Champion Mindset -

Champion Mindset: Published in Schutzhund USA Magazine, Jan 2016, pg. 40-41.

Champion Mindset

The world’s top handlers and dogs in IPO compete each year at world championship events. With so many talented and experienced handlers competing against each other, the margin for victory is quite narrow. So what may set the most talented handler and dog teams apart from each other? Mental Toughness.

To come out on top, a handler’s advantage often comes from the mental side of the sport rather than the physical side. The handler and dog teams at elite levels of IPO are dedicated to their training and possess excellent sport related technical skills and abilities. The difference between these teams is their mental game, or ability to handle the psychological pressures of competition.

Baseball legend Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” Although mathematically a bit off, he was on track with the idea that there is more than just technical and physical skill involved with sports and competition.

So what does it mean to be mentally tough? Most high level athletes refer to mental toughness as being able to persevere, or hang in there, when things get challenging. For example, how would you react if you prepare for months to compete at a national event only to earn a failing score in the first phase at the event? How do you go on to compete in the next two phases? The mentally tough athlete does not succumb to the potentially self-defeating thoughts related to this failure, nor do they allow the failure to distract them from the rest of the competition. Rather, they roll with the challenge, learn from mistakes, and dig in deep to focus on the next two phases. Being mentally tough involves using a combination of mental skills to succeed and not allowing pressure to get in the way of performance. These mental skills include knowing how to prepare for competition, manage stress, recover from mistakes, deal with the unexpected in a confident manner, and maintain a positive attitude at all times. Bottom line, mentally tough athletes have grit, or perseverance and passion, to work toward long term goals and achieve success despite the challenges that present along the way.

To further grasp the concept of mental toughness, I was fortunate to talk with multiple successful veterans in IPO about their perspective. Although definitions of mental toughness can vary, a common theme noted from these veterans is that mentally tough athletes are committed to training, perseverant through challenges, and willing to sacrifice.

Current IPO World Champion, Debbie Zappia, shared her thoughts about mental toughness and applied it to real life moments of competition. Debbie stated, “Mental toughness means blocking out everything except the task at hand. So much human strength comes from the mind, not the body. It is the mind that allows the body to take over and complete the task. This is true on many levels. While preparing for competition, training has to occur even when your body is tired and rejects the idea. When preparing to take the competition field, focus has to sharpen until the only thing left is you and your dog. The outside world disappears and autopilot takes over.”

Veteran handler and trainer, Wallace Payne, has won multiple national championships and competed at multiple world championships. He explained, “Most of us in this sport lose more than 90% of the time we show our dogs.” Based on this premise, Wallace went on to describe mental toughness as, “Continuing in the sport regardless of the fact that we lose 90% of the time, and understanding that anything you want to be successful at will take sacrifice! In my opinion, there is no such thing as ‘Equal Balance’ in that quest for success! The thing you want to be successful at WILL take over. EVERYTHING else will suffer to some degree. Finally, I don’t think mental toughness means ‘Hanging in there no matter what!’” Knowing when to abandon a situation and start over takes as much courage as hanging in there.”

USCA Judge and Teaching Helper, Randall Hoadley, shared the following quote by Leon J. Suenes, “Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.” Randall went on to explain his perspective of mental toughness in IPO and said, “Mental toughness is the ability to withstand the mental stress that comes with training day in and day out. Most dog trainers like to train when the going is easy and fun. In most cases, there comes a time when you have to make the dog do a behavior more exact according to the rules. Once the stress starts with the dog, most trainers have a mental breakdown. Once the handler breaks, the dog breaks, and then the handler selects the path of less resistance. It takes mental toughness to get up every day and train, even through the tough times.”

These IPO veterans highlighted perseverance and sacrifice as essential parts of being mentally tough. Although mental toughness may come naturally to some people, it can be learned! Rising above challenges and persevering in your training is a good start toward mental toughness.

Strategies you can include in your training program to increase mental toughness include:

Persistence and Consistency: Define short- and long-term goals and hold yourself accountable. For example, set a training schedule (e.g., how often, how long, etc.) and STICK TO IT despite obstacles that may come up. Training does not only happen on sunny days and when it fits conveniently into your schedule. Persistence means making sacrifices and training despite the obstacles.

Flexibility: Sometimes you have to “roll with the punches.” If a competition or training session does not go as planned, having flexibility helps you adapt to adversity and setbacks so you can move forward.

Positive Attitude: Develop a mindset of being positive and having a good attitude. Top athletes go into competition with a “Bring it on!” attitude. Embrace the challenges. Acknowledge your strengths and successes, small and large, along the way to track your progress and boost your confidence.

Mental Training: Mental skills are part of mental toughness. As you train in the sport, make time for developing mental skills such as concentration and focus, managing distractions, and building confidence.