Problem
Aly Raisman, a three-time gold medalist, entered gymnastics because of how awe struck she was when she watched the USA win an Olympic medal for the first time as a little girl. She was so awe struck, Aly told herself that one day she would be one of the girls standing on the podium with a gold medal around her neck. She entered the sport when she was very young and although she was never the most talented gymnast, she was always one of the most hard-working. She didn't care that she wasn't the best because she loved the sport and had so much fun being out there tumbling around. At one point she did realize she needed to take the sport a little more seriously if she was going to go to the Olympics. She had a great coach and was able to maintain a good balance between fun and discipline on her way to her first Olympics. Her main foci were improvement through hard work, to focus on herself, and to focus on the controllables. While competing she didn't think much about the outcome, it was more of a thought process of, "If I medal, that would be great, but I'm going to focus on what I've been practicing and try my best." When she decided to compete and go for a second Olympic run, something changed in her mindset. She started experiencing burnout, she wasn't enjoying the sport as much, she started becoming very critical of her routines and skill level. She became very focused on the outcome during competitions and became so nervous at times that she would black out during her routines.
1. What type of mindset was Aly exhibiting when she first entered gymnastics compared to when she competed in her second Olympic games? Name and explain the mindsets and justify how you know.
2. What type of motivation was Aly likely exhibiting in the beginning of her career vs. her second Olympics? Identify which regulatory process (i.e., the spectrum of extrinsic motivation) Aly displays in her first Olympics vs her second Olympics and provide a justification.
3. Given all that you have learned in the class, as a mental performance consultant, how would you help Aly shift her mindset back to where it was when she started? How would you help her shift back to a more intrinsic state of motivation? You can use any of the mental tools we have discussed in class (mindfulness, goal-setting, values, self-talk, etc.), don't forget about the principals of motivation and self-determination theory. Overall, how would you improve Aly's motivation? Be specific! Provide a step-by-step process along with demonstrating how you would implement these steps.