Sport Psychology Institute Northwest

2009-12-31T12:07:00.000-08:00

The New Year’s Resolution – Why some Goals Fail and How to Set More Effective Goals

Welcome to 2010. Did you set a New Year’s Resolution (or 12)? Have you kept them? Have you already written any off as impossible?

Have you ever wondered why New Year’s Resolutions so seldom stick? The New Year’s Resolution is about changing human behavior, which is no easy feat. (Trying to change it in the days after staying out all night and having a little too much champagne doesn’t make it any easier!)

Setting New Year’s Resolutions is but one form of goal setting. The reasons that athletes fail to achieve their goals are the same reasons people in all walks of life may fail using the New Year’s Resolution to change habits and lifestyle. In sport psychology research and literature, goal setting is the most consistently proven factor in facilitating peak performance. However, when goals are not set properly, they are not as effective as they could be, and can even be counter-productive.

Whether setting a New Year’s Resolution, or just a goal in general, here are the main reasons that goal may fail:

Too general
Too hard or unrealistic
Doesn’t account for unexpected events
No consistent check in
Lack of support system

Let’s take a common example of a New Year’s Resolution that is well intentioned, but destined to fail.

Goal: “I want to get in better shape this year.”

Sounds good, right – who wouldn’t want that? But, as is, this goal is destined to fail because it is 1) too general. What does that goal mean? How is it measured? If you go running 1 time in 2010, compared to 2009, when you went running 0 times, you have accomplished your goal! However, I doubt this is what you had in mind when you set that goal. It is too general; so let’s make it more specific:

“I will get in better shape this year by running every day.”

That sounds a little better, but will most likely fail because it is 2) too hard or unrealistic. Most people do not run everyday, and missing 1 day will serve as a de-motivator, making it easy to say the next day: “Oh well, I have already failed, there is no way to accomplish my goal, so what’s the difference if I run or not today?” So let’s adjust to make the goal more realistic:

“I will get in better shape this year by running 3 times a week.”

More specific? Check. More realistic? Check. This goal is pretty good as set. But there are a few other factors to consider. 3) Does this goal account for unexpected events? What happens if there is a weeklong blizzard? What happens if you turn an ankle and can’t run for 2 weeks? These are the kinds of rhythm-breaking events that can derail a goal fast and permanently. So what adjustment can be made to this goal to account for the unexpected? Have a back-up plan so that running can be expanded to other exercise: yoga at home, a Pilates class, and basketball or swimming at the gym are some examples.

“I will get in better shape this year by exercising 3 times a week.”

This goal is infinitely better than it was in its first iteration, and more likely to be attained. Now let’s consider a couple extra points to solidify this goal further; into a life changing plan. The first point is that, with 4) no consistent check-in, many goals can just drop off your radar (due to the factors already mentioned). A couple ideas can help with this. The first is to make sure you write it down and put it in a place you can see it. Or if you like to write, try journaling on your goal. Even better yet, you can break your goal down into smaller pieces:

“I will get in better shape this year by exercising 3 times a week in January. I will set a new goal for February.”

Last but not least, make sure there is no 5) lack of support system. Goals tend to move along better with someone there to support and push you in your goal. It might be a family member or a friend or a trainer at the gym. No matter whom you choose, it has to be someone who is not afraid to call you out when you are slacking, and tell you the truth. This person can also help with the consistent check-in.

It can be helpful to set this goal with a friend or family member (“I will get in better shape this year by exercising 3 times a week with Bill.”) or by making sure it is in a class (“I will get in better shape this year by taking a yoga class 3 times a week.”) or with a trainer ("I will get in better shape this year by exercising at Bob’s Gym 3 times a week.”)

The New Year is a traditional and natural time to make changes – to improve yourself and your quality of life. Athletes know that this needs to be done more than just once a year. Give yourself the best chance to succeed in the changes you want to make by setting goals properly. The New Year’s Resolution is a good place to start!

Interested in working with a sport psychology consultant on your goal setting plan? Contact SPINw to set up an appointment!

2009-10-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Sports Identities

It happens at all levels. Pros retire and move on to the broadcast booth. High schoolers graduate and get to the next level - some realizing they won't make it big. Older weekend warriors gradually realize they can't compete like they used to.

At all levels of athletics, the transition point is eventually reached for most of us when we realize we can't always go on. Maybe it's age, or injuries, or other factors, but at some point the identity of pure athlete is lost.

What is the impact of losing our identities? How can some athletic identity be preserved, even if competition at previous heights is no longer possible?

Leave your comments about athletic identity, and it's loss, below.

2009-10-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Home field (dis) advantage?

It's assumed in sports that playing at home ALWAYS gives an advantage to a team. The roar of the crowd helps push the team to greater heights, building leads and coming from behind, right?

Maybe not. A new story in the Toronto Star tells us the Maple Leafs win at home only 49.4% of the time since 2005 and a remarkable 39% last season.

The reason may be simple - increased pressure to playing at home. The home crowd comes expecting a win, and good luck to the home team if they lose. One ex-Leaf said "Especially if you're not playing well, there's the pressure of, `Oh God, if I mess up they're going to be talking about it in the paper all week and I'll get booed off the ice'."

2009-09-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

A Champion's Evolution

What happens here at the 0:13 mark?

Look familiar from Federer? Maybe not in recent years, but competing with emotions in check has always been a challenge for Federer.

An amateur opponent from 1996 said of the young Roger, "When things weren’t going his way, he had a tendency to hang his head and just have a negative attitude going on.”

It was so bad early in his career the now 15-time major champ had a reputation as a soft player who couldn't fight

his way through a tough match. How the times have changed - perhaps it was maturity, perhaps it was his work at 16 and 17 with a sport psychologist that helped Roger learn to play with his temper instead of against it.

What are your experiences at playing with, and against, temper and anger during competition? How have you gotten the best of it, and it of you? Share your thoughts in comments below. Also, check out the whole report on Federer from the New York Times here.

2009-09-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Tips for building focus and getting In the Zone

Clinical Psychologist Bryan T. Karazsia, in a recent article, offers some interesting tips for building focus and getting in the zone. Some of his ideas include:

Visualization - Practice seeing performance success in your mind before competition even arrives. That way, when the big moment arrives, you've already lived through it.

Breathing - Slow, regular, deep breathing is key for competitors at any level to relax themselves. As clutch moments arrive, breathing work can serve to calm those jittery nerves and upset stomachs.

Cue words - Another useful skill to learn is that of a cue word which prompts us to think of relaxation. Karaszia himself uses "ocean", while other examples could be "clear", "calm", or "breathe".

Remember, these are all skills to be learned. Just as we hone our bodies for competition, so does the elite athlete hone their mind. Regular practice, with the guidance of a SPINw sport counselor, is the key for developing these techniques.

Of course, for those of you familiar with sport psychology, these ideas probably aren't new. What may surprise you is that these tips were offered for a narrower niche: hunters. That's right, Dr. Karaszia's advice and tips appeared in Peterson's Bowhunting. Said the doctor, in summary of the benefits of sport psychology: "The fields of clinical and sports psychology have proven that these [mental training] methods can enhance your performance in the field -- so much that the best athletes in the world have paid thousands of dollars to get some advice from a sports psychologist."

Interesting to see our field expanding into more and more areas....

Read the whole article from Peterson's Bowhunting here.

2009-08-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

Paddy's Psychology

Check out these quotes from 3-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington about sport psychology. Ask yourself if you agree, disagree, and why.

"It ain't rocket science what they, [sport psychologists] tell you."

"It's not going to be some big secret that nobody else but me knows. But knowing it and having the discipline to follow it are two different things."

"You rarely learn from winning...when something is painful, you tend to learn a lot more from it."

"I'm more likely to get into the zone when I'm nervous and have adrenaline going."

"Things like 'inside the present' or plenty of 'respect your routine' or 'acceptance' and 'patience, no judging, no analyzing, [are important sport psychology skills].'"

Good stuff here from Paddy. The first two quotes tell us a lot about the skills sport psychology teaches us. Much of it is not an abstract, new-age concept that's hard to grasp. Skills like staying positive and visualizing our goals are pretty straightforward - but, like Paddy makes clear, there's a difference between KNOWING and DOING. It's important to rehearse and practice the mental game skills we've learned.

The third quote while painful, can ring true - it is in our tough times, in our defeats, when we can learn much about ourselves and our mental game. Acceptance here is key - the nonjudgmental observation of our mental game in order to objectively see ourselves, our skills, and our challenges and areas for improvement.

The fourth quote demonstrates a concept in sport psychology known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law. Basically, it says that humans do their best at performance-related tasks (like sports!) with a certain amount of anxiety - not too little, or we're bored, and not too much, or we're overwhelmed. Paddy is describing this when he says a certain amount of nervousness helps him get in the zone. Check out a picture of the concept here.

The fifth one is up to you to interpret. Tell us what you think about those concepts in the comments section. What do those (inside the present, respect your routine, acceptance, patience, no judging, no analyzing) mean to you and your mental game?

Read the whole article about Harrington's mental game practice from the Minneapolis Star Tribune here.

2009-08-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Book Review - Just Kick It: Tales of an Underdog, Over-Age, Out-of-Place Semi-Pro Football Player by Mark St. Amant

Having been a high school kicker myself growing up in Florida, this book caught my attention right away. And after picking it up, it was such a good read that I completed it in only 3 days. The story spoke to me in a number of ways: going from soccer player to place kicker, fitting in as a minority being one of the only white guys on the team, the thrills and anxiety of competition, and the question that goes through the mind of most over-the-hill athletes - "Could I still do it?" Not only that, but now, as a sport psychology consultant, there are tons of great, experiential anecdotes about the mentality of an athlete in this book.

In Just Kick It, writer Mark St. Amant chronicles his first season as a 37-year-old, first time place kicker for the Boston Panthers, an inner-city Boston semi-pro football team. After researching the history of semi-pro leagues in the United States (which would have made a pretty interesting book on its own), one of St. Amant's contacts asks him if he'd be interested in kicking for the Panthers and before he knows it he's blurted out "Sure, why not?" St. Amant's writing style is compelling, mixing stories about practices, games, his teammates' backgrounds, disappointments, and celebrations.

In my own experience, I found that being a kicker had all the mental challenges faced by a golfer, but with 11 guys way bigger than you barking at you, talking smack, and then charging you at full speed, praying for a chance to pummel the poor kicker. Another mental challenge is that you are not quite looked at as a real football player, but depended upon heavily to win or lose games - in other words, a necessary evil. But perhaps the greatest challenge I faced was getting on the team to begin with. Coming from the soccer team, incorrectly labelled a wimpy sport, being unsure of my ability, and having to learn a new kicking technique (I distinctly remember hitting the center in the butt in my first two practice field goal attempts, and the look he gave me and then the coach afterwards) was not easy.

St. Amant captures these challenges in great detail. Joining the team in the first place, not knowing anyone, and having to prove himself not only to the team and its coach, but in his own mind as well, were the first obstacles. Later, in another instance, he is put in a situation where the amount of extra conditioning the rest of the team had to do was on his shoulders. And then the pressures of kicking live, in games, with fans and teammates looking on, he describes his successes and failures, and the confidence and focus involved in each. His explanation of his mental state in each of these situations contain great lessons that could be applied to any athlete.

