athletes

Mental Moment-athletes dealing with fear

Written by on March 23, 2013

fear

Fear can be a biggie for athletes. There are many skills an athlete can develop to deal with fear that’s different than allowing it to take over their mind with negative thoughts and their body with rapid heart rate and restricted movement. The plan on how to deal with fear depends on how deeply embedded the fear is (how far back does it go), how aware the athlete is of it’s occurrence(s) and how much it impacts the athletes performance. The best advice I can give you around fear is this: fear is what you make of it. Feelings become huge and … Continued

Mental Moment-percieved bad rap

Written by on March 12, 2013

Mastery

Over the years I’ve heard numerous stories of how sports psychology has not had the impact that athletes, coaches and administrators thought it would. Several of my elite athletes have said they’ve had a sports psychologist come talk to them but that it wasn’t very helpful and it was never suggested that they work with someone on an individual basis. Another colleague had brought someone from the field of sports psychology in to talk to the entire school and was not pleased at the results. These are just a couple of the many stories I’ve heard. Don’t let your perception … Continued

Mental Moment-should athletes and coaches communicate

Written by on March 9, 2013

Coach & athlete

I’ve worked with numerous athletes and teams who have struggled terribly with communication. Athletes feel like they aren’t heard and coaches feel like athletes are not listening. The problem is neither really ‘talks’ to the other. Athletes feel like they can’t communicate their thoughts and feelings for fear of retribution and coaches don’t always know or understand how important it is to be honest with and really talk to their athletes. This leaves everyone feeling frustrated, disrespected and angry. In this environment no one gets what they want or need. In my work with athletes I empower them to have … Continued

Mental Moment-athletes are impacted by their thoughts and those of coaches

Written by on March 5, 2013

Nothing happens without the brains involvement. The brain fires to the muscles telling them how to respond. Flow There are moments as an athlete that you are in a state of flow. In that state performance is effortless. This is really the state you want to be in as much and as often as you can. For most athletes those moments are few. What is more common is that athletes have a lot of unconscious and subconscious thinking that effects their performance; usually in a negative way. Athletes You move in the direction your brain tells you to. For example, … Continued

Mental Moment-termination

Written by on August 11, 2012

retired olympic athletes

Several times at this years London Olympics I’ve heard stories about athletes who are terminating their athletic careers. Olympian’s spend a lot of time training. It takes a lot of time and energy. It also takes a lot of time and energy away from other things in life: family,  friends, social life, other life passions, school, work, etc. When the Olympics are over for these athletes how will they transition into their life? Many of them may struggle with termination. This is not an uncommon issue among athletes or other elite performers. Career termination distress  Termination of an athletes career may provide … Continued

Mental Moment-Olympic gold

Written by on July 30, 2012

Losing gold medal

I’ve watched a lot of Olympics these past few days and there have been some exciting moments! From volleyball to swimming and gymnastics many of the USA teams and individuals are doing well. The USA is second behind China in medals. So why all the glum faces? I understand wanting to be the best in your sport but I have seen so many sad and frustrating faces in athletes who have not taken the gold. I get it! You expected the gold and didn’t get the gold so you are rightfully frustrated but your other hat is as role model … Continued

Mental Moment-female Olympic testing

Written by on July 26, 2012

caster semenya

OK I got some feedback about my blog on the IOC’s new policy for testing female athletes hormone level. This person was looking for me to say something solid about it and take a stand; versus reciting the article and asking what you thought about it. So here goes! If this were a ‘man’s’ issue would it be an issue? We would not be having this conversation. Lets look at this from the psychological perspective. Women started off marginalized in sports. Lets look at some research. For centuries women didn’t participate in sports due to medical fears of sterility. Boys … Continued

Mental Moment-anatomists vs identifiers

Written by on July 19, 2012

london2012

There are more female Olympians who are looking masculine. Because of that did you know that the IOC has devloped a new policy around ‘sex’ at the London Olympic Games? I am only going to give you the cliff notes from Alice Dreger’s article: The Olympic Struggle Over Sex because I want to give you the opportunity to read it for yourself. There are two schools of thought around ‘sex’ in the Olympic Games. The anatomists think we should base our sex division in sports on some sort of biological feature (in this case: how much androgens a woman’s body makes, but also how much her cells respond), even … Continued

Mental Moment-communication

Written by on June 28, 2012

communication3

Communication is so important. When you aren’t able to communicate you don’t get our needs met. Why? Because people don’t know what those needs are. If you don’t communicate with people in your life they are left to either make assumptions about what you need  or they act and respond based on their own need to be. For example, a golf client hated that one of his best friends was always using foul language on the golf course. It effected his golf game. I asked my client whether he’d ever said anything about how this foul language was disturbing and … Continued

How definitions effect your performance

Written by on June 27, 2012

Perspective

In my work with Elite Performers I have them clarify and define phrases, terms, situations and conditions. I can certainly make assumptions about what a client needs and wants but they know much better than I do. I also find it gives them an opportunity to think more broadly about the phrases, terms, situations and conditions they use around their performance and this awareness can lead to increased self esteem, enhanced confidence and feelings of control. How we see ourselves How do you see yourself? Sometimes we say things out of habit or because that is what we’ve been told … Continued