It was a tough situation. We had two games left, and we all knew that we needed two wins to avoid relegation. Deep down I knew we would win those remaining games—there was no doubt in my mind. I also knew that I would have to make a strong contribution in both matches, and I was ready to do it.
Steve, current professional player
Most coaches and athletes believe that mental toughness is one of the most important psychological characteristics that determine success in rugby. Mental toughness is a widely used, but often misunderstood, term. People who are mentally tough have complete self-belief in their own ability, an unshakable faith that they are in complete control of their own destiny, and a conviction that they will be relatively unaffected by setbacks.
Callard the COACH
People often misunderstand the distinction between mental toughness and physical toughness. Physical toughness is about being strong, abrasive, and unrelenting in a physical performance. Players performing with injuries and battling through the pain are often referred to as being mentally tough. I agree in part, but mental toughness is about players who can handle their minds in high-pressure situations—the two-on-one pass in the corner, the last-minute pressure kick to win the game, or the crucial lineout throw to the jumper to secure possession. All are simple examples of the mind being in control of the situation, thus allowing the body to perform its function well and remain undistracted.
Mental toughness consists of the 4 Cs: control, commitment, challenge, and confidence (Clough, Earle, & Sewell, 2002).
• Control. People who are mentally tough are not afraid to take control or responsibility for the situation that they are in.
• Commitment. Mentally tough individuals involve themselves fully in what they are doing and always give maximum effort.
• Challenge. The athlete who is mentally tough views all stressful situations as being challenging and focuses on what can be gained from stressful situations (e.g., enhancing reputation, scoring a try, winning the match).
• Confidence. The most mentally tough rugby players have an immensely strong belief in their ability to achieve success.
The four Cs are the foundations of mental toughness. Researchers have also identified a number of traits and behaviours that are associated with mental toughness (see figure 4.1).
Callard the PLAYER
I kept in control during pressure situations in games by using triggers in my head. It worked and allowed me to control situations that were thrust upon me. I was lucky to play in the same side as some very courageous and committed players. I used to thrive off them, and I did not want to let them down—that was the basis for my commitment. When it was tough, in both training and matches, I used to recount to myself, ‘If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!’ Also, you need to have a clear focus of where you want to be and how you are going to get there. It has to mean something, something of huge value that you would sacrifice all for. It has to challenge you. Additionally, it becomes a habit, an addiction, the ability to win games in the severest situations, but it also comes from confidence, as teams will play knowing that they will only beat themselves by imploding.
We have now explained what mental toughness is, and you might now be asking yourself what you can do to become more mentally tough. Researchers have investigated the strategies and behaviours of the most mentally tough athletes. You can improve your mental toughness by
1. adopting the mind-set, attitude, and behaviour of a mentally tough rugby player and
2. engaging in the strategies used by the most mentally tough athletes.
Callard the COACH
Wanting to be mentally tough is not something that happens overnight. You have to work on it, you have to be inspired to want to do it, and more important, you must have a desire to do it. This is something you cannot bluff, something you cannot turn on and off. You have to develop it deep inside.
I have seen some great champion-winning sides that prepare the mind for the mental battle through sheer physical endeavour. I had the pleasure of watching one of the South African Super 14 sides train in preseason. The players were ‘flogged.’ They ran to the point of physical despair and were then asked to perform the skill of a drill under intense duress straight after. They worked on the mantra ‘If the body can sustain the exterior bashing, it can protect the encased computer that will remain always undamaged.’ In that following season they won the championship again. In no fewer than eight matches they managed to win the game in the last few minutes! Yes, they were physically strong, but they were mentally strong enough to complete and defend plays to the final whistle, too. The players had the mind-set, attitude, and behaviour of being mentally tough.
TASK Adopting the Mind-Set, Attitude, and Behaviour of a Mentally Tough Rugby Player
Now that you understand what mental toughness is, complete the following task.
Identifying a Mentally Tough Player
1. Think about the most mentally tough player who plays in your position, either your favourite international or a local opponent.
