Archive for September, 2007

Ron Wolforth, director of Pitching Central, a Houston Texas based pitching development facility has developed a total pitching development program called “The Athletic Pitcher.” Wolforth shared how he teaches the metal aspects of pitching performance, and works with pitchers at his pitching boot camp to produce more mentally tough and competitive pitchers. Wolforth was...
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There are many group dynamics that take place within a sporting team. One of the most important is cohesion. One is always hearing about how important it is for a team to “gel” or “bond” or “have good chemistry.” Cohesive teams can achieve dramatic and awesome things. The way players interact has a tremendous...
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The following is an article by Mark Jenkins MD as it appears on the Rice University website. Here’s a link to the full article. It is no secret among athletes that in order to improve performance you’ve got to work hard. However, hard training breaks you down and makes you weaker. It is rest...
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Unlike other aspects of cycling, climbing success is considered by most to be almost 100 percent dependent on fitness and natural ability. It occurred to me, however, that there is actually much more to it. Over the years, I’ve picked up numerous tricks and techniques that have allowed me to occasionally put one over...
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Marilyn King was training for the 1980 Olympics when she was involved in a car accident which resulted in a back injury that left her bedridden for months. During her recovery, she spent hours using mental training techniques, watching films of Pentathlon, and visualizing herself competing. Although she was unable to train physically, her...
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Your legs are burning. Your lungs are burning. Thoughts of flaming out, backing off, or giving up are dancing in your tortured mind. What will you do next? The mentally fit cyclist is highly skilled in responding to suffering, and thus has a distinct advantage over many competitors. When we cyclists use the word...
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In the following article from The Malta Independent, Adele Muscat from the Malta Olympic Committee focuses on sports psychology in today’s top-level sport. Most of us remember when our mental state interfered with a good performance. It might have been excessive anxiety in a school exam or meeting a person you wanted to impress....
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Many sports such as golf, tennis and skating, not only require physical skills, but a strong mental game as well. Most coaches preach the line that sports are 90% mental and only 10% physical. Especially in sports where hundredths of a second or tenths of an inch separate the champions from the mediocre athletes,...
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The physiological benefits of ingesting carbohydrate during prolonged exercise are well documented. But little is known about its effect on mood, which can be an equally important determinant of performance. Now a group of UK researchers have carried out a groundbreaking study showing that carbohydrate enhances feelings of pleasure both during and after prolonged...
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The Female Athlete Triad refers to three interrelated health problems seen in females. These problems include: low energy availability, menstrual disorders, and weak bones. In the extreme, these problems may be expressed as eating disorders, amenorrhea (loss of menstrual periods), and osteoporosis (an increased risk of fractures). What are the risk factors for developing...
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