How we can use framing tools to constructively, compassionately, and positively understand our sport performance.
What is framing? Framing characterises a situation to convey, interpret, and evaluate information. Typically framing is a tool used within journalism where through emphasising specific issues, the media presents theories of what happens, exists or matters. In this context framing is a communication tool that causes issues to differ in importance to readers, as the author can "spin", "twist" or "angle" the frame of the story. Such framing is common in political writing, where the author has an agenda to adhere to, and this is reflected in the narrative they use to explain a series of events.
This tool is used exactly the same in sport. When we review a sporting event, as an athlete, coach or spectator, we are reviewing a series of events through a particular frame of our (often subconscious) choosing. Studies of framing in sport have covered issues such as gender, legacy and race, with the self-awareness of athletes being explored somewhat in sports psychology research.
An article from the 2013 Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, published by academics, including Neil Weston, at the University of Portsmouth highlighted why issues in athlete profiling, goal setting, and general strength and weakness exercises, required framing tools to positively and meaningfully use weaknesses.
“ Practitioners should be wary as to the possible negative impact that profiling over time could have on athlete confidence" Neil Weston
By researching the preferences of a University rugby team, the academics identified that one of the themes in the athlete's perceptions of strength and weakness based exercises, was a concern on how negative feedback would be delivered within the exercises. They suggested that employing relevant personally controllable actions would be a functional and positive way of dealing with weaknesses. This is where framing becomes a powerful tool!
So what does this look like in practice? The practical application of framing or re-framing completely depends on the sporting context. For example, in cycling, Chris Froome's weakness could be considered his poor bike handling as his center of gravity is higher up, and thus inherently less stable. This could be re-framed and reaffirmed by Chris as "I will race better if I maintain a low center of gravity" or "if I hold my frame closer I will be more stable".
Another example could be the re-framing of a strength, through the positive reinforcement action, known as an affirmation. A kickboxer I know does this by focusing on what will make them fight better. He will re-affirm to himself before every fight or sparring sessions "I fight best when I focus on keeping my guard up".
Ultimately, the purpose is to stay positive. With a positive mindset, we do more. As the great Willie Nelson once said,"when you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results".
Sport is a results business after all!
References: The Impact of a Performance Profiling Intervention on Athletes' Intrinsic Motivation, Article (PDF Available) in Research quarterly for exercise and sport 82(1):151-5 · March 2011