by Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D.

The priorities of youth sport have long been out of wack. If you ask parents, many will say they enroll their children in season upon season of adult organized play to teach things like character and sportsmanship. They want to encourage their children to be healthy and well. And above all they want the kids to have fun. And I believe that many parents do want these things. However, these noble gains are often not reflected or even noticeable if we look at what is going on in youth sport. Parents lose sight of the important things as imagined college scholarships (the reality of which is best saved for another post), the status of having a child on the ‘select team’ and the ‘my child is a star’ fantasies take over. By the time the children hit adolescence, a large percentage have dropped out of sport. While some leave sport to do other things, many drop out because it isn’t fun anymore. Worse, many more are ‘forced out’ as the only opportunities for participation become increasingly more selective and elite. And perhaps most concerning, given the obesity/health crisis in our culture, we obviously have failed to instill a love for physical activity because once children and young adults stop playing organized sport, they stop moving.

Despite the high value placed on youth sport participation in our culture- and not always for the right reasons - youth sport coaches are often only volunteers who maybe played the sport at some point. They often have little to no training in the actual coaching of the sport and worse yet, they have no training in the coaching of children and how to teach the fundamentals or foundations of the sport. It is not uncommon to see a youth football practice being run just like the ‘big boy’s’ despite the fact that there is a world of difference in physical ability, mental processing, and even basic knowledge of the game between a 6 year old and a 20 year old. Imagine the outcry if a child’s teacher was hired based only on the fact that he or she could read. Yet most parents know little more about a coach’s credentials other than where he or she played college ball.

Do we want to hope that a coach gets lucky and gets it right? Are a passion for sport and liking kids credentials enough - or is that all about what the adult wants and about what is best for the kids? Are we ok that the person coaching our kids is more interested in a city wide trophy than in the long term health and well being of the kids? Is it ok that coach knows how to throw the long ball or how to read a defensive player on a college court but doesn’t have a clue how to break these things down and teach them appropriately to second graders?

Childhood is a crucial time for skill development and learning.  Physical motor pathways are developed that will last a lifetime, self esteem and a sense of self are built, and personal preferences or dislikes for different activities are founded. A coach plays a crucial role in all of this and proper training for that coach is key. Exactly what that training should be is an important question that needs to be explored. In many other countries, the most highly trained coaches are those who work with the youngest athletes to ensure a safe and healthy foundation. This approach helps foster talent as it develops AND ensures that those less endowed with genetic gifts (which often takes years upon years to really manifest) still have a healthy foundation in being active.

In a very positive step forward, the Obama administration has announced the creation of a White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport.

(June 16, 2009 - http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/President-Obama-Announces-New-White-House-Office-of-Olympic-Paralympic-and-Youth-Sport/).
No, this isn’t an immediate fix or a guaranteed solution. It is the creation of a dedicated effort to help better understand the needs and parameters of youth sport and make recommendations based on solid research. And it is an important opportunity for the start of an essential discussion - one that is long overdue. How do we make youth sport truly about the youth, both for their long term well being and to enhance the overall health of our population?
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Kristen Dieffenbach, Ph.D., CC AASP #193
WVU - College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences
Assistant Professor - Athletic Coaching Education

By Stephen Walker, Ph.D.

Controlling Stress: The Key to a Great US Open Finish

The special pressures that surround our national championship in professional golf  are both a delight and disaster waiting to happen…and the $1.35 million smackers at stake are but a small part of the story.

Open to sectional qualifiers anywhere in the world who can prove a USGA handicap of less than 2.0 - any and every “guy with game” dreams of qualifying and playing in the US Open.  At the close of the drama on Monday, Lucas Glover kept his cool to win the prize….while three of the four top spots went to sectional qualifiers, including Glover, Ricky Barnes and David Duval.

Duval is perhaps the most interesting.  A former Number 1 ranked player in the world (1999,) he is now ranked at 147 - up from 882 after his US Open performance.   Everyone limped home under the pressure with only 4 players shooting rounds under par on the final day.  Glover’s caddy Don Cooper noted that he handled it best by laughing at his “shakey legs” on the last three holes.  His 3 over par performance was capped by a birdie on the 71st hole, giving him a two stroke advantage over Duval, Barnes and Mickleson.

