Episode 459: The Mental Habits of Elite Athletes | Rustin Dodd & Elise Devlin, NY Times, The Athletic
Episode 459: The Mental Habits of Elite Athletes | Rustin Dodd & Elise Devlin, NY Times, The Athletic
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This past week, I worked with my high school team and discussed how to stay curious in the face of failure. This conversation took place in an empty gym during a drill in the first week of summer training. Meanwhile, last night in San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs fell 94-90 to the Knicks, losing the NBA Finals 3-1 after holding double-digit leads in every game. Wembanyama called this loss “the biggest lesson of my life, the biggest learning moment.”
These reflections led us to a broader truth: regardless of level, athletes, coaches, teams, and organizations endure the same experiences; the scale, stakes, and audience size might differ. So, as athletes and coaches, we are constantly looking for tools and insights to overcome the next challenge, the next obstacle, the next opponent.
In our recent episode, we spoke with Rustin Dodd and Elise Devlin of The Athletic and The New York Times. They discuss the rituals, habits, and mindset that top athletes use when nobody is watching. Together with JP Nerbun, the episode explores what coaches can learn from these lessons and how to apply them with their athletes.
If you have ever wondered what separates athletes who break under pressure from those who adapt and come back, don’t miss this episode. Tune in now to gain the insights that could make the difference in your next challenge.
TOC 3-2-1
3 QUOTES WORTH WRITING DOWN
“That feeling of somebody saying yes to me is so powerful. And I oftentimes try to think about: how do I do a version of that? How do I say yes to people?”
— Rustin Dodd
"You can look back at all the hard things that you did, and it just gives you a level of confidence. Like: if I could do that, I could do this."
— Elise Devlin
“I view all my failures with childlike curiosity.”
— Olympian Olivia Smoliga, cited by Elise Devlin
2 QUESTIONS FOR YOUR TEAM
Q1: When something goes wrong in practice or a game, is your first instinct to fix it, blame it, or get curious about it? Which of those responses is actually coachable?
Q2: What is one mental tool or daily habit your athletes don’t know about — and when did you last share it with them?
1 RESOURCE TO GO DEEPER
NY Times | The Athletic Peak by Rustin Dodd & Elise Devlin
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The Best Athletes Are Obsessively Curious. Curiosity shows up across every elite athlete Rustin and Elise have profiled. Kobe Bryant called it the number one trait of a great teammate. It isn’t a personality quirk — it’s a practice. Coaches who model curiosity, especially after failure, give their athletes a frame that outlasts any season.
Reflection Teaches More Than Experience Alone. Elise competed as a D1 swimmer at Northwestern but says she learned more as a journalist. Not because the experience didn’t matter, but because she never had the language for what she was going through. That gap between doing and understanding is exactly where coaching lives.
Silence Is a Performance Tool. Elise adopted 10-15 minutes of morning silence after realizing she had never given her brain space to process. No phone, no input, no agenda. Just quiet. The neuroscience backs it up, and the practical reason she kept it is simple: it works.
Treat Failure Like a Scientist. Olympian Olivia Smoliga approaches every failure with childlike curiosity — not dwelling, not bypassing, but investigating. Most athletes either get stuck in failure or rush past it. Curiosity is the third option, and the one that actually extracts the lesson.
Gratitude Does Real Work. David Ortiz answered “what makes you feel successful?” with one word: gratitude. Buzz Williams writes four to five letters a day. JP ran a gratitude session before a national quarterfinal. Gratitude helps athletes bounce back faster, reconnect to purpose, and release what they’re carrying.
Say Yes More Than You Think You Should. Rustin’s biggest insight from years of sports journalism: people respond. Elise cold-emailed Michael Phelps. Mark Cuban replied in an hour. JP’s former player remembered the 17s he ran in practice and used that memory to push through a brutal stretch at Google. The coaches who reach toward their athletes in hard moments are the ones who get remembered.
ACTION ITEMS FOR LEADERS AND COACHES
SPEND 10 MINUTES IN SILENCE
Before your next practice, sit in silence for 10 minutes. No podcast, no phone, no agenda. Borrow the practice Elise took from Kobe. Notice what your mind does with the space.
GET CURIOUS ABOUT ONE FAILURE
Choose a recent loss, a drill that fell flat, or a player interaction that didn’t land. Don’t fix it or move past it. Ask: What is actually interesting about this? What would a scientist notice?
WRITE ONE LETTER THIS WEEK
Identify someone who has helped your program this season. Write them a short, handwritten note, not a text. This is the practice Rustin borrowed from Buzz Williams. It builds connection and forces gratitude.
TRY SOMETHING YOUR ATHLETES DO
Pick one mental skill, ritual, or habit you’ve seen work for an athlete on your team. Try it yourself this week. You can’t fully teach what you haven’t experienced.
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