Szabolcs Hollósi, Athlete Assessments consultant client, elevates sporting performance through DISC Profiling
What’s the connection between Szombathely, Hungary and the Sunshine Coast, Australia?
Szombathely might be 15,588 kms from the Sunshine Coast, but it’s home to our newest consultant client, Szabolcs Hollósi. Experienced in brokering change, Szabolcs now has the tools and resources to partner with Hungarian sport on a national level, creating opportunities for athletes and coaches to take their performance to exciting new heights based on DISC Behavioral profiling.
Through our relationship with Szabolcs, AthleteDISC and CoachDISC are being translated into Hungarian so athletes and coaches can take the survey, receive their ProfileReports and access crucial resources in the Hungarian language.
Currently working with professional basketball teams and National Futsal teams, Szabolcs is making exciting progress in Hungarian sport, we’ll keep you posted because we know you’ll be as keen to hear about his wins as we are. Like all Athlete Assessments consultant clients, Szabolcs Hollósi has ongoing access to Bo Hanson’s professional experience, mentoring and advice and the support of the Athlete Assessments team. The translated resources coupled with his own personal attitude which compels him to meet challenges with passion and enthusiasm is a powerful mix and one that we at Athlete Assessments value in all our consultant relationships.
He says, “I enjoy the professional support of the Athlete Assessments team, it enables me to respond to every challenge I come across with my clients. I just look forward to facing as many of these as possible.”
One of the things we like most about Szabolcs’s work isn’t just his consistency or outstanding outcomes, but the way he thoroughly prepares his clients for personal change.
For example, he established the DISC Study Circle so that people could get familiar with the DISC concepts and language, paving the way for their personal change and all the opportunities that stem from that new growth. The DISC Study Circle also gives Szabolcs an established forum to work with individuals in.
When it comes to DISC’s most useful application in sport, Szabolcs says, “the most outstanding athletes are characterized by substantial self-awareness; they know about their strengths, needs and weaknesses. By learning about their DISC Profile, they can develop training and competition strategies to support their needs more consciously while building stronger relationships with their coaches and peers.”
Further, Szabolcs, explains how teams can use the self-awareness that DISC brings to build team dynamics and chemistry. He say, “in everyday life, athletes do what they have to do; train, play matches, attend competitions and try to devote enough time to relax. It’s not wise to leave getting to know your teammates and developing awareness of the team to chance. There is significant room for teams to improve both in terms of relationships and team dynamics, acting on which could enhance performance and develop team culture, too. Programs based on the DISC behavior style model provide invaluable help in this.”
In addition to technical and physical improvement, Szabolcs knows that DISC can unlock performance potential within athletes and teams. He says, “(DISC) can exploit existing energies in teams and athletes which is unused because of inefficient management of human factors.”
Szabolcs brings awareness to these blockages, allowing athletes and teams to utilize this capacity to benefit their performance.
While his clients are extremely diverse, they are united by their willingness to change and their faith in his ability. He says, “they trust me, I talk the talk and also walk the walk. I have a sense for their needs (I don’t sell a one-size-fits-all solution; I tailor the programs to them instead).”
He adds, “I love sport and I am proud to serve a role enabling me to support athletes and sport teams I respect and honor.”
Similarly to many of us Szabolcs’s journey into the sports world began at a young age, he explains, “in my birthplace, Répcelak, we had this family tradition of going to the home matches of the local football team every other Sunday. I grew to love sport already from the cradle and this passion has been here to stay all my life. I was a registered football player for 22 years in Division 3 and other lower level amateur leagues, I was a president of a Szombathely based sports association for 6 years and I also spent a year in sports management of County Vas as President of the Vas County Competition Committee of the Hungarian Football Federation. I have been a dedicated fan of Hungarian sport, regardless of the kind.”
A successful transition from the corporate sphere to the sporting sector means that Szabolcs is comfortable in both worlds, takes skills from one to the other and has travelled the path of transition that athletes will journey as their competitive career comes to a close.
Building on this experiential knowledge Szabolcs says, “I would like to work on the mutual utilization of knowledge and experience present in sport and the corporate world, and thus preparing athletes to readjust to civilian life as well.”
Szabolcs has a great deal to share when it comes to successful career transitions and choosing the right career, he says of his own choices, “I (realized) I would never have to work a day in my life because I chose a job I love.”
