Podium’s Podcast of the Week – an Interview with Dr. Daniel Czech – Georgia Southern University

by Stephen E Walker, PhD, CC-AASP

Dr. Daniel Czech is a professor of sport psychology in a program that has done some remarkable research in recent years, particularly qualitative efforts.  Qualitative research involves a more in-depth study of the practices employed by a few athletes and requires multiple interviews over a long period of time in order to cover the subject properly.  He has supervised many studies involving best practices in teaching and coaching….and in recent years done some remarkable investigations with professional athletes in golf, tennis, basketball and other sports.

The Pre-shot routine has long been mentioned as a tool for building consistency in golf and basketball (free throw shooting) – but this research review cuts to the chase and identifies many reasons PGA Tour professionals use it.  Don’t think for one minute that ritual and superstition don’t have have their place at the highest levels in sport.  Its just that I underestimated how valuable they might be as a tool I should keep readily available when working with athletes at all levels.  The particular research effort discussed in this podcast was conducted by Daniel R. Czech, Allison Yancey, Drew Zwald, Barry Joyner, and Jonathan Metzler from Georgia Southern.  Thanks to them for sharing their research with us at Podium.

By the way, I used to be one of those guys who would just “grip it and rip it” – but I’ve now found that I find my target a whole lot more frequently if I just use a few of the tips in this Podcast.  Whether amateur or pro – in many different sports you will find benefit in this Podcast.  Don’t forget to review the Pre-pitch routine in baseball as another example of how these “best practices” are applicable to other sports.  Check out this article in Podium and you’ll see further evidence to support this mental focusing technique.  Building Consistency at the Plate.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Listen to Dr. Dan Czech Interview – Research of Preshot Routines – PGA Tour Players

In a special effort to acknowledge the grueling nature of the Tour de France – this qualitative research on the experience of “suffering” in cycling will open your eyes.

Editor’s note: The vast majority of literature in sport psychology involves quantitative research methods. These help in understanding trends and the prevalence of applied methods or conditioning skills, however, they are sometimes written in a way that feels remarkably alien to our actual experience of the techniques as applied. For an “up-close and personal” understanding of applied methods, there is no better tool than that used in qualitative research. This article, by UK Psychologist Phil Moore, puts forward this methodology so that we not only grasp the experience of “suffering” involved in cycling, we get a better sense of how individuals gravitate toward certain coping strategies. As focused as this study was on cycling, many of us will realize benefits in other endurance sports. Podium Sports Journal is pleased to present this research, not just because it is inherently relevant to our mission, but because Mr. Moore does an excellent job illustrating the difference between research and loose journalism which often plays fast and loose with concepts that are barely defined, much less understood.

by Phillip S. Moore – University of Exeter – England

Performance and Pain

Any cyclist will know that whilst cycling can be very enjoyable, at the same time it can also be very painful. On an extreme level let’s imagine for a moment the pain caused from a hip injury severe enough to require an immediate hip replacement. Let us then imagine how this must feel coupled with riding up to 260k a day, for three weeks over terrain up to 2600 metres. Finally, let’s imagine how painful it must be to not only cope with this pain and complete this epic task, but to beat a field of over 200 elite competitors. Floyd Landis’ achievement in this year’s Tour de France is inspiration for any keen cyclist, but it poses several important questions regarding the psychological experience of pain and its relationship to performance. How do elite cyclists like Floyd Landis experience pain and how do they best cope with it?

Social Science in Sport

Traditionally, attempts at improving athletes’ performance based on physiological factors such as training methods, diet and recovery have received the most attention from coaches. However, the burgeoning of sport psychology as a discipline, and even more recently as a profession, reflects the increasing credence modern athletes and coaches give to psychological influences upon improved performance. The experience of pain as a research topic has received marginal attention within the literature to date (see Hogg and Hayden (1997) for an exploration of runners’ experiences of pain). One reason for this is that the youthful status of sport psychology as a discipline, tends to shun the often overlooked or disregarded value of qualitative research methods. Pain is undoubtedly a qualitative experience, and one that cannot be easily quantified nor reduced to digits. It is unfortunate (yet predictable) that the discipline of sport psychology has fallen into the misguided pursuit of truth rather than value; however, this short paper offers some value in exploring the subjective experience of pain for elite cyclists. It is a brief synopsis of the findings of an original qualitative research project entitled: Perceptions of pain in competitive cyclists (Moore & Rock, 2001). The research involved interviews with four elite British cyclists, using semi-structured questions to elicit information. The information was interpreted using a phenomenological approach, respecting the individuality of what people said. Any psychological model was applied after the information was gathered, and so the design was emergent in essence.

