Openness, or openness to experience, is one of the traits falling under the categorization of what is referred to as the “Big Five” personality traits. In short, these traits are what psychologists consider to make up an individual’s personality. Within the field of psychology, openness has been defined as “motivated cognitive flexibility.” In broader terms, openness is the willingness to allow change. An individual who expresses more openness tends to be more creative, imaginative, willing to branch out, and apt to trying something new. On the other hand, those expressing less openness tend toward the familiar and pass up on the opportunity for something new. Think along the lines of open-minded vs. closed-minded.
Now, you might be wondering what personality and openness have to do with athletics. In fact, the two play an essential role in the roots of successful athletes and competitive athletics everywhere. A study comparing the Big Five personality traits between athletes and non-athletes at a university showed a significant difference in the traits between the two groups.1 The conclusion was that the athletes in the study exhibited more positive personality characteristics than the non-athletes. If you read through the mission statements NCAA athletic programs you will find a common theme in that many of them promote openness from both the sides of the coaches and the players. Another study found that athletes who exhibit lower levels of openness are more prone to exhibiting avoidance coping strategies.2 Also, it is worthy to note that when coaches and players exhibit differences in openness, reduced commitment is more likely.3
So, now that it is apparent that the trait of openness plays a role in athletes and athletics, how do we interpret openness within sport? While openness in athletes has been tested and compared to that of non-athletes, in studies, the general traits for openness remained the same and were compared using a standardized personality assessment. Openness within these studies has been characterized and measured as “flexibility, creativity, and acceptance of other peoples’ ideas, attitudes and rules.”3 Within athletics, common definitions tend to morph to a degree. We can say, for example, that a certain athlete is open to changing an aspect of his or her game, or they are open to a new form of training, or that they are open to working together as a team rather than as an individual. These examples, along with others commonly associated with the idea of an athlete expressing openness, might not exactly align with the common definition of openness and the tendencies of those with high openness. Thus, as it has been related to in studies, let us consider the athletic version of openness to be “coachability.” Coachability has been defined as the “willingness to be corrected and to act on that correction.” Let’s consider, as an example of a highly coachable player, Quarterback A that just threw an interception. He comes back to the sideline and the coach points out something he did wrong that led to the bad pass, and that he should try something else next time. He replies, “Yes, Coach,” and implements the new strategy the next time he takes the field. Quarterback B, a less coachable player, also threw an interception. When the coach speaks to him about what he did wrong, Quarterback B blames his receiver for a bad route and dismisses the coach’s suggestion. Directly relating back to openness, the coachable quarterback expresses a willingness to be mentally flexible and try something new. The less coachable quarterback shows mental stiffness and sticks with the familiar, unwilling to change, and thus exhibits a less open personality.
Openness for an athlete, though it could be felt and recognized personally, is often better seen from the outside. Competitive athletics does a very good job of exposing personality traits, and they are seen primarily by teammates and coaches. As such, coach and teammate feedback could be one of the best ways of recognizing and assessing openness in an athlete. This is part of why anonymous assessments, such as 360 degree reviews, are utilized by many teams and sporting organizations. It is a good way of exposing to the player what traits his or her teammates and coaches see, as well as showing the coach what the team sees and asses of a particular player. Ask any coach if they would prefer an average-skilled, highly coachable player or an above average, uncoachable player. The coachable player, or the one expressing more openness, will be chosen every time. Openness for an athlete is an invaluable trait. It is also a key trait for leaders, both on and off the field. As such, expressing openness could be considered even more important for athletes in team sports, as opposed to individual ones. Team sport athletes might also require qualities of openness manifested in different ways. Openness with working with others is one of them, as well as openness in knowing and responding to team situations. For example, a baseball player might primarily serve as a power hitter. But, there will be situations in which the team would benefit greater from a small-ball type of play, like a bunt. Although he might be a great power hitter, being a player open to the needs of the team, even if they differ from his specific skill set, makes him a better all-around player. Individual sport athletes certainly still require and benefit from increased openness, as well.
All that being said, there could be a negative impact on athletes that are too open. Like everything else an athlete, or an average individual, does and expresses, it must be done in moderation. If an athlete constantly expressed openness to something new, they would never solidify previous skills. Athletes are creatures of habit, with the added ability to adjust to new and differing in game/competition situations. This is why a baseball hitter might take one hundred swings off of a tee every day, or a basketball player might take fifty free-throws daily, or a football kicker might take dozens of PATs at practice. If an athlete left themselves open to try every piece of advice they’ve heard or every drill they’ve come across, or listened to every suggestion of what to do on this next play from the hundreds to thousands of people yelling in the audience, it would be just as, if not more, harmful than if they never tried anything new to better themselves.
Athletes of all kinds require high degrees of openness to help them achieve a high level of competition, as well as maintaining that level of play and eventually improving beyond. To be the best, you have to be open to the aspects that will get you there. But, you also need to be aware enough to know what you should be open to, and what not to be open to. Openness to new experiences within a sport can be great and beneficial, but a top-tier athlete cannot be open to everything. The most accurate way to understand the delicate balance is using my F.A.S.T. methodology, which interprets data on the individual and team level, ensuring the overall team culture and cohesion remains in tact.
References
1. Talyabee, S.R.; Moghadam, R.S. & Salimi, M. (2013). The investigation of personality characteristics in athlete and non-athlete students. European Journal of Experimental Biology 3(3): 254-256.
2. Allen, M.S.; Greenlees, I. & Jones M. (2011). An investigation of the five-factor model of personality and coping behaviour in sport.J Sports Sci 29(8): 841-50.
3. Mirzaei, A.; Nikbakhsh, R. & Sharififar, F. (2013). The relationship between personality traits and sport performance. European Journal of Experimental Biology3(3): 439-442.