Shaun Goodsell has had a passion forworking with and helping kids and adolescents for the better part of his life. He has been working with kids in adverse situations for twenty years and has seen many of them through the most horrific of situations. He grew up playing hockey and running cross-country for his local high school and has also run an amazing six marathons! With a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology and his undying love for athletics and young people, Shaun has combined his academic background, his innate love for working with kids and adolescents and finally, his passion for sports in general to create The Mental Edge. A company which not only guides athletes toward a higher ground in measures of performance, but also in their every day lives.
Shaun has worked with LPGA Golfers, National Championship Hockey Players, Professional Triathletes, State Champion Football and Hockey Players, as well as those athletes who simply want to make “the team.” Every athlete deals with certain mental interferences and life impairments no matter what level they may be at competitively. There is no such thing as right and wrong, or, good and bad, in Shaun's mind. I do not look at life in these terms. As a Performance Coach, it is my challenge to help each individual athlete develop a new way of defining his/her performance – it is not about good or bad, but about looking at what factors go into a quality performance and what each athlete can do and/or change, individually, to experience just that. With Shaun's ability to teach and to inspire, along with his ability to communicate abstract ideas clearly, he is able to help each person he works with identify and look at ways they might be engaging in self-defeating patterns of thinking and/or acting, which results in an overall empowering experience for the individual, raising their level of mental toughness and overall self-esteem. Shaun also works extensively with coaches and parents of athletes in large groups, focusing on their integral roles in athletes' overall mental development and their lives in general. Each coach and parents leaves these presentations and workshops inspired and better equipped to manage athletes with aim, purpose and compassion.
Shaun resides in Elk River with his wife, Dawn, and their four children: Katlynn, Elisa, Matthew and Gracie. Shaun and Dawn enjoy exercising, golfing, movies, reading, and relaxing by the pool with their children. Their kids are actively involved in sports and keep them on the go between volleyball courts, gymnastic gyms and dance performances!
Shaun continues to take on new clients of all ages and backgrounds. Shaun is persistent in his passion to develop cultures of excellence and strong leadership among teams, coaches, parents, and athletes.
MENTAL EDGE ATHLETE CREED
You can NEVER question the fact that an athlete with a more focused mind will produce greater results. Coaches, ranging from the youth level to the Pros, are able to easily identify players who are mentally prepared at any given moment throughout the course of a game or practice. Being mentally prepared and focused are attributes that are commonly overshadowed, however, will continue to be the determining factor between an elite player and an average player.
In the same respect, every sport takes a certain number of individuals who thrive in their specific role to make the team extraordinary. One less player on a team may seem insignificant, however, it is the determining factor between winning a championship or having to revert back to the old saying, “There’s always next season”. NEVER doubt your role within your team.
Through the evolution of athletics, we have witnessed rule changes, equipment changes, and a quantum leap in physical training regimens. The one thing that has NEVER changed through the years is the importance of being mentally prepared. Having a clear, sharp, prepared, and focused mind will significantly impact your performance. A great athlete will NEVER sacrifice the importance of gaining an elusive mental edge over an opponent. NEVER allow yourself to be THIS opponent.
NEVER underestimate the power within you.
Achieve your dreams today, NEVER tomorrow.
Many athletes struggle to understand why they often perform better in practice then in games. For some the presence of pressure leads to enhanced performance and for others the exact opposite is true. To answer this question we have to unpack how pressure impacts certain players verses others. Realizing there is no one single right answer for everyone. The reason why this is the case is that everyone has a different formula for what brings the best out of them based on how they are wired when they find themselves in pressure situations. Let me illustrate:
Joe is a laid back person that takes most things in stride with a very easygoing personality. He is never really to excited and never really down. If you didn't know him well you might assume that he doesn't really care about much and is often accused of being a bit lazy. Practice is something that creates an opportunity to be with his friends and blow off some steam before going home for a night of Facebook and texting. For Joe the thought of a big game and any pressure associated with this game only serves to drive him into more perceived apathy and emotional disengagement because he is motivated and driven by comfort over achievement. As this unfolds a coach could become frustrated and overwhelmed, even a bit angry, as he tries to shape Joe into a more intense, engaged, and motivated player. Tactics could include applying more pressure telling Joe he will sit if he doesn't bring more energy to the game and even yelling at him as he plays hoping to jar him out of his funk. All these do is entrench Joe more in his preferred social posture. So, what are some explanations for what is going on and how to help Joe be his best?
First, it is likely that Joe is a strong analytical and is not prone to emotional expression. Next, the more external pressure he feels the more he will become introverted and over think everything he does because he values doing things right the first time and not having to repeat them. In this case, pressure has the effect of activating the "over thinking" part of the brain and serves to paralyze him during competitive situations. The performance tip for Joe is to simplify the game, appeal to reason, stay calm, allow Joe the latitude to play without experiencing much external pressure, and to work with Joe to determine what he expects of himself and work to help him accomplish that.
Next we have Steve. Steve is a highly-strung athlete that approaches everything with great intensity and effort. He is a perfectionist with a very limited tolerance for mistakes not only in his performance, but with those around him as well. Practices are not only opportunities to improve but prove his superiority over those around him. His teammates both admire his intensity and are put off by it because of the inevitable critical statements that flow from him when he is under pressure. To his coaches Steve is the model that they hope to replicate and often name him a leader because of the work ethic and desire to win he brings to everything he does. Privately, Steve is haunted with fears of failure, disappointing others, and is only noticed when he is successful. In big games Steve begins to feel like the fate of his team lies in his play and anxiety takes over and literally tightens him up from head to toes. Fundamental skills become difficult and opportunities normally capitalized on with relative ease become very difficult. In this case, pressure serves to ignite more and more self-criticism bringing with it more and more intensity and pressure to succeed. Not only does he tighten up but his decision making process is negatively impacted by him second guessing himself and his intuitive instinctive play turns into tentative over thinking play. Coaches trying to encourage him only feel powerless to interrupt this pattern. Steve needs to learn how to calm himself and redefine how he deals with his desire for excellence. In reality, Steve needs to learn how to lighten up. Pressure ignites a different series of internal events for Steve that is different then Joe. Understanding the unique ways that each player deals with pressure and what the impact of that is on performance is very important when trying to help players be their best.
These are some examples of how pressure can affect different personality types and impact the ability of that athlete to compete and excel under pressure. As big games are on the horizon, understand that pressure has the capacity to eliminate the strengths of the best of players. No wonder we talk about the sport being 90% mental. There are many different personality blue prints that all respond to pressure differently. We have a unique tool called the TAIS profile that allows us to get a detailed blue print of how individual athletes are most apt to be impacted by pressure both externally and internally. This blue print then guides our coaching so we can work personally to help players be their best when it counts the most.
For more information on this powerful performance tool you can visit the WM Show and Tell Video or TAIS Overview
If you would like to take the TAIS and work with us to build your personal blue print so that you can be your best when it counts the most, give us a call today 763-439-5246 and let's get started!
Until next time, here's to your possibilities!