Exertion Pain

Firstly it is important to distinguish between injury pain and exertion pain. Exertion pain is typically perceived as acute, short in duration, produced voluntarily, under the control of the athlete, and capable of being reduced at will. Exertion pain can consequently provoke positive emotions, feelings of satisfaction, improved performance, high self-efficacy, and a heightened sense of well-being. It can, therefore, facilitate athletes’ efforts by reinforcing them to aspire to higher intensities in training or competition.

Injury Pain

Although rare individuals like Landis (and his collapsing hip) seem to dispel what we know about injury pain; it is commonly experienced as chronic, long lasting, uncontrollable, a risk to physical well-being and motivation for athletes to protect the injured area. Typically, an athlete will respond with a loss in self-confidence and motivation, increased anxiety and/or depression, and feelings of fear. Injury pain is thus seen as a negative and discouraging (Heil, 1993). Taylor (1997) has developed these distinctions further, in suggesting that each type of pain, has significant effects upon how an athlete perceives pain (positively or negatively), evaluates pain (benign or harmful) and responds to pain (continued effort or protection). Hogg and Hayden (1997) indicated that when competitive runners correctly identify exertion pain, it has many positive emotional outcomes, including motivation, happiness, and satisfaction.

Habituation

So our experience of pain is not sensation per se, but a product of how we perceive it. Tajet-Foxell and Rose (1995) have suggested that repeated exposure to painful stimuli may reduce pain response in some individuals (process of habituation). In their study of ballet dancers they discussed how high pain thresholds were not only a result of habituation to high physical training and fitness levels, but were also contingent upon changes in cognitive responses over time. It seems that seasoned athletes use different ways of thinking and processing pain information. Researchers such as Morgan (1985) have highlighted the principles of adaptation in pain tolerance and perception, whilst others have agreed that an athlete’s unique training regime may affect an athlete’s ability to cope with pain (Egan, 1987).

Reward and Punishment: Pain and its Meaning

To make sense of the world around them humans tend to construct themes, make links and group information together. Our experience of pain is not immune to this; and this is how we learn to avoid or to repeat behaviour. In basic behavioural terms, if something we do benefits us we are likely to do it again. In more detailed terms: an athlete’s emotional response to pain is largely a product of experience, context, environment and individual difference. According to Hogg and Hayden (1997) an individual’s exposure to pain will imbue meaning for the individual. An athlete’s drive and the tendency to persist with certain behaviours, is in part, determined by an expectation of an outcome. For example, if Landis’ efforts at the Tour de France result in success, he is more likely to interpret the pain as a means to a successful end, and is likely to repeat his efforts. An athlete, whose experiences of pain are coupled with defeat or relative failure may be at risk of associating emotions of fear. According to Heil (1993) an athlete’s ability to tolerate pain depends on the likelihood of positive outcomes, such as good performances or results. Furthermore, Heil (1993) describes strong goals; a predominant perceptual focus on sport related cues (over pain), and a survival context as important factors in an athlete’s ability to tolerate pain.

Coping Strategies

Athletes use a variety of these coping techniques and cognitive strategies, and several sport specific studies have discussed them (Hogg & Hayden, 1997; Taylor & Taylor, 1998). Pain reduction techniques include deep breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, meditation, and therapeutic massage. Pain focus techniques on the other hand are concerned with external focus techniques, soothing imagery exercises, neutral imaginings, rhythmic cognitive activity, pain acknowledgement, dramatic coping, and situational assessment (see Heil (1993), Miller & Maas-Hill (1999), Vealey & Walter (1993) and Walker (1971) for a discussion of these styles and techniques).

Summary of Findings

What follows are extracts from the interview transcripts of four elite British cyclists, and comments from the researchers’ interpretation of the data. Participant quotes are indented and are coded with a letter to denote which participant made which comment.

