HPA Guest Speaker Matthew Arnone will speak to students on Nov 17-18 at our annual HPA Breakfast event. Below is a brief description his approach to success in academics and athletics.
It’s matchday. The athlete is prepared, working hard all week for this moment. We all know how to train our body, but how do we train our mind or heart?
The athlete sits in the locker room before the match, thinking about the possible outcomes and consequences of their actions out on the field of play. Some show us we are destined for success, others scream failure and embarrassment. “What if I come up short?” or “Maybe I am not good enough” are just some of the passing thoughts. The mind is powerful, and as these doubts creep in, the athlete’s once-prepared body begins to feel tense and excitement quickly transforms to anxiety. The athlete throws on the jersey, like a superhero uses a cape, and powers ahead.
If you are a human, it is likely that you are this “athlete”. What makes us human is the self-talk we experience in response to stress. This is the expression of our thoughts, fears, and emotions. Our response to them has a profound effect on our physiology, and our ability to perform on whatever path we seek success. But what if we can silence that, and return to the present moment? Can we perform better? Can we better manage stress?
The Answer: When present in body, mind, and heart, we can find optimal experience in sport and life.
The traditional approach to high-performance is to have the athlete at the center, with a focus on skillset and physical preparedness. Mindframe places the human at the center, tapping into the mind and heart to enhance performance. With a focus of self-compassion, resilience, and mindful awareness, these athletes can manage the stressors of competition and find more enjoyment. We use this as the catalyst to grow, facilitating further motivation and success. We are, after all, much more than just athletes.
Matthew Arnone, is a professional soccer athlete who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Health Science, as well as an Applied Specialization in Mindfulness Meditation. His career has taken him to the USA, Italy, and most recently Canada. With a focus on growth and a holistic approach to sport and life, Matthew discovered he could achieve peak performance.
Mindframe is very humbled to be working with the Holy Cross HPA program to elevate performance not just on the field or in the classroom, but to aid in the growth of young humans-wherever life takes them.
For more information on Mindframe, please email team@mindframe.info
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