The Single Study That Influences My Work More Than Any Other

Alex Auerbach, the Raptors' ex-Director of Wellness & Development, pinpoints the paper that changed how he psychologically prepared NBA stars - & outlines the lessons you can apply with your athletes

If there's one question I get asked more than any other, it's this: "What separates the best in the world from the rest?"

After working with hundreds of athletes in the NBA, NFL, and MLB, I've seen firsthand that the psychological edge is often the difference-maker. At the highest performance levels, physical talents tend to equalize. Everyone is strong, skilled, and has put in thousands of hours of practice.

Yet some consistently rise to the occasion while others falter. Some thrive under pressure while others crumble. Some seem to access extraordinary states of performance at will, while others struggle to find consistency.

What explains this gap? In my early career, I searched everywhere for answers. I studied the classics of sport psychology, interviewed elite performers about their mental processes, and tested countless methods with my clients. The results were mixed. Traditional approaches helped, but something was missing in our fundamental understanding of peak performance states.

Then I discovered a study that articulated what I had been observing but couldn't fully explain. It was like finding the missing piece that suddenly made the entire puzzle make sense. This one groundbreaking study has shaped my approach more than any other research in the field.