• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
SimpliFaster

SimpliFaster

cart

Top Header Element

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Login
  • cartCart
  • (925) 461-5990
  • Shop
  • Request a Quote
  • Blog
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Freelap Friday Five
  • Podcast
  • Job Board
    • Candidate
    • Employer
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Barriers to Championship Performances

ALTIS| ByDan Pfaff

ShareTweetLinkedInEmail

ALTIS Coach Dan Pfaff

Altis Logo

The below are a collection of thoughts and observations acquired through 40 plus years of coaching and interaction with Championship Performers from across the globe. Championship Performance is no easy feat … I hope some of these points may offer clarity on the reality of what it takes:

  1. Risk taking is a common trait among champions. Learning to be comfortable taking calculated risks to drive positive change – whether that be in mindset, mechanics, strategies, tactics or training methods is essential. Perpetual residency in the familiarity of comfort zones and associated risk avoidance will consistently blunt your progress. If you want to be a Championship Performer, get comfortable being uncomfortable.
  2. Learn to be comfortable taking calculated risks. Share on X

  3. Believing there will be a perfect jump, run, or meet is a deadly trap that slowly becomes a virus. Attachment to perfectionism wrecks not only competitions but practices – and ultimately one’s life balance. Any analysis of a World Record effort will yield numerous flaws and detractors from the athlete’s better performance cluster.
  4. Believing there will be a perfect jump, run, or meet is a deadly trap that slowly becomes a virus. Share on X

  5. Self-talk is powerful – both in a positive and negative vein. What you think and say to yourself evolves into patterns; these patterns become habits, and eventually drivers for your practices, competition, and life duties. Closely related to this is body language: If you project defeatist traits, they will drive everything you do.
  6. Self-talk is powerful - both in a positive and negative vein. Share on X

  7. Lip service is plentiful. Folks always claim they are all in. They talk and dream about being at the top, yet few study those at the top and note what it truly takes to be there. Elite performance involves deep study, endless efforts, honesty on all fronts, and accountability beyond the norm.
  8. Elite performance involves deep study, endless efforts, and accountability beyond the norm. Share on X

  9. Elite performance evolves over time. Tools, tactics, mindsets and behaviors that worked in the past must change as situations increase in demand. Living in the past with these factors is a one-way ticket to frustration – both for you and those around you.
  10. Behaviors that worked in the past must change as situations increase in demand. Share on X

  11. Selective energy use will result in gaps during pressure performances; less than mindful and purposeful attention to detail in all work tasks creates these gaps. Everything you do daily has a purpose and intent – just ticking boxes does not ensure understanding or efficacy.
  12. Just ticking boxes does not ensure understanding or efficacy. Share on X

  13. Many people stay in a situation because they are fearful of the next chapter. Viruses in mental and spiritual growth manifest when one treads water, waiting to muster up the courage to take the next step, or to change paths from the route they are currently treading.
  14. Many people stay in a situation because they are fearful of the next chapter. Share on X

  15. Communication is oxygen to relationships. The inability to express your thoughts, moods, concerns, boundaries and desires create a slow death in any relationship you are involved in. Learn to communicate, or any relationship will inevitably be short-lived.
  16. Communication is oxygen to relationships. Share on X

  17. Enjoyment of the journey is critical in all endeavors. One must find ways to enjoy every step of the climb: Why climb the highest peaks to stare at the crevice in front of you rather than turning to see the majesty of the view from the top?
  18. Enjoyment of the journey is critical in all endeavors. Share on X

  19. Champions love puzzles. They can’t wait to get to work the next day to find solutions. They embrace failure, for it acts as a springboard to solutions. Work is play for them.
  20. Champions embrace failure, for it acts as a springboard to solutions. Share on X

  21. Failure is embraced by leaders in all walks of life. It does not paralyze; it does not diminish risk taking; it does not color behavior: It is a catalyst for problem-solving.
  22. Failure is embraced by leaders in all walks of life. Share on X

  23. Champions know how to network and use networks. They are on a never-ending search for answers and solutions. They all have a gatekeeper for this search engine – a person they use for wisdom, guidance and advice when utilizing networks and network inputs.
  24. Champions know how to network and use networks. Share on X

  25. Champions see the big picture and do not get hung up on minutiae: They are resilient and anti-fragile in nature; they realize there are many roads to Rome. At the same time, they respect that there are principles, theories and accepted practices in their area of expertise.
  26. Champions see the big picture and do not get hung up on the minutiae. Share on X

  27. Champions embrace and accept constructive criticism. They crave systematic feedback. They keep detailed records of their journey, and they frequently review how often they receive these criticisms; looking for patterns that lead to the elimination of said faults and behaviors.
  28. Champions embrace and accept constructive criticism. Share on X

  29. Champions pay attention to detail and never tire doing the fundamental tasks that support their endeavor. They find enjoyment and stimulation in the most mundane tasks. Repetition does not bore them.
  30. Champions pay attention to detail and never tire doing the fundamental tasks that support their endeavor. Share on X

  31. Champions strive for balance and excellence in all areas of their life. Whether it be at work, in relationships, in the community, or self-analysis. They are always pushing boundaries, limits and currently accepted ceilings, created by themselves or others.
  32. Champions strive for balance and excellence in all areas of their life. Share on X

