FENCING
Since early 2024, Mikan has been supporting top-level fencers in the Netherlands with mental coaching, focused on improving the fencers’ awareness of – and ability to manage – body, thoughts and feelings. After a highly succesfull pilot project with 4 fencers (ages 17-19), one of which immediately went on win the Dutch Junior Championships, came in second in the Senior Championships, and places for the Dutch National Team, the second batch (ages 14-20) is now well underway. Mikan wishes all coachees good luck at the upcoming Dutch Open in Rosmalen, Netherlands on December 21 and 22!
Some feedback from the initial, and second, foursomes:
All four initial fencers were “Very satisfied with the Pilot Mental Coaching”, with expanding statements including:
- “I am more aware of my body, emotions, and thoughts”,
- “Wonderful to discover who you are and what you wish to be as a person, on the fencing piste, and outside of it”, and
- “I have noticed that this [coaching’ has helped me tremendously during matches and into the future”.
The second foursome interim feedback:
- “This brings me a lot – very happy to have this”,
- “Really nice, it is definitely helping me”, “
- “The coaching sessions so far are really helpful. The topics covered throughout the weeks are relevant and I am able to apply them during training. I have seen some differences in how I approach trainings and competitions. I’m able to build a more positive mindset and learned ways to deal with negativity during matches.”
- “The coaching is making him think and he is actively doing his coaching homework.[,,,] He is already not really angry nor frustrated anymore [during matches]”
RACQUETBALL
In August 2024, Marcel Lünsmann and Ernesto Ruiz participated in the Racquetball World Championships in Texas, USA on behalf of Team Germany. Whilst Racquetball’s prime technical and tactical coach Jim Winterton (https://wintertonracquetball.com/) supported Marcel’s growth as an expert player, Mikan supported Marcel with mental and emotional coaching in the months leading up to the tournament, and supported Marcel and Ernesto with sponsoring to enable their participation in this world-level competition. Despite facing challengers who practice this sport full-time on the professional circuit, Marcel and Ernesto gained the respect of the players and coaches with their skills and professionalism. And Marcel managed to secure the Gold in the A category! It was joyful to see the progress made, and Mikan is happy to have been part of this wonderful process. As Jim would say: “Onwards and Upwards!” Team Germany has qualified for participation in the World Games 2025 in China, and Mikan hopes to be part of that journey also!
Marcel on his way to the World’s!
Ernesto and Marcel preparing with KANE WASELENCHUCK, the Greatest Racquetball player of ALL TIME!
European players at the 2024 World Championships in San Antonio, USA
Marcel won the Category A at the World Championships! Congratulations Marcel!
TESTIMONIAL
Erfahrungsbericht mentales Coaching von Mikan van Zanten – von Marcel Lünsmann aus Hamburg, 2-facher Europameister Racquetball
Meine persönlichen Erfahrungen mit Mikan van Zanten als mentaler Coach habe ich im privaten und sportlichen Bereich gemacht.
In beiden Bereichen hat Mikan mir dabei geholfen, meine eigenen Emotionen und Gefühle im Körper zu interpretieren.
Jede Situation im Alltag löst im Menschen bewusst oder unbewusst Reaktionen im Körper aus.
Eine stressige Situation löst in der Regel negative Emotionen aus, weshalb wir gestresst wirken. Durch Mikan habe ich gelernt, solche Situationen
durch einen kurzen, stillen Moment im Körper zu spüren, um damit besser umgehen zu können.
Habe ich mich bei der Arbeit in einer Auseinandersetzung gestresst und unwohl gefühlt, habe ich durch das Coaching von Mikan gelernt, die Gefühle in meinem Körper zu lokalisieren und zu spüren. Wichtig hierbei war, diese Gefühle zuzulassen und diese für okay zu bewerten.
Beispiel: Ich fühle etwas kribbeln in der Nähe von meinem Herzen und lasse dieses bewusst zu, ich wehre mich nicht dagegen, weil es normal ist und zu den Emotionen eines Menschen dazugehört.
Wichtig war für mich, regelmäßig über diese Erfahrungen zu sprechen, um ein Feedback zu bekommen. Dadurch fühle ich mich sicherer und habe keine Probleme mehr wenn sich solche Emotionen und Gefühle im Körper äußern.
