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Have Your Athletes Reflect On Gratitude Once Per Week And See The Results

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PCA National Advisory Board Member Dacher Keltner is a Psychology Professor and the Director of the Greater Good Science Center (@GreaterGoodSC) at UC-Berkeley. Keltner is most famous in the sports world for his study on NBA teams, when he identified a link between positive, supportive ‘touching’ (such as high-fives) and success on the court. Keltner is also a published author, most recently publishing The Power Paradox.

As Keltner says in this video, when athletes (or anyone for that matter) take time each week to reflect (through relaxing, thinking, writing) on what they're grateful for, what they appreciate, what's been given to them, or something a teammate has helped them with, it can have very powerful results. Keltner's research shows that this weekly reflection can increase happiness, cardiovascular function, and improve relationships with others. Keltner urges coaches to give athletes the space and time to do this each week in a structured way.