ROB POLISHOOK, MA, CPC

How many times have you heard the   following from a coach, parent, or teammate? “If only he played to his potential”… “If only she could play matches like she plays in practice”… “If only he wouldn’t get tight during crucial points”… “If only she would just let herself go and play”… “He is so much better than this, but ….” and so on and so forth. We all know the mental side of tennis is huge. Boris Becker once said “Tiebreakers are 98% mental.” Additionally, Dr. Alan Goldberg, noted sports psychologist, says “In sports, the mental game is like the glue – it’s what holds everything together.”

The game is usually made up of four parts: technical, strategic, physical and mental. One of these parts without the others is essentially worthless. You can think of it like a car. The technical part is the body – a stable foundation, streamlined to make the car travel smoothly. The strategic part is the steering wheel – able to travel in the desired direction, or change course whenever necessary.  The physical part is the gas – physical preparation and stamina, the component ensuring that the car has the juice to complete the journey. The mental part is the engine – the most essential component, the force that starts the car and makes it run. When all of the above are working smoothly together, our tennis game runs like a brand new sports car, with high performance and no worries. Yet when one of the components goes, the whole machine cannot function properly.
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“I’ve always, in the back of my head, wanted to be known as one of the greatest short track speedskaters of all time,” he told The Associated Press on Monday and on Friday, he brought it all home.

by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP, USOC Registry of Sport Psychologists

“In the end, its the extra effort that separates the winner from second place.   But winning takes a lot more than that, too.  It starts with complete command of the fundamentals.  Then it takes desire, determination, discipline and self-sacrifice.  And finally it takes a great deal of love, fairness and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don’t win, how can you lose? – Jessie Owens

What can you say about Apolo Anton Ohno?  Lets just say he’s more than Dancing with the Stars could have hoped for.

He is America’s most accomplished Winter Olympian – having won 8 Olympic medals in the last three Olympic games.  In Salt Lake City in 2002 – Ohno won his first gold medal in the 1500- meter short track speedskating, moving up after Korea’s hope Kim Dong-Sung was disqualified….and from that point forward he has been prolific, classy, and fun to watch both on and off the ice.  With subsequent medals in the 1000 meter short track, 500 and 5,000-meter relay in Torino, Italy – and – another 3 medals in the 1500, 1000, and 5,000 relay in Vacouver…he has taken America’s productivity in the games to an all-new high.

Whats astounding is that it could have easily been nine medals as Apolo was disqualified in the 500 for ‘causing Canadian Francois Louise Tremblay to fall in the final turn.  Noteworthy discussion followed the fall, but numerous camera angles showed that Tremblay had failed to maintain his edge on the turn as Ohno’s hand gently made contact with the Canadian’s hip.  The resulting DQ cost Ohno another silver medal in a sport well known for its jostling and highly dramatic high speed crashes.

Ohno is no stranger to the use of higher end sport psychology methods and has long practiced visualization.  To get a glimpse into this guy’s amazing drive, check out the video below.   In addition…..

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by Dr. Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP, USOC Registry of Sport Psychogists

What do you get when you employ a positive mental attitude, strong self-motivation, well managed goal-setting, effective self-talk, a disciplined visualization of your upcoming performance, competent stress control, determined focus and concentration, and an ongoing dedication to establishing and maintaining productive relationships with both your teammates and your coaches?

You get success.  And when you combine those ingredients with physical skills and a well trained athlete – you get medals….lots of them.  Successful athletes at this years Olympics in Vancouver demonstrated skill and tenacity that was both physical and mental…. Read the rest of this entry »