HEADSTRONG TIPS Positive Rivalries By: Nicole Detling Miller, PhD


Competition is the inherent nature


of sports. We constantly think about our competition in terms of how to prepare to beat them. But have you ever really thought about the compe- tition within your team? In an indi- vidual sport such as speed skating, you are constantly competing with your teammates.


What is a Positive Rivalry? When you think of a rivalry, most


people think of a negative rivalry where you are hoping the other skat- ers perform poorly. However, a posi- tive rivalry is one in which you and your “rival” push each other while competing for positions. By moti- vating each other in this manner, you push each other to higher levels of achievement. Therefore, the intent is what makes the difference between a negative and a positive rivalry. In a negative rivalry, the intent is for the other skater to perform poorly so that you achieve success. On the other hand, the intent for a positive rivalry is that both skaters push their intensity level up so that they each improve their performance – ulti- mately both skaters and the entire team benefit. The ultimate loyalty for a skater


to show to their team is for them to take the spot of the person in front of them. What I mean by that, is that it is a form of disloyalty not to push yourself to win that higher position. By sitting back and never attempting to advance your skills, the team per- formance remains stagnant.


Athletes What this means for you, is that


“A positive rivalry is one


in which you and your “ri- val” push each other while competing for positions.”


you must take ownership in your team. You should always be doing everything possible to make the team better – and that starts with making yourself and those around you better. A perfect example of this comes from one of my favorite sports movies, “Rudy”. Rudy was a Notre Dame foot- ball player who spent his college ca- reer as a practice player. He believed it was his job to make the starters better by challenging them as much as possible during every play of every practice. He took it upon himself to make those around him better. Be- cause of his attitude and work ethic, the team rallied around him and en- couraged the coach to allow him to dress for his last game of the senior year. The team also contributed to Rudy getting into the game on the last play, where he subsequently sacked the quarterback. On a daily basis, Rudy was a positive rival for his teammates, and the entire team benefited as a result. Ultimately, it is your duty to assure that not only are you giving your best effort, but your teammates are as well. What does this mean? Pulling laps for others even when you are tired and going the extra mile in every workout.


Coaches In order for this concept to work


within your team, it is very impor- tant that your leaders buy into it. They must understand what it is and how it can work for the team. At that point, they then need to take a proactive role in encouraging and “getting on” their teammates who are not putting forth the effort. Of course, this will not work if they are not putting the effort into it them- selves. All athletes have a basic need to feel accepted and to feel that they are making a positive con- tribution to the team. If respected members of a team are encourag- ing the younger athletes by com- plimenting their efforts, then those athletes are going to feel terrific about themselves and the program, thus resulting in even more devoted effort to training. This process sets up an environ-


ment that fosters teamwork and acceptance among team members. There is a certain level of under- standing among the athletes at this point that can only lead to team improvements. This has a huge impact for new athletes in the pro- gram as the team then becomes a second family. Coaches must remember, this level


of effort as well as the encourage- ment of positive rivalries must begin with you. n


NICOLE DETLING MILLER, US Speedskating Sport Psychology Consultant


Nicole Detling Miller has been with US Speedskating since 2008 and is the Sport Psychology Consultant for both national team long and short track programs. In addition to her role with USS, she is a sport psychology consultant and professor in the Exercise and Sport Science Department at the University of Utah. Working individually with the athletes and coaches, she specializes in mental skills training for performance enhancement.


www.usspeedskating.org Summer 2012 RACING BLADE 21


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