Applied Coaching Research Journal Vol. 6 Research Journal 6 | Page 43

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020 , Vol . 6
Case study – using the Clear Links Model in practice Last year , a highly competitive 14-year-old player with high aspirations told me he hated tie-breakers , after a string of tie-break losses . We discussed his goals and that he will probably have to play lots more in the future . We decided to change his perceptions , narrative and terminology regarding tie-breakers . He planned to use visualisation techniques , adapt his language and narrative to enjoy the battle of close tie-breakers .
Initially , he encountered two problems . He could hardly remember any good points from all his previous victories . We had to look back through his earlier results to remind him of significant wins . Secondly , he lost the points when he tried to vividly visualise significant match-winning moments . He said the opponent kept returning his best shots . He agreed to persevere until he could vividly see himself finishing the match with his strength – the forehand . It took several weeks of practising his new habits and perceptions but within a six-month period he won six out of seven tie-breakers . He is now convinced that he actually enjoys playing tiebreakers , hence a more optimistic expectation of the future . Importantly , this process of transformation enabled him to change his perceptions on the importance of winning and he also adopted a healthier perspective on his own self-worth in relation to competition .
Contact Marius Barnard – mariusbarnardtennis @ gmail . com
Summary This virtuous cycle of performance is strongly related to the enhancement of player self-belief and to the achievement of concrete results in the sporting arena . But that is not all . Self-belief builds strong characters that are able to face all life ' s challenges with purpose and confidence . Coaches , parents , supporters and players should be as much concerned with building rounded human beings as with tournament winners .
References Bradberry , T and Greaves , J . ( 2009 ) Emotional Intelligence 2.0 . San Diego : TalentSmart
Eagleman , D . ( 2015 ) The Brain : The Story of You . Canongate Books Ltd
Gallwey , W . T . ( 1974 ) The Inner Game of Tennis . New York : Random House .
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