a win. In fact, there will almost always be something in a race, competition, or match that doesn’t go your way. That can be emotionally difficult, but even in these challenging moments, sportsmanship is critical. Lack of sportsmanship can have long-term effects on your mental wellbeing and your success on teams, as well as lead to coaches not wanting to recruit or retain you in the future.

Charron Sumler headshot.When it comes to sportsmanship, TrueSport Expert and Assistant Director of Sport Psychology and Wellness Services (SPAWS) at Ohio State University, Charron Sumler, PhD, LPCC, likes starting with the three E’s: prioritizing effort over outcome, practicing emotional regulation, and developing and using effective communication. For athletes, it can be especially beneficial to focus on the work you’re putting in to build and improve as an athlete rather than your outcomes.

In other words, focusing on the things you can control will empower you, while focusing on the things you can’t control can increase frustration and emotional turmoil. Without strategies to manage emotions in sport, athletes are more likely to forget their core values and behave in inappropriate ways.

Here, Sumler shares a few ways to start prioritizing your effort and your process so that sportsmanship comes easily. And you may be pleasantly surprised that this shift in focus can actually lead to better outcomes too!

 

Set process goals

You’ve likely heard about process goals versus outcome goals. Process goals, which are related to the effort you put in rather than a result that you achieve, are small steps that you can focus on. They are things within your control that will help you achieve the outcome you’re hoping for, like showing up early at practice every day so you can do those stretches your physical therapist recommended. On the other hand, outcome goals are entirely results-based, like winning a tournament.

If things aren’t going your way and you’re not seeing the results you wanted, you may find yourself lacking motivation, feeling burnout, and getting frustrated, says Sumler. These feelings can easily impact how you show up on the field, both with your teammates and competitors. Poor sportsmanship is often the result of personal frustration, lack of emotional regulation skills, and self-worth attached to outcomes.

So, how can you start focusing on your effort? It does take some work if you’re used to being entirely results-driven. “I encourage athletes to keep a practice journal and write down three things that they did well after every practice,” says Sumler. “That helps an athlete practice seeing where they’re putting in good effort, even if it’s small like hydrating enough or encouraging a teammate who needed it.” Over time, your brain will begin to notice positive effort in the moment, which will increase motivation, decrease frustration, and help you to behave from your core values instead of emotions.

 

Check your ego

“We engage in certain tasks that we know make us feel good,” says Sumler.  When you’re focused on only doing what you’re already good at, you’re approaching sport from an ‘ego oriented’ position. “When your relationship to a sport is ego-oriented, you’re doing it because you get a lot of validation,” Sumler says. This is great when things are going well for you, but when you start to struggle or you have a bad game, it can be hard to stay motivated, positive, and respectful. This is when sportsmanship is most likely to suffer.

Sumler instead recommends developing a ‘task orientation’ to your sport. If you’re in a task-oriented state, you’re more focused on your effort and less focused on how well you are performing in the eyes of others.

 

Know your why

Female figure skater lacing up skates on edge of ice rink.One of the easiest ways to bring your focus back to enjoying the effort and practicing sportsmanship is to revisit the reason that you’re involved in the sport in the first place. “Everyone’s ‘why’ will be different, and it may change over time,” says Sumler. “Knowing your ‘why’ can help you stay grounded in moments when you’re frustrated or more likely to lash out.”

To identify your ‘why,’ Sumler suggests simply asking, ‘What do I want to get out of this season? At the end of the season, what areas do I want to see growth in?’ Many athletes experience moments when they question their sport or even themselves. Without healthy coping strategies, this doubt and insecurity can lead to blaming and attacking others. Athletes are more likely to overcome these challenges with a solid understanding of their “why,” which encourages a focus on self rather than others.

 

Don’t lose your identity beyond sports

Finally, it can be extremely helpful to develop your identity outside of the sporting arena, as this can truly change the way you view your sport and how well you bring your best self to the field. Not only do other passions and hobbies make you a more well-rounded person, it also can be an emotional buffer when things aren’t going well in sport, whether you’re ill or injured, you lost a major competition, or you’re just feeling stuck. It can also help you redefine your relationship with success.

“Oftentimes, an athlete will have their main sport where they are seeing successes and achievements,” says Sumler. “But for that athlete, it’s important to have an activity where there isn’t any external validation, like learning to paint or play guitar.”

Trying a new hobby or coming back to an old hobby can help you see that effort is more important than outcome. Your joy from learning to play guitar comes from hearing a song come together, not scoring a certain number of goals. “These hobbies help you get more comfortable with task orientation, rather than only doing things that build up your ego,” she adds.

___________________________

Takeaway

Focusing on effort rather than outcome is critical to your happiness as an athlete, which helps ensure that you bring your best self to each practice and competition. This mentality also translates into better sportsmanship with your teammates and competitors.

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.