The Happier Athlete

When it comes to achievement in life, sport is easily one of the most visible, globally and socially valued performance domains in society. Martin Seligman’s notion of the Victorious Life, or a life of achievement, conjures up visions of human bodies in motion: Breathless relay swimmers stretching every limb towards a wall of awaiting teammates, gymnasts sticking a landing after a high-flying double front dismount, or Dick Hoyt and his quadriplegic son, Rick, making their way across a finish line after an Ironman competition. For me, few sights are more elevating and inspiring than watching others push their mortal limits to achieve what was previously unachievable.

Excelling in sport takes much more than just physical ability and raw talent. Long before positive psychology was given a proper name, practitioners of sport psychology have been studying the requisite mindset and psychological attributes of athletes with the goal of illuminating how the mind can impact physical performance. Competitive athletics are high-stakes ventures that require time, commitment, and perseverance, which can often come at the cost of well-being. What we often don’t see behind the championship images portrayed in the media are the stories of their struggles and years and years of sacrifice. There is something very telling about the stigma that still surrounds sport psychology, and the mentality that only the weak and frail need the sport psychologists to help them fix what is wrong.
Positive psychology has brought with it an awareness that psychology is about much more than resolving pathology and frailty. Happiness and well-being are not by-products of an absence of illness, but desirable in its own right. Happy people generally experience more success in many different domains in life including marriage, relationships, work, and physical and psychological health, and reap many benefits through life, such as more frequently occupying positions of leadership and stronger interpersonal relationships. (1) It would make sense for this logic to be extended to the world of sport to safeguard athlete well being and enhance performance.

Looking back on my childhood as a competitive figure skater, I can’t help but wish I knew then even just a little bit of what I know now about positive psychology. I wish someone could have taught me about the connection between my explanatory style and my cognitions and emotions. I wish I understood the gravity of negative experiences and their uncanny ability to linger around long after the fleeting high from a success. I wish I learned of my strengths, instead of ruminating only about the weaknesses I had to shore up in order to succeed. I wish I realized that finding happiness was not just about standing at the top of a podium. Although hindsight is 20/20, I feel blessed that these unfulfilled wishes have pulled me toward the fields of positive and applied sport and exercise psychology, and a calling to connect the dots between these two fields. Stay tuned this week for simple tips on using positive psychology in sport!
Come back tomorrow for the first of three tips on applying positive psychology to sports.

For more information:
Lyubomirsky, S., King, L.A., & Diener, E. (2005). The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803–855.