Wichtig zu wissen ist, dass man das nicht erzwingen kann. Man kann es lernen seine Gefühle zu spüren und zu lokalisieren, aber es geht nicht immer gleich schnell. Manchmal erlebt man Situationen, bei denen es nicht so gut funktioniert, dann ist es wichtig sich Zeit zu nehmen, um in Ruhe den Körper damit arbeiten zu lassen.
Im sportlichen Bereich hat mir das mentale Coaching dabei geholfen, mit Drucksituationen im Wettbewerb besser klar zu kommen. Am Anfang wollte ich nur gewinnen, mehr nicht. Dann wollte ich für die Zuschauer gewinnen und habe die Erwartungen an mich selbst erhöht. Dies hat zu einem innerlichen Druck geführt und Stress in. ir ausgelöst, ohne das ich das bemerkt habe.
Das Ergebnis waren stark schwankende Leistungen.. manchmal konnte ich die eigene Leistung gar nicht ans maximum bringen.
Durch das mentale Coaching habe ich mich besser auf die Spiele vorbereitet, denn nicht nur die spielerischen Fähigkeiten sind wichtig. Genauso wichtig sind die mentalen Fähigkeiten in einem Spiel, besonders wenn es auf Augenhöhe ist.
Durch die mentale Fähigkeit bin ich in der Lage Ruhe in mein Spiel zu bekommen und diese auch zu erhalten.
Ich habe gelernt zu spielen um zu spielen, um zu leben und zu genießen, nicht um zu gewinnen.
Mikan hat mir gezeigt, dass wenn du es zulässt, Gott mir hilft entscheidungen zu treffen, weil es sein Wille ist, nicht meiner.
Auch jetzt, nach einiger Zeit mit Mikan als Coach an meiner Seite bin ich nicht fertig, nicht perfekt. Ich lerne jedes mal wieder neue Dinge dazu oder verbessere mich durch die Wiederholung von bekannten Dingen.
Mikan hat mir geholfen, zufrieden zu sein egal was passiert, das hat dazu geführt, dass ich mental strukturierter und aufgeräumter bin, was meine Leistung verbessert hat.
Im August 2024 nehme ich an der Weltmeisterschaft im Racquetball teil und werde hier neue Erfahrungen machen.
Dieser Bericht wurde erstellt von Marcel Lünsmann aus Hamburg.
Experience report on mental coaching by Mikan van Zanten – by Marcel Lünsmann from Hamburg, 2-time European Champion Racquetball.
My personal experiences with Mikan van Zanten as a mental coach have been in the private and sporting spheres.
In both areas, Mikan helped me to interpret my own emotions and feelings in my body.
Every situation in everyday life triggers reactions in people’s bodies, consciously or unconsciously.
A stressful situation usually triggers negative emotions, which is why we seem stressed. Through Mikan, I learned to sense such situations in my body through a short, quiet moment in order to be able to deal with them better.
If I felt stressed and uncomfortable in an argument at work, Mikan’s coaching taught me to localize and feel the feelings in my body. The important thing here was to allow these feelings and to judge them as okay.
Example: I feel a tingling sensation near my heart and consciously allow it to happen. I don’t fight it because it’s normal and part of a person’s emotions.
It was important for me to talk about these experiences regularly in order to get feedback. This makes me feel more secure and I no longer have problems when such emotions and feelings express themselves in my body.
It is important to know that you can’t force it. You can learn to feel and localize your feelings, but it doesn’t always happen at the same speed. Sometimes you experience situations where it doesn’t work so well, then it is important to take time to let your body work with it in peace.
In the sporting area, mental coaching helped me to cope better with pressure situations in competition. At the beginning I just wanted to win, nothing more. Then I wanted to win for the spectators and increased my expectations of myself. This led to internal pressure and caused stress in me without me noticing it. The result was a highly fluctuating performance… sometimes I couldn’t even bring my own performance to the maximum.
Through mental coaching I prepared better for the games, because it’s not just the playing skills that are important. The mental skills in a game are just as important, especially when it’s on equal terms.
Through mental ability I am able to bring calm into my game and also maintain it.
I learned to play to play, to live and enjoy, not to win.
Mikan showed me that if you allow it, God helps me make decisions because it is his will, not mine.
Even now, after some time with Mikan as my coach, I am not finished, not perfect. I learn new things every time or improve by repeating familiar things.
Mikan helped me to be content no matter what happens, this has led to me being more mentally structured and organized, which has improved my performance.
In August 2024 I will take part in the Racquetball World Championship and will gain new experiences here.
This message was created by Marcel Lünsmann from Hamburg.