Playing Games Within The Game - called daily life ...
Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Olivier Goetgeluck
COACHING & WORKSHOPS
Dear Reader,
Yesterday, I was invited for a workshop-discussion at a local sport club called “Inner Power: What Pros Wish They Trained Earlier.”
The main insight from leading this workshop was that, when I coach professional athletes (or any adult) - which I’ve done alongside working with 11-21 year olds for 15 years - certain skills only emerge as needs when trouble arrives.
Understanding our relationship between active thinking and automatic internal dialogue
These are skills people often start practicing reactively after burnout, when the body already said NO, etc.
Why not proactively plant those seeds young, knowing many are headed that way? My dissatisfaction in my early twenties was that nobody ever told me these psycho-physical tools existed. I was so disappointed.
One Q&A topic that intrigued me: internal motivation.
How to reignite your motivation when lost - say, in boring, under-engaging environments below your skill level?
Both pro players and coaches shared insights on self-hyping, even against lesser opponents or in dull training.
A favorite example, shared by pro 3x3 player Dennis Donkor: playing “games within the game.”
Dennis says he adds hidden challenges - like dribbling only left-handed or drilling isolated moves he’s refining - using partners as live dummies for feedback.
Think of a young Kobe Bryant: in his youth he’d ask his team mates to play one-on-one games to 100.
He was superior in skill to them but saw it as an opportunity to train specific moves. He seemed to play his motivational keys and used layers, invisible to others, to keep stretching his skillset.
This tactic helps athletes hit that ideal state - hype level, or flow state - where everything streams.
Players at this level seem to understand how their motivation is influenced and can be self-influenced.
They craft ways to stay engaged, regardless of externals.
That to me is an example inner power: Where do you return when the environment falls short? What internal resources do you bring? What tools unfold your latent potential?
Ideally, environments support all of this fully - but in most sports environments, it’s often utopia…
Still, I believe we should strive.
Starting with ourselves.
IN SEARCH OF ...
From Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi research on flow state:
The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.
From Shunryu Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind:
If you practice something, do with whole you body and mind. Be like a good bonfire, burn yourself completely untill there is nothing left but ashes.
From Mullah Nasruddin's stories:
When I was young, I prayed for strength to change the world. In mid-life, realizing no one had changed, I prayed for power to change those around me. Now, old, I pray simply: "Give me strength to change myself." An answer came: "Now there is no time left - this you should have asked at the beginning."
YOUR POINT OF POWER IS ALWAYS NOW
P.S. These “games within the game” mirror the Day Games I offer - shifting the sports playground to daily life. Mundane everyday moments become invitations to playful challenge. Discover them here.
Join an upcoming event?
Urban Reheat Antwerp: March 28, 2026, 9:00–12:00, Studio Carwash, Antwerp – Morning immersion with playful games to dissolve mental loops into presence. Book Your Spot
Awareness in Movement – Martial Arts Expo: April 18, 2026, ±2 hours, MAS Museum, Antwerp – Explore body intelligence, resilience, and martial arts principles through attention and connection. Register Here
Moving in the Athlete’s Inner Game with Metaphors: May 8, 2026, 15:00–16:15 CEST, Online – For athletes & coaches: Turn inwards with body & metaphors to release tension and cultivate presence in performance. Register Here
Spring Reheat Weekend: May 14-17, 2026, Galicia, Spain – 3-day deep practice with accommodation. Reply to this mail to join the waiting list.
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