AFTER a stellar yet grinding 2022 campaign, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps spent his off-season in America, exploring the world of American sport with his friends and teammates. 

Not only was Cripps hosted by the New England Patriots, getting to tour the elite NFL facility, but he also spent his time at NBA clubs while also looking for extra one percenters which could come in handy come the new season.

Speaking to some high-level coaches and experts, Cripps shed some light on one of the new techniques that he hopes may only enhance his game.

“We got into some NBA clubs and watched some NFL games,” Cripps told Channel 7.

“I did a bit of breath work training, so that’s something I haven’t done a lot of work in. 

“I do stuff like meditation but [this was] more so breathing for capacity, it could be a little one percenter that helps – you never know.” 

On his journey across the States, Cripps also had the honour of meeting with Dr Michael Gervais, a renowned sports psychologist who has worked with Olympic athletes, musicians and Fortune 500 CEOs. 

Working with some of the best that American sport has to offer, the chance for the reigning Brownlow Medallist to cross paths with Gervais was "nearly the highlight of the trip": Gervais is known for his ability to train mindset skills and practices to help people achieve their goals.

“I was pretty pumped when I got to meet him – listening to someone else’s perspective and hearing their wisdom and their knowledge, it was nice to bounce ideas off.” 

One thing that Cripps definitely has had to manage is his mindset around how his team’s season ended, with the star midfielder preaching that he would rather see team success than the individual accolades that he has received this off-season. 

Cripps’ extra work in the US - plus the other mental work he has put in over his career - should hold the captain in good stead heading into 2023. 

“Footy has a funny way of teaching you lessons and we learnt it the hard way – we just have to make sure we learn from that.”