Sport Psychology Institute Northwest

Using the On-and-Off switch: NFL players and everyday life

NFL football, sometimes called our "gladiator sport", is without a doubt the most violent sport in mainstream America today. It's easy to think of hard-hitting gridiron warriors like Brian Dawkins, Ray Lewis, and Shawne Merriman as modern day gladiators...but we forget that's only for a couple hours on Sunday. How does that switch get flipped to be fathers, husbands, and regular people for the other six days of the week?

Here's what some athletes said, as covered in an NYT article from Super Bowl XLII:

“You have to have two personalities, one for football, one for your daily life.” - Clem Daniels, ex-Raiders running back

"Once you get on the field and put the helmet on, it’s like a whole other animal. Really, I like to think of it like my mask, not really as a superhero or anything like that. Once I put that mask on, I don’t know, it’s like controlled violence.” - Kawika Mitchell, Giants linebacker

"Football is a violent sport. It is a sport of: ‘Who gives up first? What can you do to make your opponent give up or not want to play?" - Kareem McKenzie, Giants offensive tackle

So what happens when the switch can't be turned off, or the athlete doesn't know how? One possibility could be a rash of violent behavior - see the Cincinatti Bengals. Another possible consequence of not knowing how to get out of game day mode could be burnout. Some tips for avoiding burnout:

1. Set short term goals - short term goals can both provide a positive sense of accomplishment and build long-term motivation, providing for context and positive momentum in training. It helps us stay grounded and focused, and avoid 'getting lost' in training

2. Learn self-regulation skills - Skills such as relaxation, imagery, or goal setting can help ward off burnout. Burnout usually involves sport eclipsing all other aspects of life with negative consequences all around, and good self regulation can moderate the stress involved in intense athletic performance and training.

3. Keep a positive outlook - When training and performing, try to keep focus on what you can control and improving your skills. Concentrating on outside criticism or factors which can't be controlled (i.e., "I can't believe the ref made that call!!") can lead to excess stress and burnout down the road. Try having a good source of social support (close friend, teammate) to help keep your focus positive.

Read the whole New York Times report here.