Interview with Paulie Jefferies, Chairman
of the English Surf Federation
T
he ps
y
chol
og
y of surfing?
How would the surfers benefit from
sports psychology?
“Getting so close to winning the event gets
you nervous and there were not many waves.
t the top level of sport there are so many
Bruno was putting pressure on me and he
. I was paying more attention to
aspects that create the perfect athlete. We
had priority
, ’it doesn’t A
him than the waves. I let him take that first
want to use sports psychology to help the
athletes focus. These days a lot of elite
one which was a big mistake – he won there.”
surfers will have sports psychology as part of their
“Before the final I said to myself
training programme as with most other top athletes.
matter if I win the final because I have had
ahiti
For me it’s about the preparation from beginning to the
such a good event and surfed so many
myself to win,’”
amazing heats, I shouldn’t put pressure
t: Billabong Pro T
end, it’s about a process of thought from their training
ano
a Drolle
on the beach; getting into that process of self
Runner-Up M
evaluating, staying calm in the right situations, it is very
important that the surfers learn to use their mind as a
good tool.
of Surfing
Elite surfing is an idealistic occupation, when you
become top of your game you get to visit the most
beautiful places and ride the best waves but to get
there is a very difficult process these days, therefore
most surfers are keen to do what they need to get to
the top.”
TASK:
Describe the ideal psychological state for a surfer in
a competition. Consider some of the following;
personality, arousal, anxiety, attitude, aggression
and confidence.
“these days a lot of elite surfers
will have sports psychology as
part of their training programme”
Sport IQ : September 2008 19
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