In addition to facilitating athlete transition, Szabolcs would also like “to put together a team of sport coaches and sport psychologists dealing with increasing mental toughness, developing team chemistry, who could provide professional help for Hungarian sport.”
From the corporate world Szabolcs takes invaluable learnings and experience, we thought we’d share some feedback from Szabolcs’s clients;
“He provides a comprehensible and practical mindset that elevates human relationships (in every area of life) to the next level, conflicts are settled more easily, co-operations flourish. In addition to the efficiency of the method, Szabolcs’s outgoing, mindful, detail and result--orientated (diverse and colorful) style captures the attention of representatives of every color and guides them towards self-awareness.”
“He passed on his knowledge to participants with such a fine genius, deep empathy and mindfulness that he involved even the most silent ones into teamwork.”
It was this passion for working with people and teams that led Szabolcs to transition careers and establish his own company, It Takes a Team Experience (KECS) KFT and the DISC Study Circle. He explains the process, “I had worked in regional development in my own company for 15 years before founding this new one in late 2018. A difficult personal situation 6 years ago made me realize that I was much more interested in developing people and teams than managing investments and projects. I consciously prepared for the change; I attended various trainings, and the name of my company also determines my philosophy.
When Szabolcs is working with teams he’s guided by one of his favorite quotes, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” – Michael Jordan
When we asked Szabolcs how working with Athlete Assessments had contributed to his work with clients, he said, “in addition to the CoachDISC and AthleteDISC tools, this contact has provided me with an elaborate professional framework; an approach which I have easily adopted and have strived to utilize for the development of my clients.”
The process of adapting and translating the tools was a valuable experience on both ends, Szabolcs said, “from the initial contact to entering into an agreement; during the training and the ongoing adaptation process, Laren, Abby, Bo and Liz, i.e. the whole team, have provided me with total support.”
“To be the first in the world to introduce 2 profile tools in the language of his own country. I am proud to be an Athlete Assessments consultant.”
In summary he said, “I never, not for a single moment, felt any time pressure e.g. in terms of entering into our agreement. What’s more, Laren encouraged me every time to take my time to consider everything, prepare the grounds so that I make the right decision since it was our mutual interest.”
“It is very good to be a partner of the Athlete Assessments team because of their high quality people and expertise.”
Where to from here…
Are you a consultant looking to take your clients performance to the next level? No matter where you’re based, here’s some more information about our consultant’s packages.
As a top consultant, your clients rely on you being the best in your field, knowing the true determinants of success and having access to the tools that will make the most impact when it comes to improving performance. Athlete Assessments’ DISC Profiling is the tool you need to help your clients realize their potential.
At Athlete Assessments we’re here to provide you with excellence in service and to help you be your best. If there is anything we can do to be of service, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Suggested Articles
Mental Performance Coach, Dr Nicole Detling, is distinguished by her ability to cultivate exceptional progress in her athletes. Professionally, she was a fundamental part of Team USA’s incredibly successful campaigns at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, 2014 Sochi Olympics and the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang. She worked with the US Speed Skating and Freestyle Aerial Ski Teams as well as the Snowboarding team for PyeongChang. Over 2 decades she’s developed a unique insight into the pressures associated with Olympic performance, how to work through them and lay the foundations for success.
Sandra Chu, High-Performance Consultant, Princeton Graduate, Director of Two Tigers Consulting, successful Collegiate Rowing Coach, is a proven game changer. In any sport, in any field, her commitment to excellence, ability to analyze the obstacles, develop strategies and institute changes, transforms lives and fundamentally the ability and performance of teams.
An “all in” attitude sees Sport Psychology Consultant Becky Ahlgren Bedics use every piece of herself to ensure her athletes, Coaches and athletic administrators are the very best they can be. In this article we put the spotlight on one of the in-demand consultants we work with and share her insights into the critical link between personal growth and athletic performance. She reveals a common problem faced by student–athletes and divulges the invaluable advice she gives to rookies. Her own career trajectory will inspire and inform.
There are instances in sport when a coach will experience a significant break-through with an athlete, or an intense moment of satisfaction when something goes exceptionally well. We describe these instances as “coaching moments”. And although they are often fleeting, they are also treasured, and what makes the hard work and dedication worthwhile. For many coaches, it is what they love most about their role.
For consultants, it isn’t all that different. There are still those special moments when it all comes together and the dedication to the role delivers a “life changing” experience for the client. Performance Consultant Patrick Rufo recently shared one of these very moments with us.