USGA Set-up for the Open - and then - The Pressure

The USGA sets up the Open to be fair, but grueling.  The weather can help or hinder.  Last year’s drama featuring Tiger Wood and Rocco Mediate was noteworthy - because both players were mentally tough down the stretch - and it was quite a stretch - 93 holes in all, capped by a 21 hole play-off ending in sudden-death.  Intensity prevailed over game as Tiger birdied to win… overcoming the incredible game displayed by an aging Rocco.

Oftentimes the experience is mixed for fans.   Johnny Miller, commentator for the majors, loves to talk about how each player is succumbing to the pressure.  He rehashes their mistakes and points out every flaw in judgement and execution making it feel as if they are messing up a putt-putt game vs. the test of a US Open set-up.  Miller is so quick to illustrate the “choking” under the strain, he adds to the pressure palpably,  in doing so.

Everyone will tell you to just play “one shot at a time” - but when your heart is pounding out of your chest and you can’t catch your breath - its hard to not put a death grip on the club.  Hence, the back nine of a “Major” is a daunting and formidable foe - and that’s just the pressure.  The course set up,  your opponents, and Miller amp it up even more.

Glover gave his late coach Dick Harmon a heartfelt acknowledgement when he recounted, “He always told me I was good enough.”

Throughout the tournament, under the most difficult of conditions - Glover consistently proved his coach was right.  His maturity, balance, clear focus, and positive mental attitude demonstrated how educated he was in approaching his mental game.  These skills served him well to the very end - when he needed it most.  The US Open gives us a great opportunity to talk about Core Competencies.  Athletes must demonstrate mastery in these areas if they are to be successful and win at the highest level.  These mental conditioning skills must be refined and added to regularly - and rigorously incorporated into the training regimen everytime an athlete moves up to a higher level of competition.

Core Competencies - Keys to Mental Conditioning

Nobody questions an athlete’s need to be fit - but to win they must be mentally fit too.

There are several ‘Core Competencies’ needed for success and Podium has been a key source of information for athlete’s and coaches needing direction and support.  In 2007, Dr. Jack Lesyk gave us the “Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes”.  Last year, Kristen Dieffenbach interviewed Ohio State University’s Dr. Sam Maniar in a fabulous Podcast that clearly outlined the role of stress as he clarified the differences between choking, overthinking and panic.  Recently,  core competencies were outlined in a qualitative research study conducted by Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon’s.  The  “Secret Sauce” employed by several Olympic Gold Medalists are revealed in an exclusive interview Podcast.

This article will serve as the entre setting up a series on Core Competencies and mental skills found in every great athletic performance.  The series will include all of the following so stay tuned:

Controlling Stress

Managing Strong Emotions

Establishing Focus

Maintaining Concentration

Visualizing Positive Images

Setting up Optimal Support Systems (with coaches, teammates and parents)

Creating a Positive Mental Attitude

Developing Process vs. Outcome Goals

Self-talk - The Key to Mental Toughness

Guidelines to all of these skill sets, Podcasts with great athletes and coaches and more are always yours in Podium Sports Journal.

Will Frischkorn, Tour de France stage 7

Podium’s Podcast of the Week Features an Interview with elite cyclist Will Frischkorn:

by Dr. Stephen Walker

Will Frischkorn is one of those unassuming types that hang out in Boulder - a lot like your friend and neighbor his friendly yet calm exterior belies an aggressive cyclist who’s development has landed him on perhaps the most progressive and forward thinking cycling teams on Planet Earth.  Garmin-Slipstream is out to put an end to discussions of cheating and doping by employing a very aggressive and proactive regimen of testing likely to rival something USADA might use to keep athletes clean, healthy and yet performing to their optimum.

Will is coached by Jonathan Vaughters, Slipstream’s brainchild and director, and credits the man for teaching him how to train with balance, a positive attitude, patience and a good deal of fun.  Last year Will participated in his inaugural Tour de France.  He learned first hand how grueling the race can be and how one bad day has the potential to hurt for a long time.  Thanks to a strong team, a great director and a supportive cast - Will is here to stay and make the most of his opportunity on the World’s biggest stage in professional cycling.

Enjoy Podium’s interview with Will Frischkorn as he and Team Garmin-Slipstream prepare for the Tour de France 2009.

podium-sports-journal-interview-with-will-frischkorn-tour-de-france-cyclist-slipstream