The confidence and mental state of any athlete is crucial to the success and enjoyment of any athlete. I highly suggest Just Kick It for athletes and coaches alike. It's well written, funny, and sometimes sad. I found myself a Boston Panther fan at the end of the book, cheering them on as the good guys, and hoping their season would keep going. The details of the sport psych side of his experience: teamwork, positive thinking, focus, and confidence, that he lays out in the book will definitely give you something to use in your own sport.

2009-06-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Slump-Busting Tips

Slumps - we've all been there. Sometimes we know why, and sometimes we don't, but for some reason our performance, energy, and focus just aren't there for a certain period of time. Sometimes it's short, sometimes long, or sometimes in between (check out our article about David Ortiz's early season slump below).

However, most of us aren't a professional of Ortiz's caliber, so we need resources to break out of our own little slumps. Forbes.com has teamed with some sport psychologists to develop some quick tips for exercise and performance slump-busting anyone can use. Shawn Arent, a Rutgers professor of Exercise and Sport Science, had some takes on getting out of the funk, and much of it can relate to life stressors separate from sport. "The brain doesn't distinguish between physiological and psychological stresses. They all add up and can affect your endurance. On the one hand, exercise does reduce anxiety. But on the other hand, your performance may suffer based on your stress level."

Some basic tips for slump-busting and power performance:

Manage Stress. It's key to develop a strong work-life balance. The recreational athlete or Weekend Warrior worrying about Monday's board meeting is unlikely to reach his or her maximum performance at the gym after work. Leave work or other stressors in their place.

Don't Overthink. It's easy to pick up any number of sport-related magazines and get some tips for good performance there. But, once we get to the competition, this leaves our heads spinning with little fixes or improvements and inhibits power performance. Try your best to think positive (see preceding post) and save the quick-fixes for practice.

Forget the Past. It can be difficult to forget about past mistakes or losses in competition. The key here is acceptance - we're all human, we all make mistakes, and nobody is perfect in sports or life all the time. Realizing this can help us forget about the past and focus on a positive performance in the present.

Read more tips on slump-busting from Forbes here.

Let us know - what strategies have worked for you in the past? What is the experience of a slump like, and how did you break out of it? Leave comments for discussion below.

2009-06-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Andy Murray: Sport Psych at Wimbledon

Fan favorite Scot Andy Murray didn't make it to the semi finals at Wimbledon this year just on the strength of physical talent alone. Murray's work with a sport psychologist has dramatically improved both his performance and his notorious emotions. While Murray is still susceptible to mood swings during a match, he has improved from his past behavior. Says performance analyst Emma James: "You have to be very aware of what your conscious thought processes are going through. If you start to have a thought process about what not to do, it will have an adverse affect... By focusing on what you do want to happen, that's the way to make sure the body will follow through with it."

James is describing a phenomenon in which our bodies tend to replicate the thoughts in our mind, conscious or not. Where this can have adverse effects in athletics is the tendency to remind ourselves of what NOT to do. For example, the point guard at the line at the end of a close game may say to him or herself, "Don't miss this one now, we need to hold the lead."

We've all heard of the famous psychological experiment - the one where the researchers instructed their subjects to absolutely NOT think of a white bear, then asked them what the first thing that popped into their minds was. Of course, the participants could think of nothing other than white bears.

Sports performance involves the same techniques - if we are constantly telling ourselves what not to do during competition, we will likely produce poor performance and negative mindset. That point guard at the line would do better to fill their mind with an image of the ball making a perfect arc through the air and swishing through the net rather than tell themselves not to miss. Since our bodies tend to act according to the thoughts in our minds, always try to envision the positive - and never tell yourself what NOT to do.

Check out the rest of the Andy Murray article from the Scotsman here.

2009-06-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

Tips for the weekend warrior

Sport psychology is often seen as something for professionals, Olympians, collegians, and high level youth athletes. And while this is true, improving the mental part of the game to enhance performance can be beneficial for athletes of all levels. For the weekend warrior, a better performance usually makes athletic participation more enjoyable and a better experience. That is an area where sport psychology can be beneficial to anyone.

For instance, I played soccer competitively through college. Looking back on my experience, I can say with confidence that working with a sport psychologist would have been a huge help. Now, as weekend warrior, I still play for the love of the game, to get exercise, and hang out with friends. But even though this isn’t something I train for, or practice, I still want to perform well. It’s even expected. But carrying the same expectations of my performance today that I did in college is not realistic.

I think this is true for most people. So for you weekend warriors, who don’t have time to practice, but love to play pick-up or league games for fun, here are three sport psych tips to help improve your performance, and maximize your enjoyment.

1 – Set small goals.
Don’t try to do it all. Don’t expect to play like Jordan or Tiger, or even your 18 year old self. Focus on one thing you do well or would like to do, and make that your success. Odds are that focusing on that one thing will clear your head and allow you to get into the flow of the game. When you get success early, confidence rises. When confidence rises, so does performance.

2 – Remember to Breathe!
Tired? Take slow, controlled, deep breaths to recover. Frustrated? Take a deep breath to relax. Unfocused? Take a deep breath to re-focus. Breathing is your link between your conscious mind and unconscious mind. Being conscious of your breathing allows you to be in control.

3 – Have a positive mantra.
Have a mantra that you repeat to yourself during competition. Something positive that sums up what you want the experience to be about. “Always run back on defense,” “I am getting a great workout,” and “Stay positive” are good examples of a positive mantra. Repeat this mentally throughout competition to not allow negative or distracting thoughts (“I am horrible!” “What am I doing out here?” “Is it over yet?”) to take over.

These three mental skills are not that different from what I would have a high level athlete do. Being relaxed and in the moment, and enjoying playing will almost always lead to better results than being tight, frustrated, and down on yourself. Weekend warriors – use your mental strength to enjoy your sport even more.

2009-06-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Papi's Struggles

When asked about his play during an 0-7 outing against the Angels in May, David Ortiz's answer was short and to the point. "Just put down 'Papi stinks". The Red Sox Sluggers' struggles at the plate have been well publicized this season, as he's hitting only .197 with 2 home runs - not the numbers Sox fans are normally used to from their DH. Sport psychologist Dana Sinclair offered an opinion on slumps among elite athletes: "Top-level guys know what they're doing. When you get down to it, they know how to hit, they just start to think about too many things and try to do too much and try too hard. It's a process of getting them from distracted thinking to normal performance characteristics."

Some theorize the problems for Ortiz are all mental, some think they are related to a wrist injury from last year, and some think he's just getting older. Common work with 'overthinking' athletes includes relaxation techniques, always trying to think positive, and narrowing the mental focus to one specific area.

Whatever the cause of his problems is, most experts agree on one thing regarding Ortiz - he is an excellent hitter at the core, and needs to find some way, any way, to get back to his natural form and technique without getting in his own way. Have you struggled with cold streaks or slumps in your athletic or coaching career? Comment on your experiences and ways of breaking the slump below.

Read the whole Ortiz article from Boston.com here.

2009-06-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

SPINW Now on Twitter

We've made it even easier for you to get access to the latest news, tips, research, and more from the world of sport psychology! Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/spinw for all the newest updates.

2009-06-04T08:00:00.001-07:00

Website Difficulties

As some of you may have noticed, we have been experiencing some difficulties with out website over the past week. We have discussed it with our provider, and they have assured us that they are doing everything they can to resolve the situation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know at info@spinw.com.

2009-05-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

More evidence on the power of positivity

Despite some prior studies demonstrating the benefits of positive comments to athletes, there are still those of the opinion that a criticism-based commentary style is better for development. New research out of the University of Exeter may put those opinions to rest.

The study focused on golfers, both professional and amateur. The golfers received consistent positive emotional support from researchers. The support ranged from listening to their thoughts and problems to giving positive feedback regarding skills and performance to helping with everyday tasks, such as travel arrangements.

And the results were clear - over the 10 competitive events played by the golfers during the course of the study, they showed an average score reduction of 1.78 strokes. How significant are these results? Given that four players at the top of the leaderboard were separated by only 2 strokes this weekend at Quail Hollow, they seem to be pretty important.

Read more about the study from The Telegraph.

2009-05-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

Preparing for Tryouts

Tryouts for any sport at any time can be nerve-wracking. It is huge event where coaches you've never met are watching you play, writing down notes on a clipboard, and talking quietly with other coaches while you play.

"Is he writing down something about me?"
"Did she see that mistake I just made?"
"Oh, man, what if I don't make it?"
"What if I make a fool of myself?"

These are pretty common thoughts that can come up while playing during a tryout situation. They are natural thoughts, and not bad really if they are motivating for the player. But more often than not, these thoughts can take a player's focus off of playing and doing well, and become negative distractions.

These thoughts can also come up weeks or even months before tryouts and can be extremely detrimental to the player's confidence and energy level. In working with young athletes, I often get calls from parents that go something like this: "My son/daughter has ODP/club/high school tryouts next week and is very nervous, and it is effecting his/her performance. Is this something you can help with?"

The answer is yes and no. While working with a sport psychology consultant is a great way to learn tools to reduce anxiety and effectively control emotions so allow the player to play up to potential, a week may not be enough time to help fully. Depending on the level of anxiety, this may take a month or two, or it may be able to be accomplished sooner. So while more time is ideal, a meeting or two can definitely be worthwhile for the short team.

However, working full on with a sport psychology consultant may not be realistic, so as competitive youth soccer clubs head into tryout season, here are some mental tips for players and parent in getting prepared.

Players
The key for players going into tryouts is to be as confident in their abilities and as focused on them as possible. Building confidence is a process and is based on these factors:

Positive preparation leading up to tryouts
This includes practicing your skills (be sharp!), training hard (be fit!), and making sure you are well-rested and well-nourished (be healthy!). In short, control the controllables.
Know yourself
You must know what your strengths and weaknesses are and focus on showing your strengths. Know not only your soccer skills, but also your physical skills (speed, strength, etc), and your mental skills (leadership, communication, intensity, etc). Coaches are looking for all three aspects.
Set goals and stay focused on them
Set goals for the tryouts based on the preparation you put in, and your strengths. If you are a great passer, focus on that instead of trying to dribble. If you are a hard worker and strong defender, make sure that you focus on that for tryouts. Instead of focusing on the "what if?" questions, focus on what you know you do well, and do it!

Parents
You know your kids the best. As the tryout (or any big event) approaches, be aware of your child's actions. Do they seem more nervous, more quiet, or noticably off? As much as we'd like for our kids to come to us when they are feeling this way, for the most part it doesn't happen. If you do notice the extra nerves, here are some steps you can take:

Ask questions.
"How are you feeling for tryouts?" "Has the coach mentioned what he is looking for in tryouts?" "What are your goals for tryouts?" This is a good start to being able to support your young athlete.
Be positive and instill confidence.
Pick out a couple aspects of your young athlete's game that is positive and give feedback. This does not have to be a monologue - a simple "Hey, I noticed in practice how you were talking and being encouraging to your teammates - good job." or "I have noticed that your ball control has improved this season." will do just fine.
Encourage extra work outside of normal practice.
Be a positive force in making sure your child is building confidence is his skills, fitness, and health. Doing the extra work outside of team practices can make all the difference, and a little encouragement from parents goes a long way.