  33. Champions know how to build out conditional, seasonal, and state of health metrics for practice and competition-cluster analysis. Knowing how each Key Performance Indicator is progressing during various phases of the year, and in varying conditions and state of health, are practical, healthy ways of managing expectations and predictions.
  34. Champions know how to build conditional and seasonal metrics for practice and competition-cluster analysis. Share on X

  35. KPI analysis is an ongoing, never-ending process in organizations that exhibit excellence. The number, scope, and type of KPI factors change with evolution and the training year.
  36. KPI analysis is an ongoing, never-ending process in organizations that exhibit excellence. Share on X

  37. Champions have many tools in the toolbox for practice and competitions. They realize that trying harder, going faster, or getting emotional may have worked at an early stage of their career, but these tools no longer work at the elite level.
  38. Champions have many tools in the tookbox for practice and competitions. Share on X

  39. Champions understand the arousal curve for performance exhibition. Through experimentation in training and at meetings they find a zone to operate in when under pressure, or sub-optimal conditions. They are flexible with this zone and know how to adjust KPI factors accordingly. It is an art.
  40. Champions understand the arousal curve for performance exhibition. Share on X

Successful Championship Performance is a finely tuned skill requiring years of practice, along with the ability to calmly ride out the multiple peaks and valleys of frustration that will inevitably occur along the way. I hope some of these points may have resonated and will aid you on your journey.

Best of luck with your endeavors,
Dan.

For more coach and athlete resources from ALTIS, see ALTIS 360.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

ShareTweetLinkedInEmail
LoginComment
src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw=="

Dan Pfaff

Coach Dan Pfaff has tutored 49 Olympians including nine medalists, 51 World Championship competitors (also nine medalists), and five world-record holders. He has directed athletes to 57 national records across a multitude of events.

Dan has served on five Olympic Games coaching staffs in five different countries and nine World Championships staffs for six different countries. He has lectured in 27 countries and is published in over 20 countries.

He is the former Coaching Education Curriculum Chair for both the United States Track and Field Coaches Education Schools and the NACAC Caribbean Basin Project, as well as being the lead instructor for each organization at the Level I, II, and III schools.

During his NCAA coaching career, Dan has coached 29 NCAA individual national champions and 150 All-Americans, and has been a lead staff member on teams that have won 17 NCAA National Team Championships, fifteen women and two men.

Dan joined the World Athletics Center as Education Director and Lead Jumps Coach in March of 2013, after a successful 3 year stint in London with UK Athletics, where he coached Long Jumper Greg Rutherford to Olympic Gold.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jim McHugh

    January 2, 2017 at 7:52 am

    Thank you Coach Pfaff. I hang on every word that you deliver.

    Reply
  2. Delores Swann

    February 11, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    Would like a hard copy

    Reply
  3. Rob McLeod

    July 5, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    Great Stuff .

    Reply
  4. Thomas Rohling

    July 24, 2018 at 9:06 am

    Never disappoints, absolute genius

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

FEATURED

  • Using Speed and Power Data to Bucket and Train Faster Athletes
  • Plyometric Training Systems: Developmental vs. Progressive
  • 9 (Fun!) Games to Develop Movement Skills and Athleticism

Latest Posts

  • 1080 Sprint: Four Essential Tips You Won’t Find in the Manual
  • Running Through Time: An Athlete’s Story of Resilience and Recovery
  • Rapid Fire—Episode #14 Featuring Rodrigo Alvira Isla: Training Smarter in the NBA and G League

Topics

  • Adult training
  • App features
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Athlete
  • Athlete performance
  • Baseball
  • Buyer's Guide
  • Career
  • Certifications
  • Changing with the Game
  • Coach
  • Coaching
  • Coaching workflows
  • Coching
  • College athlete
  • Course Reviews
  • Dasher
  • Data management
  • EMG
  • Force plates
  • Future innovations
  • Game On Series
  • Getting Started
  • Injury prevention
  • Misconceptions Series
  • Motion tracking
  • Out of My Lane Series
  • Performance technology
  • Physical education
  • Plyometric training
  • Pneumatic resistance
  • Power
  • Power development
  • Practice
  • Rapid Fire
  • Reflectorless timing system
  • Running
  • Speed
  • Sports
  • Sports technology
  • Sprinters
  • Strength and conditioning
  • Strength training
  • Summer School with Dan Mullins
  • The Croc Show
  • Track and field
  • Training
  • Training efficiency
  • Wave loading
  • What I've Added/What I've Dropped Series
  • Youth athletics
  • Youth coaching

Categories

  • Blog
  • Buyer's Guide
  • Freelap Friday Five
  • Podcasts

COMPANY

  • Contact Us
  • Write for SimpliFaster
  • Affiliate Program
  • Terms of Use
  • SimpliFaster Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • Return and Refund Policy
  • Disclaimer

Coaches Resources

  • Shop Online
  • SimpliFaster Blog
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Freelap Friday Five
  • Coaches Job Listing

CONTACT INFORMATION

13100 Tech City Circle Suite 200

Alachua, FL 32615

(925) 461-5990 (office)

(925) 461-5991 (fax)

(800) 634-5990 (toll free in US)

Logo of BuyBoard Purchasing Cooperative. The word Buy is yellow and shaped like a shopping cart, while Board and Purchasing Cooperative are in blue text.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

SIGNUP FOR NEWSLETTER

Loading

Copyright © 2025 SimpliFaster. All Rights Reserved.