Physical Descriptions of Exertion and Injury-related Pain

The most common physical pains experienced by the cyclists interviewed, were pain in the legs and lungs. Injury pain was described very differently from exertion pain. Injury pain was often likened to somebody sticking a needle or cigarette into the body.
“When you are really exerting yourself it is like an ache, a burning sensation, but if you get pain from an injury in your knee or ankle, it’s more of a real sharp pain… like someone’s sticking a needle inside. – (C)

Negative Emotional Effects of Injury-related Pain

Not only were the descriptions of injury-related pain different from exertion pain, but so too were the emotions associated with injury pain. Emotional responses to injury-related pain included increased anxiety, depression, fear and feelings of having been cheated, resulting in loss of confidence and motivation.
“Injury pain is depressive, bringing me back down to Earth, making me feel more mortal, as I don’t feel mortal when I am doing well, you feel robbed, cheated.”(D)
Feelings of helplessness and defeat linked with injury pain were associated with lack of control over the pain, which contrasted with the voluntary nature of exertion pain, and the fact that it could be reduced at will. The controllability of exertion pain was an important factor affecting the experience of its intensity.

Positive Responses to Exertion Pain

The predominant emotions associated with exertion pain were very different. Exertion pain was described in more positive ways than injury-related pain. Participants described exertion pain as a common source of satisfaction and inspiration, creating positive thoughts and emotions that facilitated performance and well being.
“Well you don’t enjoy the pain, you enjoy the feeling of going flat out and not caring. And you almost want it to hurt more when you go faster, just because you feel so ace (good).” – (A)
The sensation of exertion pain was never described as pleasant, in fact the sensation was unpleasant and stressful. The effects of exertion pain, on the other hand, were regularly perceived in positive ways. Exertion pain created positive meanings for the participants who related exertion pain with increased fitness, form, and success.
“My thoughts about pushing myself are pleasurable ones, knowing that I have done something that’s going to be good later on.” – (B)
The controllable nature of exertion pain presented an opportunity for participants to mediate other cyclists’ experiences of pain, particularly in competitive situations.
“When you are in a break away and you are feeling really strong, then you are making other people suffer.” – (B)
Not only does the knowledge of others’ pain facilitate the participants’ ability to control their own pain, but in some ways, it can actually alter the perception of pain experienced. Feelings of high motivation, euphoria and superiority were often reported at times of intense exertion and competition. The pleasurable effects of pain may become desirable rewards that may have a reinforcing effect upon training and competition.
“I enjoy seeing other people suffer, that’s why I do it, to get that superiority over others. I don’t know why I like that, it’s pathetic really. But being better and more superior gives me that drive. Sticking with riders until they break down is like driving it in a bit. To see them suffer a bit more, the more I will hammer it.” – (D)
Pain to some of the participants took on tangible qualities, and became an entity that could be used as a weapon on others. Participants not only acknowledged the ways in which others’ experiences of pain could be manipulated through tactical riding, but they also actually envisioned the physical infliction of pain onto others.
“…on top you know you can dish more (pain) out if you want to.” – (A)
Participant “D” used other cyclists’ signs of pain to inform his own tactics and to positively re-frame his own perception of pain.
“The earlier I see others struggle, earlier than I do, allows me to shut out the pain…..and when they show it (their experience of pain), I think that”s it! He has broken. I can then make my attack and go.” – (D)

Coping Strategies

When exertion pain was encountered, participants used coping strategies, which they felt were most effective. The coping strategies they used were predominantly self-discovered, and thus, were on the whole, not the product of any formal mental skills training. The four participants each used various techniques that can be grouped into three types: rhythmic behaviour, distraction, and establishing an end.

Only participant “A” had formal mental skills training following consultation with a sports psychologist. He believed the strategies were effective, and that formal skills training was vitally important for elite development in cycling. “A” used “power” words, and imagery to focus his concentration, distracting himself from the pain.
“I focus and block it out, I say power words. Words that take your mind of it and that you can associate with the things that make you ride better….Like strength, smooth, speed, you’re thinkin’ to yourself you’re a good climber, you’re visualizing how you should be doing, how you would like to be doing it.” – (A)
“A” used imagery by visualizing he was a tiger to provoke arousal, and to provide a distraction from the pain.
“When you’re battering everyone, it’s easier to believe you’re a tiger.” (A)

