PERFORMANCE is the sum or the result of physical preparation, technical skill, and psychological readiness of an athlete.
This was how Karen Katrina Trinidad, a doctor of psychology, opened her talk during the Philippine Institute of Sports-backed seminar held November 28 to December 1 at the Department of Education (DepEd) Building, Provincial Capitol Complex in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. It was held at the sidelines of the recently-concluded Batang Pinoy 2016 National Championships.
She said sports science is a multidisciplinary subject that calls on things like physiology and biomechanics to measure what is happening in a sportsperson's body; psychology to analyze the role of the mind in performance; and nutrition to help athletes fuel their bodies correctly.
She cited physical attributes such as strength, speed, stamina and suppleness; technical attributes like balance, eye-hand coordination, spring, orientation, reaction time and fluid movement; and psychological attributes pertaining to confidence, concentration, consistency and control.
Failing, according to her, is often psychological in nature as an athlete who is ill-prepared psychologically may choke under pressure, lacks motivation, freezes, easily gets distracted, plays without confidence and gets jitters.
"Sports is more than a contest of physical ability," the St. Luke's Medical Center psychologist and consultant of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) said, adding that studies show within a group of athletes of equal ability, those who receive mental training outperform those who don't almost every time.
But Trinidad, however, said mental skills like physical skills need constant practice.
Thus the need to apply sports psychology, a science of success because it studies what successful people do, in sports.
Also saying that "talent is never enough", Trinidad shared seven essentials: belief - if you want to become your best, you need to believe your best; initiative and responsibility are inseparable, focus - directs and has the potential to take you far; preparation - positions people correctly, and it is often the separation between winning and losing; practice - develop the discipline to do it "a little bit more"; perseverance - it is an issue of time, it is about finishing; and character - is a choice, do the right thing despite adversity and trials in life, take control of your life.
She then urged coaches, trainers, sports officials and physical education teachers to not just send athletes to the field and expect medals without preparing them in their mind, body and strength.
"Ancient Greeks knew, sports also test courage which comes from the Latin word meaning heart," Trinidad said.
Filipino athletes are known for their fighting hearts but young athletes in the villages or in schools whose trainers are not equipped in sports psychology will just get burned out in training and might only quit sports eventually.
PIS national training director Marc Velasco said the institute is open to help local government units, DepEd, and other stakeholders to train their coaches and trainers on sports science, the best approach to build high-performing athletes.
"The training is free. We would be glad to help, just provide a venue for us," Velasco said.
Also tackled in the seminar were sports medicine by Doctor Victor Gaddi, sports nutrition by Karen Leslie Pineda, training a young athlete by Rene John Futalan, and talent identification by Josephine Joy Reyes.