The bottom line for players going into tryouts is to be focused more on what is happening, rather that what might happen. Focusing on the present and the postive, rather than the future and potential negative. Do what you do well, and the coach will notice. Do what you do not so well, and the coach will notice that too. Control the controllables, and you will do well.

Good luck in your tryouts!

2009-04-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Channel 8 with SPINw's Brian Baxter

Follow this link to see Brian Baxter's interview with channel 8 about what it means to be Blazers fans.

2009-04-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the newest member of our team!

SPINw is proud to announce a new member of our team - Brian Baxter, MA Sport Psychology. Brian obtained his Master's in Sport Psych from JFKU in June 2004, and started his consulting practice at that time. Check out this interview with Brian, and get to know him a little better!

SPINw: How did you become involved sport psychology?

Brian: During college I majored in psychology and after college I started coaching soccer. I guess these two passions combined and led me into this field. As a coach I was really fascinated by the mental side of the game: motivating players to make sure they play up to their potential both as individuals and as a team. In 1998, when I was getting my USSF C license, I learned that the field of sport psychology existed at a presentation by Darren Treasure. What he said really resonated with me, and I decided to veer off the coaching track and go more into sport psychology. 2 years later I moved across the county and enrolled in the sport psychology program at John F Kennedy University in California.

SPINw: Do you still coach soccer?

Brian: I stopped coaching competitive soccer about 2 years ago to focus more on my sport psychology consulting. However, I do coach my son's rec league, and I put on my own soccer camps and clinics.

SPINw: Tell us about your experiences in sport psychology since getting your master's degree.

Brian: One thing that I really like about the field of sport psychology is that there are so many ways to deliver the service. Through individual and team consulting, coaching and parenting education workshops, as well as writing articles, you can help athletes. Currently I run a sport psychology program at a soccer club in Beaverton. I work closely with the teams and coaches, and sometimes with the parents. I like the well-rounded aspect of what that program has become. While most of my work has been in soccer, I have really enjoyed the variety of sports and athletes.

SPINw: What other sports have you worked with?

Brian: Basketball, baseball, golf, swimming, tennis, cross country, motocross, and mixed martial arts.

SPINw: Tell us about your personal athletic history and experiences.

Brian: I played just about every sport growing up. Soccer from age 5 through college and I still try to play in leagues when I can. I played football in high school (kicker, of course). I play pickup basketball once a week. I also love to snowboard.

SPINw: What is your primary philosophy regarding working with athletes?

Brian: I see myself as part teacher and part counselor. I believe that athletes know themselves better than anyone else, but often don't know it or don't want to admit it. My primary task is to get the athlete to become accutely aware of the issues he or she is facing, and work together to develop strategies to overcome them. My second task is to guide the athlete through the process of implementing these strategies, so that they become second nature.

SPINw: What is your primary philosophy in working with coaches and parents?

Brian: The keys to being a good coach or sport parent are awareness, honesty, and communication skills. Coaches need to be aware of themselves and the players they coach, and be able to communicate their ideas effectively. Parents' most important role is to be supportive of their athletes, through failure and success. I try to get any adult involved in sports to know when to get involved, and when to step back and let the athlete learn on their own.

SPINw: Who can benefit from sport psychology?

Brian: Anyone this side of Michael Jordan! Seriously though, anyone who wants to improve their performance or enjoyment level in sports.

SPINw: What are some examples of those benefits?

Brian: Increased confidence, better focus and concentration, less stress, more enjoyment, new coping skills not only for sports, but for other areas in life too.

SPINw: Any favorite stories or anecdotes to relate?

Brian: Working with a high school team, one of the players was telling me about how he overthought everything, and how that made him nervous and effected his performance. Mentioning another player on his team, he described him as "too dumb to get nervous." On the heels of that comment, he asked me, "Is your job to help smart people stop thinking?" I had never heard sport psychology laid out quite like that, but I have to admit that he had a point!

SPINw: Are you from the NW? What brought you here? Tell us about your family.

Brian: I am originally from Gainesville, FL, but I have lived all over. My family and I moved to Portland from the Bay Area, CA in 2005 because we wanted to stay on the west coast, but in a smaller city with better access to the outdoors. So far, we love it. My wife Debbie is a photographer, and my 6 year old son, Hawk is a kindergartener. We also have black lab, Murphy.

2009-04-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

Playing for others

Despite last night's loss to the Tar Heels, the Michigan State Spartans had an extra motivating factor powering them through a successful NCAA tournament run. As the Charlotte Observer reported, Michigan's struggling economy served to encourage the players. Guard Travis Walton defined the situation: “It's good for us to have the city and state on our back, because they're motivating us, and when you're tired or hurt, you're thinking of playing for those people."

Other teammates expressed similar sentiments, and it seemed that the players as a group knew that they were providing a distraction and relief during troubled times. However, is such motivation a good thing? Sport psychologist Michelle Joshua can argue on both sides of the issue. On the one hand, having a powerful factor such as playing for something greater than yourself can be very beneficial. At the same time, outside pressure of such magnitude can sometimes lead to cautious, inhibited play.

Check out the article from the Charlotte Observer to see other examples of athletics representing something greater on a social scale.

2009-03-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

New Findings on Exercise Adherence

Conventional wisdom from the fitness-club world held that the best way to keep people interested in exercising was to offer price plan discounts or other incentives after the "novelty stage" began to wear off. However, new research out of the UK on exercise adherence shows that this may not be the case.

Their findings demonstrate several factors may be more effective at generating adherence among exercisers, including:

Staff engagement
Staff encouragement
Easy access to classes and programs
A non-threatening environment

Of course, while valuable, their findings are relatively limited to the corporate world of gym clubs. What other factors are beneficial in cultivating sport and exercise adherence? What should we know as sport psychologists, trainers, and coaches to aid in motivating our students or athletes?

Past performance is an indicator of future performance. Maintaining a sustained involvement now enhances an individuals' likelihood of participating years down the road.
Build self efficacy by tailoring a sport program to the individuals needs, providing positive support through encouragement, and measurable goals. Self efficacy, the feeling that we are capable of completing a specific action or task, is key for athletic adherence and performance.
Don't do it alone! Research consistently has demonstrated that exercise and athletic adherence is lower when an individual tries it that way - as an individual. The support and encouragement of family, friends, and teammates should be developed.
Don't do it far away! Athletic participation is always easier when it's more convenient. Exercisers and athletes should be encouraged and helped to find ways to participate close to home, where it's easiest and most convenient.

Read the whole article from Medical News Today here.

2009-03-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Sport Psychology with PGA Player of the Year

It's not common to get an insight into the mindset of championship athletes, so when Padraig Harrington, winner of 3 Major Championships in the last 2 years, spoke with the San Diego Union Tribune, SPINw listened.

Padraig described several positive mental habits which he routinely practices during a round. He's "always playing a mental game. I'm always trying to be reasonably positive. In some ways, I'm preparing myself for a battle tomorrow. When I say I'm struggling a bit, I'm trying to get into my head that I'm going to have to knuckle down and work hard to save every shot."

He describes two definite positive thought patterns. First, he's focusing on positive events and plays. Obsession with negative events or poor performances can lead to recurring negative self-talk and lowered confidence. Padraig also demonstrates a focus on this shot, in this moment. By maintaining his focus in the present moment, he's not thinking about the missed putt on 13 or the bad chip on 14; he's truly grounded and aware of himself and the task at hand. Both of these traits, thinking positively and staying present, are excellent habits for the mentally strong athlete.

And one more thing - how does Padraig feel about the long-awaited return of Tiger back to the tour? “I am looking forward to Tiger coming back and taking some of the spotlight off me. It's much easier to win a tournament under the radar.”

Read the whole report from the SDUT here.

2009-02-03T11:03:00.000-08:00

The State of Sportspersonship

One need not be combing the sports news airwaves these days to find stories regarding poor examples of sportspersonship. This weekends' Super Bowl gave us a fine example with Santonio Holmes imitation of LeBron James' famous "chalk toss" following his touchdown catch. (Of course, using the ball as a prop in any celebration is, by rule, an automatic 15-yard penalty, but that's an issue for a different forum.) Another recent infamous example was the face-stomp suffered by Arizona's Chase Budinger during a recent basketball game.

As we're in danger of being overly negative regarding the state of sportspersonship, we can't forget the shining example set by Central Washington players carrying Western Oregon's Sara Tucholsky around the bases as she was injured rounding them after hitting a home run.

However, it does seem that sportspersonship recently has been on a steep decline. For more examples, check out Jerry Carino's column from back east.

Given the recent negative examples peppering our sports pages, what are some strategies coaches can employ to reinforce positive sportspersonship? Some examples include:

-Define sportspersonship. Give definitions to athletes so they know for sure what is and is not appropriate behavior. Some examples are respectful conduct to opponents, not arguing with referees, and not criticizing teammates.

-Reinforce appropriate behavior. Reinforce and make examples of positive sportspersonship behavior, while penalizing negative occurances.

-Model appropriate behavior. It's difficult to coach positive behavior while not demonstrating it yourself.

-Describe WHY sportspersonship behaviors are important. Simply saying thayt sportspersonship is important is not enough; giving rationale for why helps give it depth and strength. Common reasons include "Treat others the way you'd like to be treated," and "It's simply the right thing to do."

2009-02-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Substance Abuse Re-Visited

Surely, we're all familiar with the most recent story in the Michael Phelps saga: alleged marijuana smoking followed by the South Carolina Sheriff's release that charges may be filed against him. SPINW has previously discussed alcohol abuse among NFL professionals (see November 30 '08), but what are the rates and implications of substance abuse among other levels of athletics?

Some sport psychology research indicates some troubling trends, particularly among college athletes. For example, research by the College Student Journal demonstrated that college athletes drank earlier in life, drank more overall, binge drank more frequently, and encountered more alcohol-related problems than non-athletes. In regards to marijuana, 27.1% of college athletes reported smoking marijuana, as documented by Central Connecticut. Those that did use marijuana said they did so for social reasons, or to feel good.

Why may athletes demonstrate higher use rates than non-athletes? Some reasons may include:

-Stress. Athletes, especially at high school and collegiate levels, are under more stress today than ever before, juggling practice, games, recruiting, academics, and leisure. Easily available substances, such as alcohol and marijuana, may serve as a release.

-Social pressures. Many institutions, especially college campuses, may have an established culture of drinking partying, which can increase rates of substance use and abuse.

2009-01-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

Athletes' Amnesia

Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb recently struck a chord with Philly fans by claiming he had a "great" 2008 season. Undoubtedly, some might cite the incident of not knowing that games could end in ties as evidence to the contrary. However, the Philadelphia Inquirer spoke with famous sport psychologist Bob Rotella to get a different interpretation.

Rotella's take was simple: "The great ones have instant amnesia - no matter what just happened, they're able to pull out the positive." Rotella, who has worked numerous pro kickers (who, for obvious reasons, have to have a short memory) and championship golfers Trevor Immelman and Padraig Harrington, goes on to describe a common practice of Tiger Woods: When answering a question about his drives being off line that day, he "talks about how good his course management was, how good he was putting it."

