Hi Jim, thank you for taking the time to talk to Irish Sport Horse Magazine. We have heard a lot about the great work that you do with some very high profile equestrians, so we want to find out a bit more about what you do, and how some of our readers may benefit from your services.
Can you tell us a bit about Sports Psychology and what lead you to this profession?
Sports Psychology is a form of coaching that helps sports persons to achieve their goals, by utilizing their subconscious mind to work on their goals for them on. It helps sports people to get clear on their goals, focuses their mind, builds their confidence and helps to eliminate anxiety.
I previously competed to a high level in showjumping, so I understand how difficult it can be to compete when struggling with nerves and anxiety or confidence issues.
Later in my own business, I decided to employ the services of a business coach to help me get to the next level. I found a wonderful coach, who really helped me to work on my own confidence personally, which considerably helped me with my business. I made such great progress and enjoyed the process so much, that my coach encouraged me to go to train to become a coach as well.
Due to my love of horses and Equestrian Sport, once I was qualified, I decided to devote a huge chunk of my work to help other equestrians achieve their personal goals while enjoying their sport!
What kind of person would normally benefit from the services that you offer?
Really anyone who is open minded and wants help! If an individual is feeling stuck in their sport or their life, and don’t seem to be able to break through to the next level, and they are open minded enough to look for help and take guidance, I can help them to make real change in their sport and their lives. My passion is horses, so therefore I find myself quite often helping Equestrian Athletes achieve all they can from their sport. However, I have worked with Golfers, Swimmers, and Track Athletes, and another large part of my work is Business Coaching.
What are the common problems that you encounter when working with people?
One of the main problems that people have is staying focused on their goal. Other commons issues are anxiety; worrying about what other people think; trying too hard to achieve a goal; being too critical of themselves, and of course, more common than you may think, the feeling of not being good enough!
Do you use the same techniques when coaching equestrians as you do when coaching people in other sports/businesses?
Everyone is an individual, so when I work with a person, all my advice and techniques are tailored to that individual and what they require to create better habits that will bring about lasting change in their sport and their life.
When coaching Equestrians, in your opinion how much does a rider’s attitude influence their horse?
100%! Horses pick up on feelings, they feel everything, therefore if the rider is confident, the horse will pick up on this and the competition will go well. However, if the rider is feeling anxious, or stressed, or is in a bad mood, the horse will pick up on this, which can have an adverse effect on the competition.
It is so important for the rider to get into a good frame of mind before they sit on their horse, otherwise, they will only create problems. The rider needs to have a plan of what they want to achieve with their horse, that plan should be broken down to weekly and daily work leading up to an event. This ensures that the horse has been well prepared for what it is being asked to do.
Every time you sit on your horse, you are either training or untraining them, having a plan helps you to stay focused on the training.
Jim Hickey
How important do you think a good routine is to an individual’s success?
For me Routine is the key! A well planned routine brings certainty and confidence. I always say that all the Rosettes are won at home! If you have systematic routine that works for both you and your horses, this is what produces the positive results in competition.
Do you believe a good support team plays a factor in success, and can you give an example of one?
Absolutely, I always tell my clients to sit down at the beginning of the season and plan their events for the year. Once they have their plan, they should first discuss it with close family/friends and with employees, grooms etc. This ensures that everyone knows the goals they are working toward, and what help and support may be required.
They can also extend their plans out to the Vet, the Farrier, Chiropractor/Physio etc. By including these key people in their support team, they won’t be caught by surprise when for example they need the farrier for a big competition, only to discover that he is on holiday!
Can you tell us some of the highs and lows in your career so far?
The Highs for me is every day when I help someone to overcome their nerves and enjoy their sport again. Or when a Rider calls me after just getting off the Podium to tell me that they have achieved the goal that I had worked on with them! Also, I really enjoy helping people to overcome an obstacle in their life which is preventing them from moving forward.
The Lows would be minor, but when I started, I found it hard if people didn’t achieve what they wanted right away. I therefore developed a system for New Clients so that they could measure the success that they achieved along the way, by focusing their mind on the positives, and working out a plan to fix any problem areas.
Different Question can you share your top 3 tips for anyone struggling to achieve a goal?
Step 1 is to Get Clear About Your Goal! It is important for you to be very clear about the goal that you want to achieve.
Step 2 is to Visualize Your Goal as if you have already achieved. Picture yourself daily, achieving your Goal.
Step 3 is to Feel it as if you have it already! This is a very important step, because if you can see it in your mind and then really feel as if you have it already, it sends a powerful message to your brain to help you to achieve Your Goal. This is because our subconscious mind believes the reality that we give it. If you consistently tell the subconscious that you have achieved your goal it will go to work making it your reality!
This Interview was originally published in the April 2019 Issue of Irish Sport Horse Magazine. If you would like to contact Jim Hickey Sports Psychologist you can do so through his Facebook Page Here>> or through his website www.jimhickey.ie.