2. List the player’s behaviours on the rugby pitch.
3. Describe the body language of this player.
4. Describe the attitude of this player.
An example of the behaviours, body language, and attitude of a mentally tough player is presented in table 4.1.
Complete your own lists in table 4.2. After you have listed the behaviours, body language, and attitude of your favourite player, you can model yourself on this player. Adopt the same behaviours, body language, and attitude. For instance, if your favourite player does not reveal his or her emotions when on the pitch, do the same thing the next time that you train or play.
Recent research has suggested that the most mentally tough athletes are the most optimistic (Nicholls, Polman, Levy, & Backhouse, 2008). Optimism refers to the hopefulness and confidence that you have regarding any uncertain outcomes, such as winning a match or being selected for a team. You can become more optimistic by following the ABCDE of learned optimism.
A = Adversity: During times of stress, such as after dropping a high ball or missing a tackle on the left shoulder, we encounter difficulty or adversity.
B = Beliefs: We think about the mistake that we have made, which can shape our beliefs. For example, if you have missed four tackles on your left shoulder, you may believe that you are poor at tackling on this shoulder.
C = Consequences: All beliefs have consequences. The consequence of your believing that you are poor at tackling on your left shoulder could be that you try to avoid situations in which you have to tackle using this shoulder. Alternatively, you could attempt to tackle with your right shoulder even when doing so would not be correct.
D = Disputation: To remain optimistic during adversity, dispute your negative beliefs.
E = Evidence: Find evidence to dispute your negative beliefs. Using the example of the player who missed tackles on the left shoulder, you should remember instances when you made successful tackles using your left shoulder.
The most pessimistic athletes are the least mentally tough. Highly pessimistic people tend to lack confidence and always predict the worst when facing any uncertainty in matches or training. Pessimists view a setback such as being dropped or an opponent’s scoring a try in a different way than optimistic rugby players do. Pessimistic rugby players blame themselves and their own ability for the setback. Pessimists often think, I am not good enough or None of the other players want me in the team.
TASK Applying the ABCDE of Learned Optimism
Think about an occasion in a match when you experienced adversity from making a mistake or from being criticised by your coach, which reduced your optimism. An example of such an incidence is presented in table 4.3.
Now apply the ABCDE of learned optimism by completing table 4.4.
P = Personal: Pessimists believe that any misfortune they encounter lies within themselves rather than being external, so the misfortune is personal.
P = Permanent: Pessimists also believe that their misfortune is long lasting, or permanent (e.g., I will always drop high balls).
P = Pervasive: Pessimists believe that their misfortune is pervasive in all parts of their life and that if they experience misfortune in one part of their life, they will experience it in others.
To maximise your levels of mental toughness, you must avoid adopting a pessimistic mind-set. To accomplish this, do the following:
• Attribute any setbacks that occur to external sources (e.g., the wind for a missed conversion in rugby or the speed of an opponent for a missed tackle).
• View all setbacks as temporary and tell yourself that they are temporary because you can improve your technique to prevent such setbacks from occurring regularly.
• Segment the various parts of your life (e.g., work or school, family, rugby) and understand that a setback that occurs in one part of your life need not influence another part of it.
• Choose to think positively!
The most mentally tough athletes use strategies such as effort expenditure, thought control, relaxation, and logical analysis. To improve your mental toughness levels, you can start using the strategies presented in table 4.5.
To enhance your levels of mental toughness, practice the strategies used by mentally tough athletes on a regular basis. Besides using these strategies, you should avoid using strategies such as distancing, mental distraction, and resignation (see table 4.6). Even when you experience immense stress, especially during stressful competitive encounters, do not use these strategies even though you may be tempted to do so because they may be the easier option. To be a mentally tough athlete, you cannot take the easy option!
• Mental toughness is characterised by the four Cs: control, commitment, challenge, and confidence.
• Develop your mental toughness by adopting the behaviour, mind-set, and attitude of a mentally tough rugby player.
• Be optimistic; view adversity as a challenge.
• Refrain from engaging in pessimistic thoughts.
• Use the strategies that the most mentally tough athletes rely on and refrain from using the strategies employed by the least mentally tough.