When in 2009 UK Sport commissioned the Great British Medallists project team at Bangor University to explore what makes multiple medal winners different from the rest of us, their goal was to help identify the stars of the future. The researchers found that genes play a huge role in sporting potential (up to 80%) – no great surprise there. They also found a number of serendipitous advantages such as being born early in the school year, having a trauma-free childhood and growing up close to sporting facilities. By the time we’re fully grown, the die is cast. However, there is one thing we can change to become more like sport’s top performers, and that’s our minds.
Aside from the accidents of birth listed above, there are myriad psychological differences between pro athletes and the rest of us. These mental traits, studied and taught by sports psychologists like me, come naturally to many pros, but they can also be consciously nurtured. So even if you didn’t win the genetic jackpot, you can still expand your potential by learning to think like a pro. And here they are – seven ways to develop a