Of course, it's not that poor performances or mistakes aren't filed into memory for later points of improvement. The important point here is that mentally tough athletes primarily focus on positive performances, both to build confidence and to use as examples for positive self-talk and visualizations later on.

While it seems obvious, the values of focusing on the positive cannot be overstated. A focus on negative events can lead to negative self-talk and excessive anxiety in future performances. However, by staying focused on the positive from a competition or a season, we can come away with a sense of accomplishment, pride, and use the experience to motivate us in the future.

Check out the whole Inquirer report here.

2009-01-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Golfers Anxiety

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

What is it about anxiety in golf? Is it the fact that you're alone against the course? Or that others may be watching? Why can one small swing fix work one day, only to leave us hanging the next?

While it may have many sources, we can all agree that anxiety in golf can be a crippling opponent. However, when understood properly, it can be negated, or even turned to our advantage. Part of the problem could be a general misconception about the nature of anxiety in general. Many may believe that any amount of anxiety or nervousness is abnormal or wrong. However, the truth is quite the contrary - everyone experiences certain amounts of normal, healthy anxiety before any performance task; this should not be our concern. Rather, excessive amounts of anxiety which cause serious distress should be seen as an area for improvement. Simply experiencing anxiety is a normal response.

For proof of this we need look no further than basketball great Bill Russell, who famously threw up before important games. In fact, his teammates came to use that as a barometer that he was prepared for a big performance.

So, it is time for a newer understanding of anxiety for golfers, and all athletes. Placing the expectation on ourselves that we should never be nervous or anxious can lead to a vicious cycle of fearing anxiety itself, then getting more anxious, then becoming self-critical, which in turn leads to elevated anxiety.

Instead, our understanding of anxiety should be that nervousness and anxiety is a natural response, experienced by everyone, to stressful performance situations. If we find ourselves becoming excessively nervous (as possibly indicated by some responses such as clammy hands, negative self-talk, or upset stomach), it might be time for some calming exercises such as a breathing-centering routine, stepping back from the ball and starting our pre-shot routine over, or some positive visualizations. The final key to understanding anxiety is to remember that different people experience anxiety differently. The key is learning our own anxiety responses and how we perform under duress, and modifying our routing accordingly.

Read more about golfing anxiety from Medicus Golf here.

2008-12-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

Sleep better to play better

Ongoing research out of Stanford University is continuing to establish the relationship between athletic performance and sleeping habits. Sleep lab researcher Cheri Mah has now conducted studies with male basketball players and male and female swimmers for Stanford. The results are conclusive: more sleep for the athletes yielded better performance.

The athletes were asked to compare their performance results during periods of normal sleeping habits with 6-7 week trial periods of at least 10 hours of sleep per night. During the period of extended sleep, the athletes demonstrated improved quickness, speed, and reaction time. Furthermore, they reported better moods throughout the day, reduced daytime sleepiness, and increased energy.

Said Mah of her research: "These results begin to elucidate the importance of sleep on athletic performance and, more specifically, how sleep is a significant factor in achieving peak athletic performance."

Some tips for sleeping better for better performance:

Make sleep a part of your regular training regimen.

Extend nightly sleep for several weeks to reduce your sleep debt before competition.

Maintain a low sleep debt by obtaining a sufficient amount of nightly sleep (seven to eight hours for adults, nine or more hours for teens and young adults).

Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same times every day.

Take brief naps to obtain additional sleep during the day, especially if drowsy.

Read the whole report from Science Daily here.

2008-11-30T17:23:00.000-08:00

Alcohol use in the NFL

High profile alcohol-related incidents involving NFL players seem to be becoming more and more common; just ask Cedric Benson, Odell Thurman, and Adam Jones. But, given the substantial body of negative health and professional effects alcohol abuse poses, why would such high profile professional athletes engage in such behavior?

The Center for Science in the Public Interest has proposed one possible source contributing to the problem - the advertising and alcohol policies of the NFL teams themselves. Judge John Burlew recently summarized the problem in a hearing related to linebacker Odell Thurman's alcohol related arrest: "The allegations are that you had a legal substance—alcohol—in your body, a substance which they advertise and get money from, millions of dollars a year from."

In summary, the CPSI proposes that the NFL hypocritically punishes its players severely for alcohol related incidents while simultaneously profiting from beer advertising and sales in the stadiums. They propose a complete ban of alcohol related sales and advertising at NFL games. The root of the CPSI's concern is that young sport viewers could possibly view athletics and alcohol as inherently related, and be more likely to develop alcohol problems.

But why could alcohol abuse be more common among professional athletes? Is it more common at all among pros than other populations? Some reasons for alcohol abuse among high profile athletes can include:

Stress - athletics can impart extreme physical and psychological stress, and alcohol could be used as a form of "escape"

Social situations - any new athletes who enter into an established culture of drinking are likely to engage in the same behavior

Modeling - young athletes may be more likely to abuse alcohol if it becomes associated with role model athletes - an association which both increased alcohol advertising during sporting events and media coverage of athletes and alcohol may lead to

A healthy education of young athletes about normal and responsible behavior around alcohol, and demonstration of healthy behavior by parents, are both key to preventing youth alcohol abuse.

Read the whole CPSI report here.

2008-11-30T17:03:00.000-08:00

Sport Psychologists advice spurs Maryland to NCAA title in Field Hockey

Maryland was defending back-to-back national titles a season ago when the school hosted the field hockey final four. There was just one problem: The Terrapins hadn't made the tourney. The experience was not a pleasant one for the team.

However, the coach credits the asssistance of sport psychologist Joel Fish. Primarily, his worked involved re-establishing and fortifying team camaraderie and unity, which had been lost after a slow start in which some focus had been lost as players also competed for national teams.

Maryland coach Missy Meharg described her teams performance: "Our girls played very mature mentally. They didn't allow anything to unsettle them."

Read the whole report from the Baltimor Sun here.

2008-11-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

Burnout - A Cautionary Tale

Rewind several months. Elena Delle Donne was the nation's top women's basketball player, prepping for the upcoming season at national power UConn, seemingly the world at her feet. Fast forward to now - Elena has quit the UConn team, resigned her scholarship, enrolled at Delaware, and walked onto the volleyball team, a sport she played for the first time last year.

Why? In a word, burnout. Elena personally admitted she was burned out and fed up with basketball at 18. Perhaps the Delaware volleyball coach, Bonnie Kelly, said it best: "Adults need to pay attention. It’s a problem in youth sports. These kids are burned out. From 12 to 18, I bet Elena can count on her hands the amount of weekends she didn’t have anything to do related to sport. She’s missed the opportunity to be a kid.”

An all-comsuming focus from a young age on athletics, to the detriment of other activities, can lead to burnout among youth athletes. Outside pressures, including those from parents and coaches, can cause burnout - as can internal pressures from self-driven athletes.

In Elena's case, perhaps it's interesting to note that she received her first college scholarship offer in the seventh grade.

Read the whole New York Times article here.

2008-11-04T14:28:00.000-08:00

Physically strong = emotionally strong?

Elevated to astronomical social heights, seen as role models and heroes, and paid handsomely for their efforts, professional athletes rarely give us an insight into their personal lives. Not so with Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Delonte West, who recently went public regarding his battles
with a mood disorder and depression. Said West, "I removed myself from the team so I could get myself together so I could not be a distraction to the team and what we're trying to accomplish here. For a while, you feel like a weaker man because you've got to raise your hand and ask for help. But I found out over the last week that made me a stronger person."

The key point here is at the end. Sometimes, counseling and sport psychology are viewed with a negative stigma and the belief that those seeking the assistance of a counselor are weak. However, this is not the case, and in West we can see that seeking and finding help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Read the whole article from Philly.com here.

2008-11-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Parent behavior in youth sport – nightmare vs. reality

Media coverage in recent years would make us think that violence and aggression among parents in youth sports is the norm, not the extreme. A simple google search for violence in youth sports will return hundreds of stories detailing such incidents. Certainly, such violent behavior among parents and family members is out of line and not the normal baseline for spectator behavior.

But what does parent behavior and comments actually look like? Athletic Insight, online sport psychology journal, has published a new study detailing the actual content of parent comments during youth athletic events. Their research, reviewing over 2,000 comments by over 100 parents, showed that 52% of observed comments were positive, while 32% were negative and 16% were neutral. Comments which were viewed as negative were those which were scolding, sarcastic, and instructional/correcting in nature. Some examples of these comments include “let’s see some hustle out there,” “Suck it up,” or “throw it to first”.

The study gives us an outline of the frequency and content of negative comments and behaviors – so what are some positive behaviors parents of young athletes can use? SPINW has compiled a list of positive traits for parents and coaches of young athletes below.

-Encourage, but don’t force – encourage children to play sports, but don’t force them if they really don’t want to.

-Set limits on participation – base participation of children on their physical and emotional readiness. Doing too much can lead to injury or burnout.

-Set goals – help children set realistic goals for performance.

-Winning isn’t everything – keep your child’s focus on having fun and giving their best effort, not winning at all cost.

-Let the coach coach – when a child is at practice or a game, parents should let coaches do their job, and avoid giving advice or criticisms.

Read the whole article from Athletic Insight here.

2008-10-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Music in Sport

A sidenote of Michael Phelps' utter dominance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics were his ever-present headphones just before a race. What he was listening to was the topic of some discussion, and it turns out it was an assortment of Lil Wayne, Jay Z, and others (Yahoo Sports has the scoop on that).

But what is it about music that can lead to better athletic performance? Does it even help? Do athletes use it? A sizable body of sport psychology research shows that the answer to these questions seems to be yes.

Research has many interesting points about music and athletics. It seems that music can affect sport performance by: modifying arousal and motivation levels, reducing perceived amount of exertion, increasing focus, and elevating or lowering rates of physical movement.

In fact, the online journal Athletic Insight gives us some interesting research regarding NCAA athletes and their use of music for enhanced performance. The study demonstrated that athletes used music for four reasons:

1. To control arousal levels before and after competition

2. To improve mental focus

3. To control mood before competition

4. To build a sense of team and camaraderie

For example, many athletes commented that they used upbeat, fast-tempo music to increase their arousal level immediately before competition. But, participants also noted that in the hours leading up to competition, slow music was extremely helpful to take their mind off outside stressors, relax, and concentrate on what they wanted to do at game time.

Read the rest of the fascinating study from Georgia Southern University here, and let us know what you think! As a reader, coach, or athlete, do you listen to music for any of the reasons above? Does it help, or not help? What songs are particularly helpful? Share your thoughts by commenting to this article.

2008-10-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-10-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Anxiety and its Consequences

All athletes, performing at all levels of competition, are familiar with feelings of anxiety and arousal. Whether it's a small child with a dry mouth before their first basketball game or Greg Oden's first step onto the court for an NBA game that actually matters, everyone experiences some degree of anxiety relating to competition.

How can anxiety influence us during competition? Several theories have come out of sport psychology research over the decades. One theory of particular note was pioneered by British psychologist Graham Jones. His theory was simple: That our perception of how our own ability to control our anxiety, and our ability to control outselves and our surroundings, determines the anxiety's effect. If an athlete feels they are in control, and that anxiety is manageable, than this level of arousal will likely lead to superior performance. However, the opposite can have negative consequences.

