The Art of Control: Why self-regulation matters?

Introduction

An impressive performance relies on incredible control.

Sports psychology recognizes that to perform at their best, the athlete must believe they have sufficient control over themselves, their lives, and their sport to achieve what matters to them – and their team.

And while there’s a great deal of science behind it, there is also a degree of art.

Haven’t we all seen how a pitcher shapes the ball's flight, the swimmer carves through the water, and the basketball player misdirects his opponent. Control brings confidence and art to sports.

American distance runner and triathlete Gwen Jorgensen says:

“You can’t control outcomes, but process or intent, on the other hand, is where big gains can be made.”

And she should know, she’s earned herself 25 gold medals and 37 podium finishes – including a gold at the 2016 Olympics.

Research confirms what we already know. Control is a game-changer.

A 2020 research paper explored how athletes reach elite status. It identified self-regulation as vital. When combined, motivation, planning, and self-control help them manage the demands of training and support strategies to develop their skills as athletes while pushing their mental and physical limits.

Control and mental toughness

Mental toughness means different things to different people. Even psychologists have several ideas on how best to define the concept.

Yet, researchers and athletes would typically agree that mental toughness describes the attributes needed for sportsmen and women to deal with their sport's challenges, stressors, and pressures. Not only that – it’s a vital aspect of successful performance.

Mental toughness is vital to supporting our high school and college athletes in being their best selves. It is often recognized as made up of the following four elements, known as the 4Cs model: challenge, control, commitment, and confidence.

A mentally tough person interprets challenges as opportunities and believes they can maintain control.

According to the model, and backed up by plenty of research from sports, performance, and elsewhere, control splits into:

• Life control: the sense that we are in ‘control’ of our lives and can manage what’s thrown at us. We aren’t dependent on others to validate who we are and what we are doing. Instead, our inner belief is enough.
• Emotional control: the extent to which we can manage our emotions – and how much everyone else knows about it. If we look back at tennis in the 1980s, legendary player John McEnroe was all about emotional outbursts – no one could miss them. He’s since said his meltdowns were not for show. They were him losing control of the game and his emotions boiling over.

Why does life control and emotional control matter in sports?

When athletes high in ‘control’ ask themselves, ‘What am I capable of?’ they frame the answer by recognizing how much is within their control and grasp it.

Only then is it “possible to push these boundaries to unprecedented levels,” writes sports psychologist Peter Clough.

Emotional control doesn’t necessarily mean hiding feelings away. Instead, it typically involves channeling them–particularly the intense ones like fear and anger.

How can our young athletes regain control?

Blaming others is useless. Gaining control is about taking responsibility.

After all, as Humphries and Hughes write, “If you believe you’re in control, you’re more likely to end up in control,” and the only person able to take charge of your life is you.

Owning our actions and being responsible encourages us to focus on aspects of our lives and our sports we can control.

How can our young athletes regain control?

When we feel stressed, anxious, or lack motivation, it can help to identify and focus on what is within our control. It’s a simple process.

Ask the athlete to start with a situation causing them concern. Perhaps it’s a tough training session or an important match. Create two lists on the same sheet of paper if it’s easier.

• On the first list, ask them to write down what is within their control – what they can do something about.
• On the second list, capture what is outside your control.

For example, someone on the swim team might capture the following ‘uncontrollables’ and ‘controllables’: