John Dunn, PhD.

John has been working with athletes at the local, provincial and national level since 1995. John is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Physical Education & Recreation at the University of Alberta. Along with developing young professionals, John has a private practice as a mental training consultant in Edmonton. He attended the 2010 Olympic Games, working with the men’s and women’s National Biathlon teams and several members of the men’s Alpine ski team.

 

What education did you complete and what qualifications do you have?

 

B.Sc. (Hons) in Physical Education & Sport Science (Loughborough University, England)

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Loughborough University, England)

M.A. in Physical Education (University of Alberta) with focus on sport psychology

PhD in Physical Education (University of Alberta) with focus on sport psychology

 

What is your philosophy to working with athletes?

 

Focus on the solution, not the problem.

Focus on their strengths, not their weaknesses.

Focus on what they can do, not on what they can’t do.

 

I never let athletes forget that when they point the finger of excuse at someone/something else, that three fingers are pointing right back at them. It’s all about personal responsibility and team accountability.

 

In terms of mental training I use the analogy of investing money in the stock market: (1) there are no guarantees but the potential for reward is there if you invest wisely, and (2) the more you invest (in terms of time, effort, and training), the more you can gain.

 

Lastly, and most importantly, I am not a believer in the “Ideal Performance State” (IPS) that so many sport psychologists have talked about over the years (and I make this clear to my clients).  While this may sound contradictory to contemporary wisdom in sport psychology, I have come to this philosophy based on the fact that I have yet to meet an (honest) performer who does not say that under times of extreme pressure he/she is far from being in the ideal performance state. So many performers are still able to “successfully pull the trigger” and execute the task under pressure yet they are not in their IPS. In these moments we are talking about “Performance on Demand.” It’s about learning to trust yourself and working with the emotions and distractions and still be able to complete the task. If a performer is looking for their IPS in a time of extreme pressure, then I feel that this will be their downfall because the IPS almost never exists at these times.

 

What are your thoughts/views of the upcoming Olympics?

 

Hugely exciting time for Canadian athletes, but I think we have talked so much about “medal counts” (in and through the media) that we have put ridiculous amounts of pressure on our athletes to perform. I think we must remember the old U.S. military saying as we go into the Games: “You don’t rise to the occasion. You sink to the level of your training.” If we train well, if we pay attention to details, and if we stay focused on the task at hand during the Games (and remind ourselves that we are not in Vancouver/Whistler to be tourists), we will do well. One of my biggest concerns for athletes relates to the challenge of balancing “work” with “family and friends.” It is my sincere hope that all athletes (and staff members) have explained to their friends and families that until their events are over, the time available for socializing will be minimal. No athlete should feel guilty about avoiding distractions (which include family, friends, and media) that may undermine preparation for competition. Finally, I think we need to remind our athletes that while they will be representing Canada (and they will do so with enormous pride), they are first and foremost competing for themselves as individuals. While this may seem like a selfish and somewhat non-patriotic attitude, I am not convinced that standing on the start line and feeling the weight of a nation upon your shoulders is the best way to prepare for competition. Let’s not forget that, in the end, it is the athletes who have ultimately done the work (and made the biggest sacrifices) for the past 4 years (or more) to achieve their Olympic dreams.