Another theory which has been well demonstrated in research is Yuri Hanin's Individualized Zones of Optimal Functioning (IZOF). In a nutshell, Hanin posits that every athlete will have a different amount of anxiety or arousal which can lead to their ultimate performance. For example, one athlete may compete well at relatively low levels of arousal but not when extremely anxious or "pumped up"; alternatively, another athlete may perform poorly when unaroused but very well in high anxiety or tension situations.

So now that we know about anxiety, what can we do about it to maximize our performance? Check out Peak Performance's guide to controlling and managing our anxiety. They have five key points for maximizing effectiveness:

1. Establish your 'winning feeling'

2. Centering

3. The five breath technique

4. Thought stopping

5. Letting go

Read more

2008-10-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

Archery Psychology

British paralypians, in search of Beijing gold, worked with sport psychologists for the duration of their stay in the Paralympic Village. The British paralympic archery team has trained with sport psychologist Katherine Bond for the last three years. She draws from her experience in rugby, golf, and soccer to hone the skills of the archers. Bond says of her stance on sport psychology: "It's about making that one per cent difference, and leaving absolutely no stone unturned in the quest for excellence. Sport psychology has the potential to contribute to helping athletes get the very best out of themselves."

Read the whole report from the Midworth and Petworth Observer here.

2008-09-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

A Young Man's Journey

Vince Young had it all: the perfect NCAA National Championship game, top NFL draft pick, excellent rookie season. This season, the storybook career came to a screeching halt, amid a knee injury, booing fans, declining performance, a police search, and allegations of the danger of self-harm. As speculations about what went wrong run rampant through today's TMZ-infused sports media, one thing seems clear: The transition from instant success to struggling young QB was difficult. The San Diego Union Tribune's Jerry Magee makes a valid point: "For persons to become depressed should be expected in an environment in which the pressures are as acute as they are in the NFL." It seems likely that the stress of struggling in the spotlight, along with booing fans and the mental and physical consequences of a serious injury, became overwhelming.

And we're left with more questions than ever about psychology in the NFL. Why wasn't there more support for Vince Young? Why did it get to the point that Titans coach Jeff Fisher alerted the police, concerned for Young's safety and state of mind? Perhaps Magee is right when he asserts that "Young should have been conferring with a therapist in the hours after a football game's conclusion."

Where do you come out on the Vince Young story? Should the NFL do more? Should Vince Young just 'man up', as sports pundits would assert, and play through the tough times? Are there enough mental health resources for today's young professional athletes?

Check out the rest of Magee's column on mental health in pro sports here and let us know what you think.

2008-09-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

The Knee Shot Heard 'Round the World

By now, we've all seen and heard the news...

Tom Brady is out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Enter backup QB Matt Cassel, who until Sunday hadn't started a game since high school. What could be the mindset of the Patriots and their new QB, and how can it be improved? We turn to an interview with Boston University sport psychologist Leonard Zaichkowsky, in BU Today, for some answers.

On advice for Matt Cassel:

"If I had to make a recommendation, I’d say you’ve got to be yourself and keep it simple. As you get more and more repetitions, you can go beyond simplicity."

On how to handle Brady with the team, now that he's hurt:

"I think the single most difficult thing he’s going to have to adjust to is that it’s difficult for coaches to include injured players in all of the team activities and preparation. I don’t know the culture of the Patriots, but one of the things I recommend to all teams is to try and work injured players in, so they’re actively involved. That’s the hardest part."

Check out the rest of the BU Today report.

2008-08-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Friend vs. Friend

2008's Beijing Olympics are generating some new terms for us in the world of sport psychology. Two of them are "frenemies" and "chumpetitors". What is a frenemy? Put simply, a frenemy is the combination of friend and enemy, while chumpetitor is a fusion of chum and competitor. Frenemies competing against each other in Olympic events is common, especially when athletes from the same country train, room, relax, eat, and study together. Oh yeah - they compete against each other, too. For examples of frenemies from 2008, see Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte, Nastia Liukin vs. Shawn Johnson, and Kirsty Coventry vs. Margaret Hoelzer.

What is the psychological effect on competition of going all-out against a frenemy? According to Harvard Medical School sport psychologist Richard Ginsburg, "Pushing each other to the limit can be seen as a way to honor the friendship, as opposed to a way to challenge or undermine it." In other words, seeing your best friend in the lane next to you in a swimming meet can serve to inspire both to greater heights of athleticism. Of course, the trick is to remain the best of friends outside of competition.

Read more about frenemies and chumpetitors in Linton Weeks' NPR column here.

2008-08-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Does the color of our jerseys really matter?

Yes, it does, according to recent German research. Their research demonstrated that referees in tae kwondo judge matches in favor of competitors wearing red uniforms. Furthermore, the differences in scoring were not negligible - athletes wearing red were awarded 13% more points than those wearing blue. The researchers also speculated on the impact of their research on other sports. For example, wearing red may be a disadvantage in soccer, where red cards are a negative penalty. Conversely, wearing red in martial sports such as tae kwondo may be advantageous for a competitor, as red is a color commonly associated with aggression.

However, Andrew Elliot, University of Rochester psychologist, has a different opinion on the matter. It's not that referees judge in favor of athletes wearing red, but that the color red may trigger subconscious impressions in other competitors and lower their performance. In summary, their is no favor given to red wearers - the opponents of those wearing may simply red perform worse.

What do you think? If you are an athlete, have you noticed an effect on the level of competition due to the color of your jersey or the opponents? Any fan of mainstream refereed sports knows conspiracy theories holding that home teams and star players receive preferential treatment. Comment below with your own experiences!

Check out the whole report on the study from US News and World Report.

2008-05-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

SPINW Webinars

After the sucess of our first round of mental game training webinars, SPINW wants to hear from you! Let us know which topics interest you the most. Anything in the field of sport psychology is open, from visualizations to positive self talk to goal setting.

Contact us at info@spinw.com.

2008-05-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Massachusetts Pending Sport Psychology Legislation

Concerned by chaotic behavior of student athletes during competition, Massachusetts is pending legislation to implement a pilot sport psychology program in schools, the online journal Athletic Business reports. Seeing a connection between on-field disruption (complaining to refs, poor sportsmanship) and off-field problems (addictions, violent tendencies), the bill would provide funding for generation and distribution of a sport psychology textbook with courses on goal setting, positivie thinking, visualization, and other topics. The goal of the program would be to teach student athletes mental tools which can improve their lives both in and out of athletics.

Of course, there are two sides to the story; the cost of the program is undetermined, and it's even been criticized for making a "science experiment" out of youth athletics.

On the flip side, the director of the nonprofit GetPsychedSports.org defends the bill by saying, "How do you argue against teaching self-control to children?...Sports psychology has already been proven to help kids play better."

Where do you come out on the issue? Could a sport psychology handbook for youth athletes be helpful? Is it too much for younger competitors? How expensive would be too expensive? What influence do behaviors by professional athletes have on youth?

Read the whole article here.

2008-05-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

Not Your Typical Team

What comes to mind when we think of sports teams? Of sports where teams have specific plays they run? Obviously, football, basketball, hockey...teams where athletes working together as a group under the guidance of a coach perform towards a certain goal. What doesn't come to mind is NASCAR. NASCAR? And not the cars or drivers either - the pit crew.

When a car comes into the pit, timing is everything. The car must be prepped correctly and quickly. Greg Miller, Red Bull Racing's pit coach, trains his teams minds and bodies to be ready for the pressure and intensity of a race. Their concentration and team-building exercises include football, cycling, juggling, yoga, tai-chi, and canoeing. Just like other athletes, they watch tape of previous game performances. Miller even mixes in motivational films like Rudy and documentaries on John Wooden. And remember all the plays that pro sports teams run? Miller's team has over 60 of them detailing different pit scenarios.

Read all about the team from the Hampton Roads Pilot here.

2008-04-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Positive Behaviors

Sport Psychologist H. A. Dorfman has a simply theory - behavior shapes thought. Athletes who can shape their behavior can shape their thoughts and discipline their minds. What does a well disciplined mind look like? It is free of doubt, fear, and anxiety.

Dorfman has worked the most with pitchers in baseball. How does a pitcher who trains his mind through his behavior operate? He pitches aggressively, aiming for strikes whether the count is 0-2 or 3-1. He walks confidently, head held high, whether he's just struck out the side or given up a three-run homer. If the body demonstrates an attitude long enough, the mind will begin to adopt it. By acting fearless and in command, the mind will begin to think that way too.

Check out the whole article from the New York Times here.

2008-04-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Six Steps for Power Performance

If you're looking for some easy, simple steps you can use to improve your mental game, you've come to the right spot! Men's Health Magazine online has generated a list, compiled by sport psychologists and researchers, of six simple tools anyone can use to strengthen their mental game. They are:

Sponge Up The Pain
During workouts, instead of blocking pain and discomfort, be aware of it instead - that way, you'll have no physical surprises during performance.

Dream The Feeling
Daydream about the way performance feels, whether it's hitting a baseball or mile 20 of a marathon. Imagining the proper form helps us build neural connections between mind and body.

Do Not "Do Not"
Telling ourselves what "not to do" only conjures a mental image of it, and can produce the very result we fear. Instead, focus on what you want to do through visualization and positive self-talk.

Feel Your Form
During performance, focus on thinking about how it should feel, not a strict list of commands to the body. Focusing on the right feel of a motion helps us have a smooth, even form, while thinking of a specific list of steps and bodily motions can get in the way of a fluid mind-body connection.

Have A Plan
Practice your routine and plan for competition before hand - visualize your performance and get comfortable with the venue. Doing this enhances comfort and can lower pre-competition anxiety.

Squeeze Out Stress
Muscles can tense up during nervousness in competition. Try progressive muscle relaxation before competition to ease nervousness and increase blood flow - contact SPINW for some progressive musle relaxation tips!

See the whole Men's Health article here.

2008-02-01T12:44:00.000-08:00

New from SPINW!

SPINW's next mental game webinar is Sunday, March 16th at 7 pm. Keep checking ourwebsite, spinw.com, and this blog for more information, or email us at info@spinw.com. Sign up for the course at our website or by emailing info@spinw.com.

2007-12-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well coached Vikings

Dead in the water weeks ago at 3-6, the Vikings have ridden a 5-game winning streak to 8-6 and have their sights on the NFC Playoffs. Of all sports, coaching is arguably the most important in football; what about the Vikings coaches makes them stand out?

No need to go further down the line than head coach Brad Childress. He understands the importance of positive self-talk on athletes, and how beneficial positive thinking can be. In terms of leadership, the coach understands that he's "dealing with 53 completely different personalities that you're trying to shape all into one." And the degree Childress graduated with from Eastern Ilinois? Psychology.

Read the whole AP story on ESPN here.

2007-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

What is pseudo-maximum performance?

Pseudo-maximum performance, put briefly, is the idea that there is no maximum performance; we are always capable of performing better. It may be that mental toughness is the key to driving ourselves even farther. Some research suggests that a technique called 'dissociation' can be the tool for athletes to push themselves even farther.

