Mental Performance Program
What It’s About
The DPB mental performance program equips our community with actionable mental tools rooted in the Dawgpatch mentality and philosophy. By exploring our own experiences and those of our athletes, we uncover how the mind works, and how to sharpen it as our greatest asset.
What do you say to yourself when things get difficult?
How do you choose to anchor your mind and ground yourself?
Where is your breath when you’re facing a challenge?
How can you apply your own version of these skills to your life?
How it Can Look
This programming challenges each of us to put these skills into practice and into the context of our daily lives. Here’s an example of how these insights can show up in the midst of a Point-to-Point (P2P) Challenge:
Drew shows up to the P2P launch informed on the logistics- the weather-related variables, the tide patterns, our exposure level, the seafloor topography; all of it. All the while, he stays sharply aware of the risk factors, taking surveys of the land and water and ensuring that his leadership is properly gauged and informed. Calculated.
Spencer shows up thankful to be there. Outgoing, focused, capable, and loose. He’s ready to swim for miles, and he’s not concerned about much other than jellys and having a good time in the name of DPB. Gratitude is and has been a big driver for his achievements.
Stevens shows up warm, his hood’s up, and he’s prepared. The mentality: ready to earn miles. You can see he’s anchored by a deep commitment to what it means to be a part of the Dawgpatch, and it shows up in his actions throughout the expedition.
This mental fortitude is calculated. It is not by chance. These athletes have trained these behaviors, and they’re actively learning and designing their mindset; tinkering with methods to find what works both for their performance domain, as well as their everyday life.
What does your version look like?
At its best, mental performance fits the context of the individual’s life. The beauty in this work lies in how customizable each of these skills can be.
To get started, you can find mental performance weaved in throughout each of our pages. Within the Q&A Series, the Philosophy Page, the April challenge, P2P Athletic Feats, and generally as you follow along.
Access to Mental Skills Training (MST)
Our Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) - Mike - works with athletes, performers, and organizations to co-create their version of a “mental toolbox.” Through this co-authored process, the subject walks away with a plan and a story that is true to their values and the impact they are striving to make on the world.
Mike’s experience building programs and consulting for sports organizations, non-profit organizations, and individual athletes covers a wide range of high performers, and he welcomes connections with those who are committed to taking action and building their own unique story.
For example, in the context of ‘Point to Point Challenges,’ there are evidence-based ways to mentally prepare and to proactively leverage tools in-the-moment, effectively buffering for possible difficulties and ensuring that there is space to savor the gifts. To further set the stage, he might ask:
What phrase can you say to yourself to hold the course?
These skills apply to more than the athletes; they apply to all of us, each day. If this type of work sounds interesting, reach out to Mike to co-create your own personalized mental toolkit. Happy building.