Clean Run - August 2010 - 30

Competition Preparation:

It’s All in the Mind, Part 2
By Steve Croxford, charts by author/PACE-Agility

Last month we discussed the Motivation Model and the Agility Mind Management Model that I developed, and we started looking at specific case studies that show how various mind-training techniques can be used in agility. This month, we’ll look at more case studies.

Case Study 3: Anchoring/Positive Affirmations (Observed)..... I once observed a world team member (a clinical psychologist by profession) use these techniques. At the time I wasn’t aware of the significance of what she was doing. It only came to me later after reading something, and then I remembered what she had done. The handler I am describing was the least experienced on the team and she was under incredible pressure to perform. We found ourselves (the team that is) in a good position to medal in the event. The team was well placed after the first Jumping round; the second course, the Agility round, was very technical and after a time it became obvious that if we could get three dogs around clear, we would be in a very good position indeed. The handler was set to run second in the team, sandwiched between two of our most experienced international handlers. When we were waiting for our turn to run I noticed she had written a few words on her hand and she had an elastic band wrapped around her wrist. Every now and then she would

pluck the elastic band and look at the words she had written on her hand. I later found out that she was using the elastic band as an “anchor,” so flicking the band reminded her of a positive or calming experience she had in the past. The elastic band was used to trigger the memory of it, helping her to create in her mind a feeling of calm in a stressful environment. The words written on her hand were most likely positive statements about her abilities as a handler and a reminder of how hard she had worked to get herself and her dog into this position. She used the words to remind herself that she had the ability to achieve what was required and, if she wanted to, she could seize the opportunity presented to her. Did it work? Well there are not many of us that can say we are world championship gold medalists, and her contribution to the team effort was to secure one of the three clear rounds we needed on the day. It wasn’t pretty, but it was pretty effective!

Case Study 4: Sh*t Happens, Be Tough! (Observed)................ Sometimes even the best dogs and handlers find themselves making mistakes. The trick is not to let past mistakes affect future performances. If the dog makes a mistake and you are confident in your abilities as a trainer, there is not a lot you can do about it. There is no point in dwelling on the mistakes unless, after having analyzed the circumstances, you find fault in your training methods or preparation. These are things you can correct.

You can allow mistakes to become a problem, especially if they occur at big events and they happen more than once. This is where mental toughness plays a part. You must believe that the next time you are in the same position there will be no mistakes, the next time you are going to run clean. Why would you believe this? Because you know you can do it, you do it week in week out everywhere else. The next time will be your time. You have to believe it or it won’t happen. (There is a message in this for someone out there. You know who you are!)

Case Study 5: Use a Routine to Concentrate on Process Not Outcome...................................................................................... I was asked by a client to help her prepare for an event she had placed well in for two years running but failed on both occasions to win. The event is held on one day and is a two-part
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affair with the best placed team after combining the two rounds declared the winner. During one of our sessions we spent a long time discussing the reasons why she had not achieved her goals in the previous two years. Having analyzed her description of her feelings at
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Clean Run - August 2010

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