The technique, as tested in runners, involved three components:

Saying "down" to themselves at each step
Focusing attention on an object in the distance
Breathing in sync with footfalls

Runners dissociating while running showed significant increases in endurance over a control group of runners, who ran in their normal way. There's also the story, as reported by anthropologists, about Tibetan monks who ran 300 miles in 30 hours. They focused on distant landmarks, like mountains, and repeated a mantra to themselves with each step - a remarkable similiarity to principles of dissociation. Of course, the tale is probably untrue, but the similarities cannot be denied.

The question remains - how far can we push ourselves? What is the true limit? According to University of Texas professor Dr. Benjamin Levine, we don't know: “How does the brain interact with the skeletal muscles and the circulation? How much of this is voluntary and how much is involuntary? We just don’t know.”

While dissociation research has primarily been done with runners and cyclers, the same principles of focus and self-regulation could work with other sports.

Check out the whole New York Times article here.

2007-12-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

Positive Thinking

With parity in the NHL at an all-time high, teams are beginning to take that extra step to gain an advantage on the competition. Take a look at the Florida Panthers, who are beginning to see the performance edge gained from working with a sport psychologist. Said team captain Olli Jokinen, "You've got to be positive. If you have a negative mind-set, you're usually going to fail. You're going to be too nervous to try anything. A positive mind-set helps a lot."

It seems just about every professional sport these days is beginning to appreciate the importance of a well-honed mental game.

Check out the whole article from the Palm Beach Post here.

2007-08-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Improving Concentration

In the heat of competition, concentration and focus can easily waver - missed free throws can result in nervous, anxious thoughts about upcoming shots, or a non-called foul can lead to thoughts of retaliation instead of staying in the flow of the game. Anytime our focus is off of the game and our actions, performance can suffer.
One effective strategy to cope with concentration lapses is cue words. A cue word is a simple phrase athletes use to mentally refocus themselves. For example, "Explode now!" or "follow-through". Cue words are commonly used both to refocus after a negative event and to get the mind back on track after a distraction.
Similarly, athletes commonly experience anxiety prior to a major competition. Research from Self Help Magazine has identified the traits present in mental training regimens which can be used to relieve pre-competition stress, and they are as follows:

Using a pre-competition routine (ex: the use of imagery prior to competition to create a positive vision of the competition and to see oneself attain pre-set goals).
Using a competition plan (ex: the use of visualization to see oneself accomplish goals before the actual event takes place).
Controlling distractions (ex: the use of relaxation techniques such as listening to music to avoid possible diversions caused by any number of people or uncontrollable circumstances).
Feedback/evaluation (ex: the use of video review to critique past performance and understand how to prepare for and perform during the next competition).

As with athletic and physical skills, these mental routines and strategies must be practiced. Even five minutes a day practicing and rehearsing cue words can yield positive benefits in competition down the road. For more information on how to refocus the mind before, during, and after competition, contact us at SPINw, and check out these articles from Self Help Magazine Online.

For strategies on refocusing in competition and avoiding damaging anger and negative thoughts, click here.

For strategies avoiding pre-competition anxiety, click here.

2007-08-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Psychology of a Rookie

Sports page headlines have been alive in recent years with the thrilling exploits of NBA Draft successes. LeBron, Carmelo, and Dwyane are but a few of stellar new, young players. As NBA season draws nearer, the fans throughout the Northwest wait with bated breath to see how Greg Oden and Kevin Durant start their careers.
But what is it that separates a draft success from a draft bust? What do James, Anthony, and Wade have that Sam Bowie, Kwame Brown, and Chris Washburn (Chris Who? First round, third pick, 1986) don't?
The answer is complex, as life in the NBA as a young and rising star offers a broad range of challenges for incoming rooks. Most young players don't have the tools necessary to survive and thrive in the NBA. As reported by Self Help Magazine online, 50 percent of rookies are cut by their second season. For every Tim Duncan (Round one, pick one, 1997) there are countless Michael Olowakandi's (Round one, pick one, 1998).
Undoubtedly, one of the hardest factors for young players to adjust to is the length of the NBA season. At 82 games, not counting preseason or playoffs, the professional season presents unprecedented mental and physical challenges to rookies. Furthermore, it can simply be too much for players to live up to the expectations put on them by the pressure of being in the limelight. Throw in multi-million dollar contracts and endorsement deals, and it can be a recipe for disaster.
What are some strategies for players to defeat these challenges? Players must maintain a strong sense of self and self-worth, and not view themselves as an athlete alone. A strong and available circle of close friends and family to help cope is essential, as are good relaxation and calming techniques to avoid frustration.
How will the season turn out for new rooks in the Northwest? The season starts in October.

To see more rookie content from Self Help Magazine, click here.

Check out Sports Illustrated's list of the biggest draft busts of all time here - and yes, Portland, Sam Bowie is number one.

2007-07-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

A Closers Mindset

Among championship caliber athletes, one of the most admired skills is the ability to close out at the end - the ability to put an end to the competition, to finish up and win. Jordan had it, Elway had it. In today's sports world, nobody is looked up to more as a dominant finisher than Tiger Woods. NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett on the subject: "The mental aspect is what separates golf from the rest of the sports world, and that's why there's no doubt Tiger is the most admired person among other athletes...At that level, physical ability is a given, but the thing they respect most is the ability to get there mentally when it matters most. That's what puts someone above the rest." It seems like putting away a victory in the end would be easy, but it takes a finely tuned mental game to do it. The pressure of playing from ahead or from being in a position to win, to control one's own destiny, can be crippling. Ever present in the athletes mind is the question, What if I fail? It is the ability to put oneself above the fear that separates champions like Tiger from the rest. In a sport where competitors have nothing to blame besides themselves for failure, golfers are especially vulnerable to such thoughts.

Mental toughness in clutch situations is not specific to the event; rather, it stems from the strength of the athlete's sense of self. Valuing oneself as someone only as good as the next golf shot is almost guarantees failure. Sport psychologist Dr. Gio Valiante explains: "If you're basing your confidence on what other people are going to think of you, or how you're going to appear--it's a recipe for choking. Attaching your status and your self-worth to a shot in golf creates the type of fear that paralyzes. So we go into ego-avoid mode, which is the mental equivalent of prevent defense. Rather than hitting shots at a target, you're hitting shots to avoid embarrassment." Valiante's comments reinforce the importance of process vs. goal orientation: The best mental outlook is to focus on the process by which success is obtained, not on the success itself.

So how good is Tiger at closing out victories, at performing his best when it matters the most? When entering the final round of a tournament in which he has led, Woods is an astounding 40 of 43, a winning percentage of .930. Clearly, Tiger has found the mental edge for choke-free performance.

See the rest of ESPN's report on choking here.

2007-07-12T10:09:00.001-07:00

The Fusion of physical skills with superior mental game

Suzann Pettersen, second on the LPGA money list, provides the perfect example of the advantages gained when ideal physical skills are paired with an improved mental game. The 26-year old Norwegian had previously been vulnerable to mental collapses, with only one bad shot possibly ruining a round. Pettersen found herself constantly dwelling on her mistakes instead of visualizing a positive result of the next shot. While many viewed her defeat in April's Nabisco Championship a collapse, Pettersen displayed her advanced mental game by viewing the defeat as a positive: "Teeing off on the last day on the leader board, that's where you want to be in every major in every tournament. That's how you build experience, and that's how you build your game.'' After viewing tape of her performance, she saw her own mistakes and was able to make improvements, primarily in her pre-shot routine. Pre-shot routines are essential for golf success, and usually involve a set of actions repeated before every shot intended to focus the player on the current shot, calm the nerves, and visualize success. Pettersen's revamped mental game was a huge success: She captured her first major tournament victory in June at the LPGA Championship.

Check out the whole New York Times report here.

2007-07-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Psyching ourselves out: Golf's unique mental game

It may be thought that the slower pace and lack of traditional 'defense' may make golf easier mentally than other sports. In fact, the opposite is true. The delay between shots can serve to build mental pressure and nervousness, according to Florida sport psychologist Dr. John F. Murray. Golfers on the course have no form of outlet for accumulated mental stress, and there aren't any teammates who can provide support. Dr. Murray elaborates: “ So much of their time is getting ready for a shot, and there are more mental factors that can distract you or also help you and be a positive. There is more potential for being stressed, but also for being prepared.” In a traditional "reactionary" sport, such as basketball or tennis, the speed of competition and importance of reacting without thinking can serve to minimize time an athlete spends overthinking their play. However, in golf, competitors have "nowhere to go but think about what might happen." With so much time spent walking up to the ball, all a golfer has to think about is the next shot. Furthermore, while fear of failure is an issue in all sports, it is magnified in golf. A golfer can only blame him or herself for failure, since no one is defending them. Throw in the added stressors of spectators, pressure situations, and course conditions, and the importance of a strong mental game in golf instantly becomes clear. Some important skills necessary to counteract the mental pressures of golf include positive self-talk, visualizations, and self-relaxation or clearing exercises.

Read the rest of the New York Times article, including more notes from Dr. Murray, here.

2007-05-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Shooting for Lower Scores

Add another item to the list of mental techniques PGA players are trying in the quest for better scores - consultation with an Olympic champion shooter. Lanny Bassham, who took gold in Montreal's 1976 Olympics for shooting, claims there are many parallels between shooting and golf. Bassham elaborates: "There, [in golf], it’s just you and the golf club; I’ve got a rifle. He has a target; I have a target. He has to consider the wind, which is what we do. I think golf is a lot closer to rifle shooting than it is to football.”
One of the points which Bassham stresses the most is the importance of being focused on the process and execution of the motion, be it shooting or golf, rather than the desired result or goal. This is gained from his experience at the 1972 Olympics, in which he took silver. During his defeat in the gold medal round, Bassham "was trying as hard as I could on every shot to get it in the 10 ring." He feels this led to his defeat; after consulting with other gold medal winners, they all agreed on the conclusion that "the process is more important than the outcome.”
Some of Bassham's clients include Fred Funk, Justin Leonard, and Ben Crane.

To read the whole New York Times story, including detailed reactions from professional sport psychologists, click here.

2007-05-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

NBA Playoffs: The Psychology of the Home Court Advantage

Playing with 20,000 screaming fans supporting the teams' every move has long been considered one of the NBA's most significant advantages, and this year's NBA Playoffs have proven to be no different. Especially when a team is playing with a younger roster, the home fans can prove to be a huge motivating factor. Take the eight-seed Warriors first-round upset of the 67 win, one-seed Mavericks as an example. Backed by a packed house sporting "We Believe" promotional t-shirts, the Warriors defeated the Mavs by 18 and made them "look nervous and disjointed" for a 2-1 series lead, according to April 28ths New York Times. Despite their subsequent defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz in the second round, the Warriors home court proved to be a distinct advantage, even rattling the soon-to-be MVP Dirk Nowitzki.
Furthermore, this years Eastern Conference Finals proves the power of the home court even further, with both the Pistons and Cavs holding serve on their home floor. The question is now posed to both teams - who can win on the other team's home floor? LeBron James supposedly answered questions regarding his clutch ability in the 4th quarter in game 4 in Cleveland with 13 points on 5-5 shooting from the line, while Rasheed Wallace lost his cool with a technical foul. Will fortunes reverse in game 5 in Detroit?
Statistically speaking, there is a distinct home court advantage - in the 2005-2006 NBA season, home teams finished with a .604 winning percentage, according to NBC sports. How will the rest of this years NBA playoffs pan out? Will the psychological advantage of playing with the support of the crowd help the eventual champion claim their title, or will visiting teams find a way to overcome the challenge? Keep checking with SPINw for more updates on the NBA playoffs.

