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Resilient: Team Army Athletes have the support of trained Performance Experts at DoD Warrior Games
By Joseph Jones, Madigan Army Medical Center Public Affairs
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Department of Defense Warrior Games were introduced in 2010 as a platform to encourage the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, ill and injured service members, providing a new outlet of physical reconditioning in the form of team-based adaptive sports. Athletes participating in adaptive sports can have a wide-range of physical, or behavioral health challenges. The Warrior Games provide an annual performance-based competition featuring a variety of adaptive sports, building confidence, camaraderie and resiliency among a diverse pool of wounded, ill or injured service members and veterans.
Resilience is the mental, physical, emotional and behavioral ability to successfully endure adversity, adjust to significant changes, recover, overcome, and experience personal growth from setbacks. It’s imperative that wounded, ill and injured Soldiers have the necessary tools to overcome adversity, return to military service or move on to civilian life. In either case, it is a goal that service members or veterans acquire mental and emotional skills to assist them in all aspects of life going forward.
The trained performance experts supporting Team Army at the 2019 DoD Warrior Games are part of the Army Sexual Harassment Assault Response Prevention Ready and Resilient Directorate (HQDA, DCS G-1), which works closely with the Warrior Care and Transition Program. Each of the performance experts work at one of 28 Ready and Resilient Performance Centers that teach resilience and performance enhancement. These experts work one-on-one with each Team Army athlete in all phases of the Warrior Games, including training.
Susan Goodman, a performance expert supporting Team Army in Tampa at the 2019 DoD Warrior Games, helps the athletes not just in their respective sporting events, but also tools for life after the games. “I primarily work with the archery team,” said Goodman. “We focus on controlling the controllable, focusing on the present, not the past. Each shot is its own shot. Once that shot is done, you have no control of it so now let’s focus on the next shot and I think you can translate that to even their personal lives or even their future, not giving energy to things you can’t control.”
“Helping them apply their skills in a unique way, every athlete a bit different, every sport is a bit different, the creativity aspect to what we can bring to help them apply these skills in a little bit different way they may have already been exposed,” Joel Druvenga, a performance expert supporting Team Army added.
Readiness and resilience are closely associated because a mind that is healthy is just as important as physicality when it comes to being resilient. Resilience combines mental, emotional and physical skills to facilitate optimal performance in combat, training, healing after injury, adaptive reconditioning, and even managing professional or family life.
“Our role in the games is interesting,” said Laura Kirschner, a performance expert at the DoD Warrior Games. “We get to see the athlete on a more holistic level. Part of what we do is teaching them that what they think, and focusing on where they do have control, the different levels of control can really impact them to perform more authentically at whatever their best performance is and we have seen a lot of our athletes reach PRs or personal records, regardless of whether they medaled or what place the finished in a particular sport.”
Performing consistently, according to the team, relies on focusing on what can be controlled and the present. “It helps them refocus in the moment and on the task at hand,” explained Ashley Ripke, performance expert supporting Team Army. “Sometimes when we focus on the end state, we miss sight of the things we can control. I always tell the athletes not to let the enemy be between our own two ears, because if we aren’t aware, those counterproductive thoughts, can affect your energy.”
Jenna Weinstein, a performance expert who can often be seen supporting Team Army during various events at the 2019 Warrior Games, says process is important in any challenge, whether in sports or in life to perform consistently. “We as performance coaches are helping them feel that confidence in any situation that they are put into. What we help them do is focus on the process and not just the outcome,” said Weinstein.
The 2019 DoD Warrior Games will run from June 21-30 in Tampa, Florida. The athletes participating in the competition are comprised of wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans representing the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Special Operations Command. Athletes from the United Kingdom Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, Canadian Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Netherlands, and the Danish Armed Forces are also competing in this year's DoD Warrior Games.
For more information about the 2019 DoD Warrior Games visit: https://dodwarriorgames.com
Army SHARP Ready and Resiliency Directorate information, visit: https://readyandresilient.army.mil
| Date Taken: | 06.28.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 06.28.2019 15:10 |
| Story ID: | 329686 |
| Location: | TAMPA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 368 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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