Conference: Luck a big part of the game

You have got to be lucky. That is the prescription that top Australian athletics coach Dr Cliff Mallett gives for success in sport.

Mallett (50) is a sports psychologist and coach who has coached 15 international athletes and been the Australian coach at two Olympics and five world championships.

"The one thing that is missing from all the talk about international sport is the amount of luck that is needed," Mallett told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.

"I use the analogy of sliding doors. It is just a matter of being in the right place at the right time when opportunity knocks," he said.

"You have to be healthy and at peak form at the right time. It is not easy. It is very complex."

One of the areas of Mallett's research is mental toughness.

"It is a characteristic of people who perform to their ability in sport," he said. "Successful people have reported that mental toughness is a major aspect contributing to their success."

Mallett said it was both natural and learned.

"There are strong periods of influence through childhood and adolescence where we can develop certain aspects of mental toughness," he said.

What are the factors that make a successful athlete?

"There are a combination of factors. My experience has been that while physical giftedness is important, it is not the most important [factor].

"Other factors include a high level of commitment, determination, a preparedness to take risks, an ability to overcome obstacles and to be patient."

Mallett has coached 15 international athletes in individual pursuits over the past 14 years and this has given him a good understanding of why some succeed and others fail.

"For me, coaching has always been about trying to get the best out of people," he said.

"For some, making an Olympic team is a fantastic achievement. Some people are not able to achieve because they fear failure and are not able to get the best out of themselves when it counts."

A background in psychology has helped Mallett to integrate mental skills training within the coaching environment.

This makes it more meaningful and authentic.

"Mental skills is a part of training that many coaches overlook because it is put into the too hard basket," he said.

"A lot of coaches hope that things will happen and the kids will learn through experience. But my experience shows that many of them need some guidance."

Mallett has a successful record coaching Australian relay teams to six medals in major international competitions.

Mallett gets more satisfaction when his less-talented sprinters achieve better results than the more-talented in top competition.

"I get a real thrill in the execution of a smooth baton-change," he said.

"If they execute close to optimum performance it's a fantastic achievement."

His proudest memories are of the Australian team that finished sixth in the 4x100m final at Athens in 2004 and the 4x400m team that finished second.

The 4x100m team was ranked 14th before the Olympics and was just 0.2sec out of a medal.

Is there any single factor that motivates a top sportsman?"A lot of top sportspeople have a real desire to be successful," Mallett said.

"Sometimes they put all their eggs in one basket and this is their opportunity to be someone special. But they also enjoy what they do. A lot of athletes perform well in their chosen event because they enjoy the sport and the lifestyle associated with it."

There is often a problem with athletes who reach a plateau in training and are not improving. How do they get over that?

"If they have been on a plateau for some time it means that they should change the stimulus and training system," Mallett said.

"The body adapts quickly to the training we give people and if you don't continually change the stimulus you can develop a plateau.

"If people remain on a plateau for several years they should consider whether they want to continue doing the event or move into another chapter in their life, or they need to change the context in which they operate.

"Sometimes it is an opportunity to see if another method works for you. Sometimes it means joining a different training environment or getting different training partners."