Posts Tagged ‘ mental-game ’

by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP, USOC Registry of Sport Psychologists My dentist has a sign in his office that reads, “Just floss the ones you want to keep.” Playing conscious golf involves the same principle. Mental conditioning for good tournament play is not a matter left to happenstance. In fact, many of the key...
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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...
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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...
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Podium Sports Journal’s Podcast of the Week – An interview with Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon by Dr. Stephen Walker, CC-AASP This podcast was the first of a two part podcast with Drs. Noah Gentner and Vanessa Shannon on qualitative research they conducted with Olympic Gold medalists from the 2004 Olympics in Athens,...
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by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP Podium’s Podcast of the Week: An Interview with Jesse Michel – West Virginia University Coaches have varying expectations of their team captains.  Some will follow the adage of  ‘expect nothing be prepared for everything’ while others will want their team captain to serve as an assistant coach.  Leadership is...
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by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP Podium’s Podcast of the Week – Reflections on Applied Consulting work with Teams While working on their Master’s thesis at California State University – Fullerton, Ian Connole and Kristen Frevert  had the opportunity to consult with high school baseball teams on both ends of the spectrum in terms of...
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Podium’s Podcast of the Week – An interview with New Zealand’s Ken Hodge by Stephen E. Walker, PhD, CC-AASP New developments in the use of achronyms to help athlete’s remember key focusing routines during competition have gained acceptance in recent years.  Dr. Sarah Castillo from West Points’ Center for Performance Enhancement is known for...
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Lack of Mental Toughness Costly by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP – Boulder, Colorado We assume that those who play on the world stage at the highest levels of sport have schooled themselves mentally to keep their wits about them in the toughest of situations.  Perhaps we assume wrong. Yesterday’s Semi-final in the women’s US...
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By Dr. Haley Perlus Athletes First Why do young athletes participate in sports?  This is a simple question with insurmountable implications for improving youth competitive sport. Children choose to participate in sport for the following six reasons: 1) to have fun,  2) to learn and improve skills,   3) to be with friends,   4)...
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By Scott Martin, Ph.D. “The secret to winning is constant, consistent management.” – Tom Landry Winning is the ultimate goal for coaches and athletes. To be an effective leader on the field or court, coaches need to take a look at their coaching behaviors and identify areas in which they can improve. The twelve...
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