019: Steve Ingham, Jamie Pringle, Rosie Mayes on lessons from working with elite performers

09/26/18 • 35 min

Steve discusses lessons from the frontline of working with elite performers with Jamie Pringle, Rosie Mayes. We discuss the essentials of that initial engagement with elite athletes, what to do and what not to do. Getting clarity around your role and what you're working to so that you can prioritise. What clues you might be drawing from the environment, the culture that can help you connect with others and be more effective. Importantly we discuss how some of our behaviours, actions and the bonds between us change under the pressure of competition.

What is it like to work with an elite athlete?

Understanding the culture and environment of sport

Applying your skill and experience to the high performance training environment

Step into the shoes of your athlete, see and experience what they do.

Working with high level performers, winning Olympic medals, but the hard work is completed day in day out on the track or pool

What if they are not interested in the science?

The world doesn't revolve around you

Team sports have their own culture and identity

Cultural intelligence, what do you learn and how do you apply it?

Using humility and credibility in a high performance environment...it's not about you!

Losing naivety, understanding your role, the athlete role and clarity of knowledge

Expecting less from a performance based relationship

Don't fall into the trap of wanting to be valued!

Team identity and the pressure that increases the close to high performance moments

Recognising the pressure for others increasing when you might also be feeling an increase in pressure

Wanting a sense of team belonging and an amplification when under pressure

Searching for certainty in pressure situations

Consistency in training and consistency in performance is a good marker as how you will perform on the day

Get involved in the culture, atmosphere and connect with the individual. The relationships you build on a one to one basis and the development of trust is invaluable.

'Athletes don't care what you know until they know that you care' Emma Gardner

Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs

Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve

Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/

A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/

If you’re looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/

or drop us a note at [email protected] then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.

What is it like to work with an elite athlete?

Understanding the culture and environment of sport

Applying your skill and experience to the high performance training environment

Step into the shoes of your athlete, see and experience what they do.

Working with high level performers, winning Olympic medals, but the hard work is completed day in day out on the track or pool

What if they are not interested in the science?

The world doesn't revolve around you

Team sports have their own culture and identity

Cultural intelligence, what do you learn and how do you apply it?

Using humility and credibility in a high performance environment...it's not about you!

Losing naivety, understanding your role, the athlete role and clarity of knowledge

Expecting less from a performance based relationship

Don't fall into the trap of wanting to be valued!

Team identity and the pressure that increases the close to high performance moments

Recognising the pressure for others increasing when you might also be feeling an increase in pressure

Wanting a sense of team belonging and an amplification when under pressure

Searching for certainty in pressure situations

Consistency in training and consistency in performance is a good marker as how you will perform on the day

Get involved in the culture, atmosphere and connect with the individual. The relationships you build on a one to one basis and the development of trust is invaluable.

'Athletes don't care what you know until they know that you care' Emma Gardner

Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs

Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve

Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/

A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/

or drop us a note at [email protected] then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.

Previous Episode

018: Chrissie Wellington on becoming four time World Ironman Champion

Chrissie Wellington OBE four time World Ironman Triathlon Champion and holder of the three world ironman records shares her experiences of performing at the top end of world triathlon.

In this interview Chrissie shares her journey into becoming professional, what it was like on the start line, during the races and crossing the finish line. Importantly Chrissie talks about what becoming World Champion meant to her and how she utilised it for greater good. Chrissie is a powerful, soulful and inspirational person with an infectious enthusiasm. But equally she is deeply thoughtful, considerate and hopeful about how she approaches life and her legacy.

Show notes

Early beginnings in sport, driven, determined a perfectionist but channelled.

Trying out triathlon

A dislike for mediocrity!

Be brave enough to explore your talents

Physical environment, financial support, medical support combined with drive and agency create what is needed to succeed

No expectation or pressure for the first World Ironman attempt

Late qualification, accommodation half way up the volcano, a broken pedal - not the perfect prep but racing with no expectation.

Goal setting focus on process rather than victory

"Chrissie you're going to win this!"

A sense of euphoria

The process of an ironman equates to the rollercoaster of life: extreme highs and lows

The importance and the power of sport to create change

Rabbit in the headlights

Withdrawal from an Ironman due to illness

2011 bike accident led to 'just a flesh wound' and the freedom to race

Giving everything and being capable of overcoming more than Chrissie ever believed she could

Characteristics and traits

What's next...family, Parkrun, public speaking and ambassador for a range of companies

Ultra running!

Raising a passionate, effervescent, confident, empathetic and adventurous child

Making mistakes & being emotional showing our imperfect selves

80 year old self advice: you are capable of so much more than you think. To strive, to keep reaching and to be kind to your self

Find out more about Chrissie: Twitter @chrissiesmiles www.chrissiewellington.org Books A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey To The Finish Line: A World Champions Triathlete's Guide To You Perfect Race

Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs

Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve

Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/

A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/

or drop us a note at [email protected] then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.

Next Episode

020: Harvey Galvin on change, transformation and adapting self

Harvey Galvin epitomises all that Supporting Champions represents, but he has no gold medal to show for his efforts, no affiliation with a top performer, in fact his story is one about not making it in his chosen field of sport. He tried and he tried again, he grafted, he applied entrepreneurial spirit, he made opportunities but it didn’t work out. During that time Harvey explored his purpose, what makes him happy, his drivers, the need to be adaptable and tenacious, the potential sacrifices and choices he’s willing and not willing to make along the way. Ultimately, Harvey switched career away from his initial intended choice of sport. But there was a particular reason that I got in touch with Harvey to ask him to come on the podcast, and that was because he was starting to share his story in support of others who might be in a similar situation and I thought that was a story worth sharing

Show notes

Failing in sport, you always hear about working hard and the successes

Not asking for help and support and therefore failing my dissertation – the best thing that ever happened to me

Channelling and building resources in order to work at a voluntary based support sports groups

Academic sport science courses require additional experience working with actual athletes rather than theoretical

Having a purpose and a passion is all well and good however being flexible and agile allows acquired skills to be applied to a range of opportunities

What is your life purpose?

Focussing on purpose focusses on what you haven’t got and drives you backwards

The players and the coaches will begin to see the value of sport scientist eventually

Being strategic and finding a university with greater opportunities

Gaining experience full time at the Lawn Tennis Association

A lack of communication leads to a contract at the LTA not being renewed

Applying for 100s of jobs and not getting an interview

Making sacrifices, money, location and time understanding which sacrifices are worth making

Re-evaluating life, trying to be the person you say you are and using actions to back those up

You can let things happen to you, or you can say that chapters done and start something new

Having a heart condition and the addition of stress is not a good combination

‘Hard work will get you what you want’ is a narrative that makes you feel good, in reality try to find skills that you are talented at hard work isn’t everything

Habit making and failing to maintain a habit

The benefits of journaling and writing, particularly when having a thought time unhelpful thoughts can be recalibrated against your previous experiences written down 45:25 Passion is not how you choose your career, it’s what you’re good at

Key lesson from sales and influencing people: Learning to get out of your own narrative in order to frame you solution

The skills and hard work required to be successful in sport science are easily transferable to other professions

Have confidence that you will be able to do something else if the job disappears or changes and you will be ok

Everything you do is selling, you’re selling your worth

Ask the question, don’t be a mind reader be a sponge

If you can coach, or bring information and distil it making it useful you can do well in any industry

Follow Harvey on Twitter https://twitter.com/HarveyGalvin

Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs

Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve

Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/

A reminder if you’re keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/

or drop us a note at [email protected] then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.