To see more NBC home court advantage stats, click here.

2007-04-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Psychology of College Baseball's Best

James Madison junior outfielder Kellen Kulbacki didn't do too much to earn co-national player of the year - only led Division-I in homers with 24 and RBI with 75, while hitting .464. In addition to his normal training regimen with the JMU team, Kulbacki has been regularly attending sessions with Dr. Wendy Borlabi, a sport psychologist the school makes available to its athletes. After visiting her regularly since 2005, Kulbacki says "the things I accomplished, I couldn't believe it almost," and credits Borlabi with much of his improvement on offense from his freshman to sophomore years.

Read the rest of the Richmond Times-Dispatch article here.

2007-04-29T19:48:00.000-07:00

Red Sox Psychology

As the major league season is now in full swing, countless players are working their way through the minor league system, all with one dream in mind - making it, someday, to the bigs. In addition to hard work, practice, and passion for the game, minor leaguers for the Red Sox now have another ally in their quest - a sport psychologist. Bob Tewksbury, retired pitcher with 110 career wins and a 3.92 ERA under his belt, is hard at work in his third season as psychologist for the entire Sox farm system. One of Tewksbury's goals is challenging misconceptions about sport psychology, saying that "the industry name is ‘mental skills’ or ‘performance enhancement’ or whatever. I’d like to say it pertains to psychology, and I think it’s important for people to know that because I think there’s a stigma to psychology in general. The things that the players experience are totally normal. Throughout society people have issues that are totally normal, so I want to try to get away from that."

Read more on Tewksbury's efforts here.

2007-03-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Golf’s Mental Game

Golfers at all levels are beginning to appreciate more and more the importance of mental game training. The latest example comes from the Florida’s Women’s golf team, which has worked with a variety of sport psychologists and mental game counselors throughout the season. Perhaps the most beneficial session for the team was a two-day seminar with Dr. Deborah Graham, a highly respected tour psychologist who has worked with more than 200 pros. Other courses throughout the season coached players in the importance of focus and staying in the present, among other goals.

Florida’s focus on the mental game has worked; the team has improved to number 11 in the country since March 10^th, when they were ranked 19. As spring returns and the northwest golf season begins again, keep checking with SPINw for our courses on golf’s mental game.

Read the whole article from the Gainesville Sun here.

2007-03-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Quotes of the Week

Ducks tourney run

"I just came out with a lot of confidence"

- Oregon freshman guard Tajuan Porter after his 33-point effort and NCAA regional record-tying 8 three-pointers

"We call it the 'heat check...He'll shoot one more just to see if it goes in. Then he's on fire and we just keep giving it to him."

- Oregon forward Maarty Leunen on Porter's shooting

From ESPN.com

The Return of Sammy

"Today is about Sammy Sosa and the Texas Rangers - I mean the Texas Rangers and Sammy Sosa."

- Sammy Sosa at a spring training press conference

"It takes the spotlight away from our team."

- Rangers GM Jon Daniels, when asked about possible downsides to Sammy's return

From Sports Illustrated, March 5

2007-03-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Youth Coaching Tactics

As youth sports continue to grow in popularity and size, the pressure put on young athletes also increases. Recent University of Washington research demonstrates that youth coaches focusing on having fun and playing to the utmost of one’s ability give their players a better overall experience. The study involved a control group of youth basketball teams whose coaches had no coaching training and a study group of teams whose coaches had attended a coaching clinic teaching effective youth coaching strategies. At the end of the season long study, players in the study group exhibited lower anxiety and greater satisfaction in their individual effort and goal achievement while players in the control group had more anxiety and tension and tended to only be satisfied with their play when the team won.
As eyes from scouting services begin looking to younger and younger kids in search of the next LeBron, it is becoming more and more clear that proper youth coaching philosophies be researched and put in place both for the integrity of the game and the welfare of our young athletes.

Check out the whole report with more details on the study from the Los Angeles Times here.

2007-03-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

It’s tourney season again!

The traditional stakes are on the line in this year’s 2007 NCAA basketball tournaments – status, money, and, biggest of all, bragging rights in the world of college hoops. Big players are making headlines, with names like Durant, Oden, and Hansbrough making noise in post-game analysis and NBA Draft discussions alike. Apart from the traditional powerhouses and star players, what stories are seeing press this year? Given that this years competition is just as brutal as ever, teams are taking extra steps to stay ahead. An example is No. 2 seed Memphis’ work with visualization strategies to improve free-throws (Memphis is the worst team from the charity stripe in the tourney).

Coach John Calipari has completely abandoned free-throw exercises in practice, favoring visualization exercises instead focusing on a good follow through and a swish of the net. Says forward Robert Dozier, “If you visualize yourself making it, you'll make it, rather than just thinking, ‘Oh my God, I don't know if I'm going to make it or not.’”

Apparently the strategy worked – earlier tonight Memphis knocked out No. 3 seed Texas A&M 65-64 with two Antonio Anderson free throws with 3.1 seconds left. While the Tigers shot an unremarkable .667 from the line, that figure is still a full five percent improvement over their regular season average. Keep an eye on the rest of the tournament to see how far Memphis can go, and keep checking with SPINw for mental game updates on the tournament.

Read the entire San Diego Union-Tribune report here.

Check out the Memphis-Texas A&M game report from ESPN here.

2007-02-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

A New Pitching Philosophy

Baseball, as is well known, is a sport rich in tradition, history, and heritage of the game. As America’s Pastime, it is a game in which younger stars will always be measuring up to the greatness and glory of past heroes. From pre-season training to pre-game warm-up, many strategies in baseball have remained unchanged through the ages.

Alan Jaeger has pioneered a new philosophy in pitcher training since the early 90’s. His regimen includes breathing and meditation exercises and yoga for up to four hours a day followed by throwing workouts for forty minutes or so. Star clients and include Barry Zito and Joel Zumaya. One of Jaeger’s specific mental techniques includes a rehearsed, practiced breathing exercise on the mound by which the pitcher relaxes himself and focuses his attention and nervousness on his breathing routine, not the pitch itself. By the time anxiety over the pitch enters the pitchers mind, it’s already been thrown for a strike.

Click here to read the full article from February 11^th’s New York Times, and be sure to follow the Giants Barry Zito and the Twins Joel Zumaya to see how Jaeger’s tactics pay off this season.

2007-02-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Quotes of the Week

Reactions from around the NBA to ex-NBAer John Amaechi's announcement that he is gay, and kept it a secret during his playing career:

"That's his own sexual preference. I had no problem with it when I played with him. You kind of had a sense. It didn't bother me. As long as a guy is producing on the basketball court, I don't care what he is." - Tracy McGrady

It might be "a little awkward." - Jamal Crawford

"I don't care what you do in your private life, as long as it doesn't affect our team." - Chauncey Billups

"I'm definitely not a fan of gay-ness. But I would rather a person go ahead and admit they're gay rather than be undercover." - Amare Stoudemire

"We're like family and you take showers with each other. We're on the bus together and we talk about a lot of things and if you're not trustworthy, like admitting you're gay, you can't be trusted. It's a trust factor." - LeBron James

From ESPN and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

2007-02-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Tragedy from USC

In continuing news from a tragic story in college football, ESPN and the AP reported on February 5th that USC kicker Mario Danelo had a blood-alcohol level of .23 when he plunged off an over-100 foot cliff in early January. Nearly three times California's legal limit for driving, a BAC of .23 would cause significant intoxication. Several USC players have stated since the incident that they believed Danelo did not commit suicide.
Amid the swirling controversy regarding substance abuse in all sports, the incident brings college abuse to the forefront. 2002 research by the Higher Education Center reported that college athletes actually exhibit much higher rates of alcohol use than non-athlete college students - 57 percent of male athletes reported heavy alcohol use, as compared to 49 percent of male non-athletes; 48 percent of female athletes used alcohol heavily, versus 40 percent of non-athletes. Heavy alcohol use was defined in the study as 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 for women; the time period in which the use occurred was two weeks prior to the study.
It is apparent that alcohol use is relatively common among collegiate athletes - to what level does this affect their performance? It seems unlikely that alcohol use had nothing to do with Danelo's death, given his high BAC. For those college athletes who compete professionally, are they being primed to live a high-profile, hard partying professional life? Keep checking with SPINw as further research investigates the subject. As in most things, responsible alcohol use in moderation is most likely the best way to go.

Read the ESPN/AP story here.

Read the Higher Ed Center report here.

2007-01-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

The Mind-Body Connection: Mental and Physical Health

Sports injuries are physical setbacks with physical causes which can be cured by physical means. Sprained ankles, pulled muscles, or broken bones are all caused by the normal rigors of training and competition, right? Wrong. More and more contemporary sport psychology research is uncovering the relationship between an athlete's mental health and the physical well-being. As documented in a January 4 New York Times article, stress in an athletes life can be a primary factor in the cause of injury. For example, a stressed athlete may be less observant or alert during competition, resulting in a physical mistake which leads to injury. The same mistake may not have been made had the same athlete been in peak condition mentally. Furthermore, as we all know, our muscles tense up during periods of stress. Athletes experiencing abnormal muscle tension due to stress are more susceptible to injury, since tense muscles are more likely to strain or tear.

How can stress related injuries be avoided? Lowering stress is one way. However, since removing all stress in life is clearly impossible, perhaps the best way is to learn how to handle stress better. According to Dr. Stanley Herring, team physician of the Seattle Seahawks, the impact of stress is determined at an individual level - "One man's stress is another man's vacation...Those at risk are the ones whose stress exceeds the resources they have to cope with it." How are you at handling your own stress? Recommended coping methods are visualizations and relaxation techniques.

To read the NYT article, click here.

For more content on the impact of stress on athletic performance, check out our December 11 post.

2007-01-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Quote of the Week

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club wont be worth a dime."

-Babe ruth

More sports quotes here.

2007-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Blinding Rage

Titans D Tackle Albert Haynesworth shocked the sports world on October 1st with his now-infamous head-stomp on Cowboys center Andre Gurode. The sports media world was instantly ablaze with reports of "out of control athletes", as we all remember.
What were the mental events which took place to lead to such a horrific act? What were Haynesworth's psychological reactions to the event? This month's ESPN the Magazine delves further into the issue. Haynesworth claims it was an attempted cheap shot by Gurode on his surgically repaired knee that spurred the incident. The rage and anger built up inside after the play to the extent that the plays preceding the stomp were a blur - and the Titan didn't at first remember why he was in the locker room by himself after being ejected. He was truly blinded by rage.
Since the fight, Haynesworth has been seeing a counselor weekly to discuss his feelings and mindset. It has been nothing too formal or academic - simply chatting about how he's feeling, which eventually leads to a deeper discussion about his family troubles or the pressure he's felt since signing a huge contract.
Given the violence exhibited by the Knicks-Nuggets brawl, the Haynesworth stomp, and the TO spitting controversy, clearly the need in professional athletics for sports counseling is more pressing than ever. Keep checking with SPINw for further updates on the topic.

