September 20, 1993 Other Press Telereg Extravaganza! 19 Athletic Visioning and Sports Psychology to Coaches, Athletes and Officials at Douglas College You can’t make it as easily or at all without goals and visions. Pat Harrison came as a clinician to Douglas College’s You Make the Call Clinic for Women Officials. This material was presented to me and other participants. It helped me focus on my goal as a basketball official and other physical activities | am participating in. And now I'd like to share it with you. I hope it will be as helpful to you as it was to me these past two years. - Elaine Leong Sports Coordinator 92-93- A Path to Success can be Opened up and Directed by Success by Pat Harrison HOW DOYOU ATTAIN WHAT YOU WANT IN ATHLETICS...OR, FOR THAT MATTER, WHAT YOU WANT IN LIFE? _ The first step is to be clear about WHAT it is that you want, and the second step is to hold that desire and to nurture it until it becomes a reality. Being specific about what you want is one of the most difficult life exercises we face. For most of us there is so much clutter - the maybes and the what if’s - that get in the way of our real true desires. It seems we only stumble upon what we really want by accident from time to time. Each of us has the potential to realize our desires and to make them come true. It is time to understand this process and to make it work effectively for us. A vision is an individualized pictorial state- ment of our desires. It represents the dreams we wish to explore and fulfill. Undoubtedly, in the past you have expressed such dreams and desires through statements such as, “since I was ten years old I've dreamed of becoming an Olympic star”. Our vision is a pictorial image of this statement. This statement becomes the basis of out vision, and it is from this vision base that our dreams and de- sires come to life and our future athletic growth emerges. The athlete must hold fast and nurture this vision image, allowing it to unfold. It is the athlete’s personal experiences on the playing fields and his/her creative imagination that feed and en- hance the vision, thus allowing for it’s growth. Remember - vision is unlimited - as we witness in the exciting and creative performance of the Super- stars. They see and reach beyond the expected and are the creators of the exciting phenomena that occur in sport. A vision is a clear picture that describes what you want from your heart. It is a picture that ex- presses your true inner feelings and desires. This picture is formulated in the realm of your imagina- tion - therefore it is free to take any form or de- scription you choose. Because a vision is rooted in your heart, it is the most powerful tool you have to consciously direct and motivate your desires. This is the source - the real key to self motivation. A vision is not limited to time or space, therefore, it knows no boundaries. A vision is your picture de- rived from your inner desires and conveyed as you are being the best you can be in your chosen form of physical expression. A vision is the necessary open- ing door to the activity through which you can express your desire. Once your vision is clear, the path to achievement, the HOW, begins to unfold in a simple fashion, bringing you all of the experi- ences necessary to fulfill your desire. Examples of outstanding visual realizations are all around us. The disabled athlete, although limited physically, achieves his/her ultimate desire through the sheer power of visualizing him/her self as able to perform. The Cinderella team that against all odds comes out a winner because it dared to dream that is was possible, This is what vision allows us to achieve -it is what separates what IS from what CAN BE. When we function from the visionary level, we move above the limitations of the physical plane. Whatever we want and can hold, repeatedly fed to the subconscious, will happen. We must put out trust in our own creative internal guidance system and then allows the voice of our intuition to direct our experiences that are safe and directly related to our personal growth needs. The comfort and secu- rity our intuition provides allows us the courage to move forward and ace upon opportunities as they present themselves. L Our careers choices are based on our vi- sion. If our vision is limited, so will be our suc- cess. You must be able to see yourself participating in and completing your vision. It requires your participation, your feelings, and your energy to give it life. You may find yourself filled in various direc- tions. the significance of which you may not un- derstand - the only seeming significance of our ac- tions being that they feel right. I can remember feeling the uncertainty of my action when at the age of nineteen I left my home, my friends, and my country to pursue my dream of being one of the best softball players in the world. Logical it was not, but my heart said go and I listened. The able enbironment. Harrassment may include: ~ written or verbal abuse or threats; . sexually oriented comments; - racial or ethnic slurs; or negatively affect performance; timidation; - vandalism; - physical assault. Definition of Harrassment: Harrassment takes many forms but can be defined as behaviour including comments and/or conduct which is insulting, intimidating, humiliating, hurtful, malicious, degrading or otherwise offensive to an individual or groups of individuals or which creates and uncomfort- - unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendoes or taunting about a person’s body, attire, age, m marital status, ethnic or racial origin, religion etc.; - displaying of sexually explicit or religious grafitti; - practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment, endanger a person's safety, - unwelcome sexual remarks, invitations or requests whether indirect or explicit, or in - leering (suggestive staring), or other obscene or offensive gestures; - condescension, paternalism or patronizing behaviour which undermines self-respect or adversely affects performance or working conditions; - physical conduct such as touching, kissing, patting, pinching, etc.; result was an accumulation of physical experience which led me to the highest form of athletic rec- ognition in my sport - to be included into the United States Softball Hall of Fame. My vision be- came a reality because I allowed it to unfold. Clearly our intuition will ultimately lead us to the completion of our desires as it provides the internal motivation for the athlete. External motivations, such as money, awards, media atten- tion, etc., are merely symbols of the experience directed by our intuition and should not be regarded as the ultimate force in the drive to achieve our desire. Vision is a positive focal point - a place of balance - a place where as long as you continue to feed and support it, it will be there for you. Vision is with you until you decide to release it. It will remain true to your desires. It is important to re- member that your vision is more powerful than your fears of achieving it. During times of doubt, it is important to focus on your vision and trust that it will direct you. The force behind the crea- tion of your vision will neutralize your fear. Visu- alize in your mind a line with vision on top and fear underneath. I worked with a team recently on this process and the following is an example of their team vision: WEAREA UNIFIED DRIVING FORCE DETERMINED AND FOCUSED ON BEING THE BEST WE CAN BE. WE ARE CONFIDENT AND DEDICATED. WE ARE ACCEPTING OF OURSELVES AND OTHERS. WE COMMUNICATE WITH OPENNESS AND HON- ESTY. WE PLAY FROM OUR INNER DESIRES, RE- SULTING IN FEELINGS OF JOY, HARMONY AND PRIDE. By becoming conscious of your own vision, you are in fact taking control of the major deci- sion-making of your career. You will begin to make choices from the heart that can only lead to a posi- tive outcome for you. A vision based on individual dreams and aspirations is your key to unlimited success. It is most worthy of your personal atten- tion. truly desire: f breathing. 5. Start exploring possibilities. VISION IS #1, Hold onto this picture using this technique as a reminder that vision will always come out on top of fear. Our vision can be challenged but not beaten. Think about what you see as a vision for yourself and your team. This is not an easy task. Sometimes.our real dreams are masked and it takes time to clarify what it is Vision clarity is essential, both individually and collectively for teams. The process for gaining visual clarity is as follows: 1. Find a quiet space, close your eyes and begin to relax by doing some deep 2. Begin to ask yourself some WHAT questions. - What is it that I really want to do or achieve or express? - What makes me feel good and whole and satisfied? - If I could be anything as an athlete, what do I want to be? - What would have the most meaning for me? . - What kind of individual athlete do I see myself as being? -What words do I feel passionate about that describe my true feelings? *Ask yourself these questions - play with them in your imagination, what feels good for you. 3. Write down special words or phrases. Make word pictures of what you want to see as your vision - Individual vision “I am”; Team Vision - “We are” 4. Make a commitment to yourself that you are willing to pursue your vision. 6. Acton those possibilities that you feel are right for you. FEAR IS #2 at we Athletics & intramurails