Mental fortitude training: An evidence-based approach to developing psychological resilience for sustained success

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the body of knowledge in this area, this article presents an evidence-based approach to developing psychological resilience for sustained success. To this end, the narrative is divided into three main sections. The first section describes the construct of psychological resilience and explains what it is. The second section outlines and discusses a mental fortitude training program for aspiring performers. The third section provides recommendations for practitioners implementing this program. It is hoped that this article will facilitate a holistic and systematic approach to developing resilience for sustained success.

KEYWORDS:

• Environment
• excellence
• intervention
• mindset
• performance
• personal qualities
• resiliency
• resilient
• sport

Acknowledgments

We thank the athletes, coaches, support staff, and performance directors from Loughborough University, Team GB, the United States Olympic Committee, the Swedish Sports Confederation, and High Performance Sport New Zealand, who contributed to the development and refinement of the resilience training program described in this article.

Notes

1 Although the polysemy of resilience can be frustrating from a research and operational perspective, we believe that it can be of heuristic and pragmatic value, particularly for practitioners, students, coaches, and performers seeking to develop resilience. Nonetheless, in writing this practically orientated article, we also are minded of Alexander's (2013) observation: “if only language were kept simple in scholarly work on resilience, one feels that much of the debate about what terms mean and how to interpret them would be unnecessary” (p. 2713).

2 Rather than implying weakness or potential for abuse (cf. Hutcheon & Lashewicz, 2014), we use the term vulnerable in this context for heuristic purposes to promote greater understanding of resilience and its development (cf. Lotz, 2016). In reality, resilience and vulnerability are not antonyms of each other; rather they are orthogonal whereby they co-exist in everybody (cf. Miller et al., 2010).

3 Although the mental fortitude training program is designed for individuals performing in any pressurized domain (cf. Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014a), much of the underpinning evidence stems from research that ourselves and colleagues have conducted in the elite sport environment. As part of Team GB's preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games, Dr. David Fletcher led a program of research at Loughborough University to study resilience (and growth) in the world's best athletes and teams, the findings of which have been presented in a series of reports (Fletcher, 2008; Fletcher & Sarkar, 2010) and publications (Fletcher & Sarkar, 2012; Howells & Fletcher, 2015, 2016; Morgan, Fletcher, & Sarkar, 2013, 2015; Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014b; Sarkar, Fletcher, & Brown, 2015). Through Dr. Fletcher's role as the Director of Sport Psychology Services, the research findings have been translated and applied to the preparation of athletes and teams across the campus. Following ongoing refinement, the mental fortitude training program presented in this article represents the Rio 2012–2016 Olympiad version.

4 We make this (extreme) point to illustrate that the conception and development of psychological resilience cannot occur by solely focusing on an individual and that the stressors he or she encounters, together with the support he or she receives, always need to be considered in parallel with personal qualities.

5 Aligned with these training programs, various psychological concepts support the premise of pressure inurement training, including steeling (e.g., Rutter, 1987), psychophysiological toughness (Dienstbier, 1989, 1992), eustress (Hargrove, Becker, & Hargrove, 2015), and discretionary vulnerability (Lotz, 2016).

6 Loughborough University was Team GB's Official Preparation Camp Headquarters prior to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The University has a long sporting heritage and has Britain's largest concentration of world-class training facilities across a wide range of sports. At the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 90 athletes with University connections competed, winning a total of 13 medals, and at the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, 85 athletes with University connections competed, winning a total of 34 medals.

7 Of course, it should go without saying, that this is not to be confused with the unethical and inappropriate imposition of adversity. Worryingly, it appears that extreme challenge-no support environments have been created under the guise of ‘toughening-up’ performers (cf. Hodgson, 2006; Lord, 2005), and it is important that we learn the lessons from these and comparable cultures (see Cavallerio, Wadey, & Wagstaff, 2016; Coulter, Mallett, & Singer, 2016; Gucciardi, Hanton, & Fleming, in press; Tibbert, Andersen, & Morris, 2015).