Read Seth Wickersham's article from ESPN the Magazine's Jan. 15 issue here.

2006-12-19T15:05:00.000-08:00

Quote(s) of the Week

"I got frustrated and I apologize for that. It was a situation where he kept bugging me and getting in my face."

-Terrell Owens on Saturday after the Cowboys game with the Falcons, apparently admitting and apologizing for spitting in DeAngelo Hall's face.

"When it happened, we were jawing in each other's face, so it wasn't anything intentional...I didn't intentionally spit in his face."

-Terrell Owens on Monday denying spitting in Hall's face during the game. It was revealed on Monday that no video replay can prove that Owens did spit.

From ESPN.com.

2006-12-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

Kicker's confidence?

What is the effect of confidence on at athlete's performance? We all know how important it is to believe that we will succeed during competition. Many of us have even felt the power of knowing we will be victorious. Of course, many of us have been down the opposite road as well - feeling like we just can't do it.
Just ask Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt who has struggled all season. Or new star Tony Romo who entered his first game trailing at halftime to a standing O and left with three picks.
How does confidence impact your game? SPINw's mental game training packages can bolster your confidence and performance!

Read the rest of the Cowboys article from the
Dallas Star-Telegram.

2006-12-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

Sport Warfare Part 2: Psychological

Anyone who thought psychological warfare tactics were limited to the CIA and KGB needs to think again. Check out this story from the December 10 issue of the New York Times Magazine:

In Cal’s last basketball game of the season, in March, a win vs. USC was necessary for a tourney bid. To neutralize USC star Gabe Pruitt, Cal rally committee members created a fictional Cal co-ed, “Victoria”, and began IMing Pruitt a week before the game. After a period of online flirting, Pruitt agreed to meet “Victoria”, who never really existed, after the game. Upon Pruitt’s first trip to the free-throw line in the game, Cal fans chanted “Victoria” over and over. Pruitt missed the free throws and went on to have his worst game of the season. Clearly, the Cal tactic worked. By getting Pruitt’s head out of the game, he was completely neutralized and Cal won by 11.

From NYT Magazine, 12/10/2006. N.C.A.A. Psyop by Joel Lovell, p. 62.

2006-12-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

Sports Warfare Part 1: Physical

As we move deeper into the holiday season, the sports world is certainly not filled with cheer and good will towards men. One need only look to T.O.’s spitting in DeAngelo Hall’s face on Sunday and Saturday night’s Knicks-Nuggets brawl for confirmation. Both stories swirl with controversy – Did Isaiah Thomas warn Carmelo Anthony to not go in the lane? Was George Karl simply protecting a lead, or running up the score on the Knicks in retribution for the Larry Brown situation? Regarding T.O., did he intentionally spit, or was it accidental while jawing with Hall?

In basketball, the League has spoken, most notably with 15 game suspensions for Carmelo and 10 games for Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith. What will be the psychological affect on the two teams? Surely, the Nuggets are hit harder with the loss of league scoring leader ‘Melo. Or, will it be a source of motivation for the team? Time will tell.

In football, response has been mixed to the spitting incident. Should Hall have retaliated? Should T.O. have been punished beyond his $35,000 fine? What is the impact of being spit upon on a players mindset? Here is Michael Irvin’s take, as heard on the Dan Patrick Show on Monday: “[Spitting] is as low as it gets…There’s no excuse for it, there’s no reason for it, there’s no talking around it…I let another man spit in my face you take away my integrity as a man. I’m no good to you as a player because I’m no good as a man.” According to Irvin, physical retaliation is necessary to preserve the confidence and self-worth necessary for competition. However, if the retaliation leads to an ejection, how can the player be any good to his team on the sidelines?

Keep checking with SPINw for more news as these stories develop.

Here the Michael Irvin interview on ESPN radio here.

2006-12-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Quote of the Week

It took me seventeen years to get 3,000 hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.

- Hank Aaron

From BrainyQuote.com

2006-12-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

The Mind-Body Connection

What is the source of physical pain during athletic competition? Injury or muscle stress is always a reliable answer. However, research has been demonstrating more and more that pain experienced in athletics may be a physical representation of mental stress. For example, take the story of a young English golfer who experienced intense lower back pain immediately before making contact with the ball in his swing. A series of sessions with a sport psychologist using kinesthetic imagery (the athlete’s visualization of their own body during performance) revealed three probable causes, none of which were physical – preoccupation with perfect technique which ruined the flow of the swing, fear about the quality of the outcome, and frustration with his caddie’s negative comments before tee shots. As a result of his sessions with the sport psychologist, the golfer is seeing a new caddie, playing great, and using advanced imagery techniques to swing freely and without interruption.

Read the whole fascinating story here.

2006-12-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Pressure to be Thin

As we are bombarded daily with advertisements and programs promoting weight loss and skinniness, it’s not hard to realize why many feel an unhealthy pressure to be super-thin. Now, imagine combining day-to-day cultural pressures to be thin with the drive of athletic competition and enter the world of the anorexic athlete. Sports whose athletes are significantly at risk include skating, gymnastics, running, swimming, and rowing. Females athletes are at a higher risk than males for eating disorders – in fact, a USA Today study reported that 1/3 of its female participants experienced disordered eating. The unrealistic pressures both to be thin and perform at a high level can take a disastrous toll on athletes at all levels in the forms of anorexia, bulimia, low self-esteem and poor self-image. To learn more about eating disorders in athletics visit Anred.com or click here to read about an athlete's personal experiences.

2006-11-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Quote of the week:

Show me a guy whos afraid to look bad, and I'll show you a guy you can beat every time.

-Lou Brock

From Sports Quotes

2006-11-30T08:59:00.000-08:00

Tampa Bay Bucs: In the Zone?

As athletes, we’re all familiar with the feeling of being in “the Zone” – totally unstoppable, everything’s going right and flowing perfectly. Time even slows for us – our target imagery freezes in our vision and the opponents are a half-step behind.
Is it possible for an entire team to collectively enter the zone? Bucs QB Bruce Gradkowski asserts that “It’s just little things in a drive that get you going. It might not even be me that starts the drive. I might hand off a couple times, we get a couple nice runs, then the next ball I throw I’m feeling it. We get that completion and we feel the momentum as a group. In that second quarter against the Saints, we started moving very well and we just felt like we were in the zone, as a group. I know I did.”
Keep checking with SPINw as ongoing research on the Zone emerges from sport psychologists in the field.

Read the whole article from the Bucs game programs here.

Click here to read more about the leading researcher of flow and the Zone.

2006-11-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

Quote of the Week

"There's only one way to become a hitter. Go up to the plate and get mad. Get mad at yourself and mad at the pitcher."

"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer."

- Ted Williams

From Baseball Almanac

2006-11-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Rutgers football: The Psychology of an Underdog

Who missed Rutgers’ 28-25 upset special win over Louisville last week? If you did, apologies from all of us at SPINw. Anyone who thought that Rutgers' rise this season was accomplished without the help of mental game training should check out this article from the Rutgers Daily Record. Scarlet Knights coach Greg Schiano had used motivational clips from the movie Cinderella Man to inspire his team during practice throughout the week. He refreshed his team with the messages of perseverance and hard play from the movie during halftime with the Scarlet Knights trailing by 11; Rutgers responded with 14 unanswered points for the victory. Will Schiano’s motivational techniques power the Scarlet Knights to a major bowl game? Keep an eye on Rutgers December 2 face-off with West Virginia to find out.

2006-11-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

Sport Psychology - What are the benefits?

We all know that practicing the mental game can be just as important as regular on-court or –field practice. However, have you ever wondered about some of the theory behind sport psychology? Why does sport psychology help? What can it really do for you? What are the benefits of it? Read on here for more in-depth information on the values of sport psychology and mental game training.

2006-11-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Quote of the Week

"I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.

- Michael Jordan"

From BrainyQuote.com

2006-11-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

Cricket Psychology

Sport psychology is helping not only western athletes – the benefits of sport psychology on athletes are being seen worldwide, as demonstrated in an article from India’s news network NDTV. Rudi Webster, a sport psychologist who has worked with Greg Norman, is now coaching India’s cricket team on positive thinking, concentration, and visualization. Perhaps most important of his ideas is the philosophy that “a slump is the result of a wandering mind and not technical flaws and to get over it, you just need to start thinking positively.”

2006-10-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

Quote of the week

"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way."

-Babe Ruth

More athlete quotes

2006-10-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

Mental Health of Athletes

Injuries can be damaging to any career in athletics, no matter the level. Typically, the extent of the damage of the injury depends on the mental strength of the athlete, the strength of their support circle, and the nature of the injury itself, to name a few. Typically, athletes who are completely absorbed in their “athletic self”, with little or no sense of self outside sports, are harmed the worst. Check out the link below to read more about the impact of an injury on a Los Angeles high school quarterback.

2006-10-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Visualization key in cross country

Visualization, the process of seeing with the minds eye an event before it occurs, has always been important in the field of sport psychology. Recent coaching tactics educating athletes in visualization techniques from Santa Clara University’s cross country team have proven effective in improving performance. SCU coaches, through guided meditation, guide their runners through the course the day before a race. “The visualizations work because they make me more comfortable with the course. When I get to the starting line the day of the race, I will feel like I've run the course several times because I've already been there in my head," said Shannon Bell, a first-team all-WCC runner.

Read the whole article

2006-10-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

Who knew? Performance psychology in auto racing

Sometimes, it is said that there is little to NASCAR besides a group of fast cars turning left for a few hours. However, this is not true at all, as proved in a recent motorsport.com interview with Jeff Gordon regarding performance psychology in car racing. Gordon revealed that elements common to other mainstream sports such as teamwork, pressure of competition, and practice are just as essential to an auto racing team as a football one. In regards to the benefits of a performance psychologist to a NASCAR team, Gordon said “It is hard to take 60 or 80 guys with different personalities and blend them together. That is a real challenge…I don't think it is a bad idea, to analyze it and understand it better and to have each individual understand it.” Gordon also touched on pressure to perform from fans and sponsors and the psychological effect it may have on a racer.

See the whole article

2006-10-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Discussion of Dick Pound's Speech at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Conference

Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency, addressed the Association for Applied Sports Psychology earlier this month, touching on subjects ranging from conventional doping to the possibilities of genetic manipulation among athletes. Pound claimed that the rash of recent high-profile doping scandals is proof that the problem is getting worse throughout athletics. Some recent examples include Barry Bonds, Tim Montgomery, Justin Gatlin, and multiple Tour de France 2006 riders. Pound is not without controversy, however – called a zealot by some, his resignation has been called for by Lance Armstrong and the chairman of the International Cycling Union, among others.

Read the whole article

Visit SPINW.com

2006-10-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to SPINw's E-News blog! Visit this site for exciting news updates from sports around the northwest and advances in the practice and research of sports psychology! Also check for updates on upcoming events including seminars, presentations, and teaching clinics.