Affected by perfection?

Affected by Perfection?

The conversation for the insider report on Niklas Römer, one of the best wide receivers in Germany, truly impressed me deeply. Rarely have I met such a focused and - especially in terms of sports psychology - self-taught athlete. One thing became completely clear to me during my visit to Niklas' family: He definitely inherited his athletic abilities! Both his mother and father are true athletes through and through. But of course, every coin has two sides.

On the Topic: Perfectionism as Driving Force and Pitfall

His mother told me about how one day she mentioned to Niklas that all the other kids in the neighborhood could already ride a bike, except for him. It took five minutes until Niklas ran outside, hopped on his bike, and only came back inside once he could do it. I learned about many more examples, whether it was learning to play the guitar or keyboard, where Niklas, with his strong will, devoted himself to the topic until he mastered the technique. His family shared a story with me that, in my opinion, describes very well who Niklas Römer, one of the top players of the German serial champion New Yorker Lions, really is. The story is about a Rubik's Cube. A few years ago, he stumbled upon one of these cubes at his family's house shortly before Christmas. He tried and tried, read instructions, and watched videos online all night until he finally solved it, only then could he sleep. When his brother saw how much fun he was having with this cube, he ordered one for him online the next day. On the same day, when two packages suddenly arrived at the family's house, everyone was puzzled. It turned out that Niklas had already ordered one for himself.

Everything Becomes a Competition

But I also met family members who talked about how exhausting it can sometimes be to stand next to such an ambitious person. How it is to plan a cozy bowling evening with him to enjoy some quality time, and Niklas comes with a completely different goal - he also wants to win here. They wish for him to learn to let go in such moments and be able to embrace new goals, rather than always turning everything into a competition for his future. From a sports psychology perspective, this is certainly interesting and a starting point for a concrete collaboration. However, in our previous conversations, I found that Niklas has found a good way to actively eliminate strongly negative thoughts when he doesn't achieve his goals.

Fear and Self-Doubt

These negative thoughts like fear and self-doubt often impose themselves on this personality type and are therefore the biggest challenge for the "affected individual." But this does not always have to have negative effects, especially in the context of sports, as prominent examples from other sports show: Specifically, I would work with Niklas on various relaxation techniques. I believe it is important to actively allow oneself some peace and to learn to actively steer towards serenity even in recreational sports. For this, I would particularly recommend and practice progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training, and meditation with him.

What Weaknesses, Actually?

But back to the "kitchen table" of Niklas' family: I listened to his mom talk about how incredibly proud she is of her son and how close they are, despite the great distance. Not to forget his brother, who had to think for a long time about what his brother's actual "weaknesses" are. Ultimately, I want to thank you, dear Römers, for allowing me to gain such deep insights into your family and your shared history on that day. Even though there were so many very private stories, far too private for me to use in this article, I did get the chance to get to know and understand this Niklas Römer much better. I am convinced that looking at his journey can help many of us progress: So, all you fantastic athletes out there, all you wonderful receivers: Now you know the way to your goal - set off on the path to get there.       References: - Vopel, Klaus (2010). Mental Training: Visualization and Trance Techniques in Sports. Iskopress Verlag - Aellig, Steff (2004). On the Sense of Nonsense: Experiencing Flow and Well-Being as Incentives for Autotelic Activities: A Study Using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) Using Rock Climbing as an Example. Waxmann Verlag - Lindemann, Hannes. 2004. Autogenic Training: The Proven Way to Relaxation. Goldmann Verlag - Hainbuch, Friedrich. 2014. Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag GmbH - Mannschatz, Maria. 2015. Meditation: More Clarity and Inner Peace. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag GmbH