Episode 75: Steven Cockram, Performance Mindset Coach, with hosts Stan Markotich and K.P. Wee

In this episode, New Zealand-based performance mindset coach Steven Cockram re-joins the podcast for a follow-up with co-host Stan Markotich and regular host K.P. Wee.

SUMMARY: Whatever we do in life, mindset matters! And that’s why it’s the focus of Steve Cockram’s highly successful practice. As a performance coach, he helps clients stretch, grow and reach ambitious goals – both as athletes and as humans. Host K.P. Wee and his special co-host, Stan Markotich, invite their guest to share insights gleaned over his years as a high-level rugby player and trusted AthleticMindset advisor to top competitors across the gamut of sports. 

Based in New Zealand and part of the fitness industry since the age of 17, Steve incorporates sports psychology to help clients uncover blocks often rooted in past relationships and personal history. Working on a perceptual and empathetic level, he coaxes athletes into deeper motivation by helping them to understand motivations, challenges and barriers like Impostor Syndrome or performance anxiety. You’ll learn about the overlap between the mindsets and behaviors of aspiring athletes and burgeoning authors (more than you might imagine) and discover how Steve builds trust (and favorable outcomes) through transparency, communication and a willingness to change course when necessary. Join us to find out what zone you’re in – Comfort, Fear or Growth – and why uncovering your core beliefs (especially those that do not serve) can make all the difference when it comes to overcoming setbacks and averting disappointment out on the playing field and everywhere else in life!

Click here if you would like to hear previous episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast or here if you’d like to know more about the many books he has authored.

If you’re a fan of this podcast’s intro music, please follow Roger Chong: Twitter @chongroger and Instagram @chongroger

KEY TOPICS:

• Steve introduces himself and explains what distinguishes his work as a mindset coach focused on relationships and personal history as a tool for athletic transformation.
• Different sports attract different types of personalities, but triggers for things like Impostor Syndrome and performance anxiety are universal. 
• About the three zones in which Steve works:
• • Comfort Zone.
  • Fear Zone.
  • Growth Zone.
• Two components of averting failures and overcoming setbacks: 
• • Bring a growth mindset (drive, desire, dedication and discipline) to the examination of mistakes.
  • Manage expectations to enable clarity, flexibility and a reset.
• A closer look at divergent athletic styles: Coaches are in a unique position to understand the goals, motivations and psychology that individual players bring to their sports.
• Sometimes expectations align, and sometimes they don’t. And that’s okay! Steve recalls an example of an athlete with whom his style of performance coaching was not a fit.
• Part of Steve’s success is his transparency right out of the gate with clients in terms of his approach, style and the program’s interactive, personal elements. 
• How common vocabulary deepens client communication and worksheet reflections.
• The elements that Steve emphasizes in building trust and accountability include:
• • Honesty.
  • Sharing.
  • Empathy.
  • Openness.
  • Vulnerable.
• The Root of Impostor Syndrome: Steve believes it the result of going through a process multiple times in which you feel you’ve fallen short or failed to achieve. The result for many is feelings of:
• • Pain.
  • Isolation.
  • Self-doubt.
  • Exclusion from community.
• Steve’s prescription for overcoming Impostor Syndrome: Consistently demonstrate to yourself a base-level ability to perform in an environment where you don’t feel comfortable and, over time, deep feelings of competency and self-empowerment will naturally follow.  
• Writers Are No Different: Like athletes, those who pursue the written word experience setbacks and self-doubt on the way to honing their craft and reaching for the peaks.
• Loner Athletes: Steve asks probing questions to open up a conversation about how family ties (or lack thereof) impact development and can be processed to advantage.
• Fundamental Elements of Steve’s Program:
• • What is your “why”? 
  • What does your support network look like?
  • What roles and responsibilities define your life?
  • How can we create a program individualized to your identity and goals?
• About how Steve uses personalization to help athletes separate their identity as an athlete in training/competition from other roles (such as partner or parent) in life.
• What it looks like to nurture talent, opening up an entire set of possibilities (and growth) for people both personally and professionally, as athletes and as students. 
• Changing Course: Steve is a big fan of pushing boundaries and resetting when necessary to accommodate limits and achieve overall goals. 
• Why Steve’s commitment to being iterative and flexible inspires understanding and trust in clients – getting them the results they want and deserve!

KEY QUOTES:

• “For me as a mindset coach, it’s about being a transformational coach rather than a transactional coach.” (Steve) 
• “You treat (athletes) as individuals in terms of what it is they want to achieve; their No. 1 aim by being on that team. What is it they’re wanting to bring?” (Steve)
• “An integral part of my service is that all my core values shine through all the time. And the minute they don’t, there’s something wrong.” (Steve)
• “Mastering Impostor Syndrome is a process. There is no quick fix. It’s not just a click your fingers and it’s done. And that’s all to do with fear of failure.” (Steve)
• “You see that mentality or mindset of Impostor Syndrome everywhere. You see people essentially turning themselves into actors instead of academics or writers.” (Stan)
• “Students preparing for Advance Placement exams feel nervous. They’re turning in these essays that they know will determine their future in terms of getting into a good university or college. So they get nervous … even if they’re top students!” (K.P.)
• “Every time I nearly put my foot over the threshold, I will consciously bring it back. And where (athletes) weren’t necessarily wanting to open up with certain information, they give it to me because they start to understand what process I’m following.” (Steve)
• “I always check myself after three or four sessions on the same topic just to make sure I’m in the right space to get the best information to help (clients).” (Steve) 

 

ABOUT STEVE: Steve’s passion for coaching, training, and educating originates from his enjoyment and satisfaction in helping clients & athletes to achieve their specific goals, whilst making positive and sustainable changes to their performance, health & psychology. Working with a number of professional athletes across different sporting fields through specialized rehabilitation, nutritional and pre/post competition programs, Steve has been on a progressive journey that has enabled him to work with some amazing industry professionals.

FOLLOW STEVE:

Website: @AthleticMindset

@Facebook

@LinkedIn

ABOUT STAN:

About Guest Host Stan Markotich: Born and raised in Vancouver, Stan completed his undergraduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1985. From there, he went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Victoria. In 1987, he moved to Indiana University, earning his doctoral degree in history under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Jelavich. Upon graduation, Markotich accepted an appointment with Radio Free Europe, serving as Serbian analyst and remaining in Europe for roughly a decade. He is the main author of White Paper of the Independent Media Commission: Media and Democratisation in Bosnia and Hercegovina (2000). Markotich is currently revising a memoir that deals with his years in the Balkans. Now based in Greater Vancouver, he teaches classes at a private school, lectures for Brock House Society, and offers courses on the Balkans through SFU Continuing Education.

About K.P. Wee: K.P. Wee is the author of multiple books and a regular contributor to sports radio programs and websites. In addition to hosting The K.P. Wee Podcast, he also enjoys writing sports and psychological fiction with a twist of romance. He spent a decade working as a program developer and instructor for a private school before joining the Vancouver Canadians baseball club’s media relations department. 

You can find out more about books by K.P. Wee here.

Follow K.P. Wee:

K.P. @Twitter

Additional episodes of the K.P. Wee Podcast are available here.