Learn your Athletic Personality

Athletics and the Enneagram

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Along with Mat's own 35 year athletic background and 25 year coaching background, Mat has been studying the mental side of athletics via a personality test called the Enneagram. This personality test helps the athlete understand what/why they are motivated by certain goals and not others. It also helped explain the potential fears, missteps and road blocks an athlete may come across during their career. These traits can also be helpful in every day life at work, and with the family.

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Cost to hire Mat for a session: $80 hourly and meeting can be held at either a local coffee destination, or Aldershot, in Burlington, Ontario.

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Contact Mat: 905-923-4004, matcreid@yahoo.com

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What type sounds most like you below?

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Type 1: The Perfectionist and Sports

Likely possessing an acute sense of duty and an insatiable drive to accomplish tasks in a proper manner, you would be classified as a Type 1 individual. In sports, this can translate to a focus on technique and precision. Although being introspective can cultivate self-awareness, it may simultaneously engender anxieties about imperfections and an inclination to subject oneself to excessive disparagement. To boost your sports performance as a Type 1, try to focus on the process rather than the outcome, and be kind to yourself when mistakes happen.

Type 2: The Helper in the Athletic World

Possessively caring as a Helper archetypal figure, your longing to uplift and empower seems deeply ingrained in the core of your being. In sports, this can translate to a focus on teamwork and collaboration. Although serving others altruistically may seem virtuous, this propensity can also cultivate a proclivity to prioritise the necessities of others over your own imperative personal progress. To boost your sports performance as a Type 2, make sure to prioritise your own training and goals, while still maintaining a focus on teamwork and collaboration.

Type 3: The Achiever's Athletic Pursuits

With an intense motivation to accomplish your aims and strong desire for accomplishment inherent in your Type 3 personality, success is what you vigorously pursue. In sports, this can translate to a focus on competition and winning. Though invaluable when tempered, such a mindset unmitigated invariably elevates victory over virtually all else, health and happiness not excluded. Rather than myopically obsessing over victories and defeats, the Type 3 athlete should nurture both corporeal and psychological well-being, diligently honing the intricacies of their craft.

Type 4: The Individualist on the Field

With an innate urge to craft an independent identity and convey it in an artistic manner, you as a Type 4 personality probably possess a robust sense of self and creative expression. In sports, this can translate to a focus on style and flair. Although possessing an analytical mindset may prove advantageous in certain regards, it can likewise engender a propensity for an excess of self-reproach and invidious comparisons between oneself and others. To boost your sports performance as a Type 4, try to focus on your own unique strengths and talents, and avoid comparing yourself to others.

Type 5: The Investigator's Athletic Analysis

The inquisitive 5 enneagram type has an insatiable thirst for knowledge that drives them to probe deeply into and gain insight about the inner workings of the world surrounding them. In sports, this can translate to a focus on strategy and analysis. Though capable of incisive introspection, such penetrating self-scrutiny risks spiralling into a churning vortex of rumination. To boost your sports performance as a Type 5, try to balance analysis with action, and trust your instincts when it comes to making decisions on the field.

Type 6: The Loyalist and Team Sports

As a Type 6, you likely have a strong sense of loyalty and a desire for security. In sports, this can translate to a focus on teamwork and following the rules. Although possessing such a cautious disposition could prevent imprudent decision making, it may also cultivate an overprotective instinct that deters one from venturing beyond familiar boundaries. To boost your sports performance as a Type 6, try to balance caution with calculated risks, and trust your instincts when it comes to making decisions on the field. 

Type 7: The Enthusiast in the Sports Arena

Those who possess an adventurous Type 7 personality tend to crave novel experiences and embarking upon escapades into the uncharted. In sports, this can translate to a focus on fun and excitement. Although possessing a highly active mind has its benefits, it can potentially also foster a propensity for one's attention to wander and concentration to lapse with ease. To boost your sports performance as a Type 7, try to balance fun with discipline, and stay focused on your goals even when things get challenging.

Type 8: The Challenger’s Dominance in Sports

As a Type 8, you likely have a strong sense of power and a desire for control. In sports, this can translate to a focus on physical strength and dominance. Although possessing such a trait may prove advantageous under certain circumstances, it could potentially engender an inclination to behave in an overly forceful manner and to cast aside established guidelines with reckless abandon. To boost your sports performance as a Type 8, try to balance aggression with discipline, and respect the rules of the game even when you're feeling competitive.

Type 9: The Peacemaker's Role in Team Sports

A Type 9 personality typically harbours an intense yearning to establish tranquility and concord within their environs. In sports, this can translate to a focus on teamwork and cooperation. Although a tendency towards cooperation and acquiescence can prove advantageous at times, it may also cultivate an inclination to eschew discord and remain quiescent in the midst of action. To boost your sports performance as a Type 9, try to balance cooperation with assertiveness, and don't be afraid to speak up and take charge when necessary.

By grasping how the intricacies of your personality influence your mindset when competing athletically, tailored techniques can be crafted to optimize your potential and accomplish your objectives.

Take the Enneagram test today to discover your personality type and gain insight into how it can impact your sports performance.