“B” on the other hand, perceived pain in predominantly physical terms, and so used mainly physical aids to relaxation and performance. “B” did not value the mental importance of success in cycling so highly as “A”. He was asked if he had ever sought mental skills training. He said “no”, and instead emphasized the use of physical techniques that he had learned from reading books.
“Well, stretching to start with. From a training point of view… after training to warm-down, sort of thing. And then go into stretching.” – (B)
He had not sought formal mental skills training, mainly because, he felt that coping with pain was an ontogenetic process that evolved from individual trial and error. When asked if he thought mental strategies were useful, he replied:
“No, not really. It’s time if anything. Remember you have to do the training. And people have their own methods, watching T.V. or reading a book.” – (B)
However, during a follow-up telephone interview “B” stated that he was not sure if his coping strategies had developed from cycling in particular, or as part of general life experiences. Participant “B” did stress a personalized quality to the pain coping process, and he was certain that individuals have their own techniques to cope with the pain. He used sub-vocalization to distract himself from the stress of exertion pain.
“I sing actually. To take my mind of it.” – (B)
“C” also perceived his coping strategies as an outcome of his individual experiences within cycling and with pain and he suggested that techniques that he had learned through studying sport psychology were already a part of his daily cycling rituals.
“…there was a lot that I learned that I was actually doing…When I did this course it told me what I was already doing, but guided me a bit more.” – (C)
“C” regularly found it useful to focus on the end of a task, or would alternatively sub-divide the task, and therefore create more ends.”
“If it happens on a hill I have a look and think, it’s only another ten or fifteen seconds to the top. That’s nothing.” – (C)
“C” would come to terms with the reality of the pain to be experienced, and interpret his estimate of pain as a challenge to overcome, and find achievement from closure of each task.
“It ain’t gonna last for ever, that’s what you have to get into your head, I will be home soon.” – (C)
“C” used aggression to cope with exertion pain on occasions. Increasing arousal through psyching up, and becoming aggressive enabled him to distract himself from exertion pain. By perceiving the aversive properties of exertion pain as the enemy, he managed to channel his energies into performance.
“People came to me at the end of the race and said: how did you do that last lap so quick? I don’t know I just got fired up because of the delay at the crossing. All that aggression… a bit of the aggression came out on the stewards, but the rest came out on the bike.” – (C)
In direct contrast to “B”, “C” would use music not to lower his arousal, but rather to increase it.
“I like training with a walk-man on, I try and get them going round to the beat. If you have the music on it can make you feel: I wanna do this. It psyches you up and gets you going. Its like going to a disco or night club, if some real good music comes on you go and have a dance to it, that buzz you get from the music can help your training.” – (C)
“C” likened the phenomenon to a separation of mind from body. To him, coping techniques seemed to be second nature. He suggested that different situations required different coping strategies. For example, in circumstances where exertion was high, he would use less demanding cognitive rituals such as counting. In longer, less intense situations he would have the resource to use higher cognitive activities, such as rehearsing favorite songs.
“I will probably use the counting one more than anything, for intense oxygen debt pain, for long endurance pain it’s slightly different, you think of things like music. When you think of the tunes you can shut everything out, pounding the gears in beat with what you are doing in your mind, I try and dispatch my mind from my body… usually I don’t notice doing them.” – (C)
Similarly to “C”, participant “D” used counting as a technique. “D” would co-ordinate his breathing with his pedal strokes, and count each stroke.
“Count the breaths, ’cause for one it keeps your concentration up, and then you can co-ordinate the breathing with your pedal strokes. I will get 3 quarters up the hill and won’t have thought about the pain, because of the counting.” – (D)
Like “A”, “D” rated mental aspects of performance very highly, yet he avoided formal mental skills training. “D” valued his skills of coping with pain as a product of general life experience, such as those gained from spending time in the army.
“…it all came about when I joined the army, suddenly I was mixing with men. Blokes (men) that were smoking and drinking, with big beer bellies, I was 18 or 19 and in my prime of fitness supposedly, but I couldn’t keep with them, nowhere near them in fact.” – (D)
Similarly, “A” also rated the importance of discipline in increasing pain tolerance.
“I think that it’s about attitude – The more professional you are about things, I think the more tolerant you are to pain. At the end of the day it comes down to who wants it most.” – (A)
Interestingly, D’s interpretation of pain included abstinence from indulgent activities, such as socializing with friends, eating fatty foods, drinking alcohol, and spending time with his partner. He valued the experience of exertion pain, and all his other “pains” in life, because for him these “pains” helped him increase his tolerance to pain, and fine tune the ways in which he coped with pain.
“…if you suffer enough you suffer the most, then you will win. That doesn’t only mean the pain in sport, it means the things that you give up in life generally. You have to make sacrifices to be that successful, whether it’s not going out to parties, not drinking, not eating certain foods…… Suffering is definitely there, but it may not always be physical soreness, and pain, it can also be heartache… But I think if you can handle it, push it and give it out and take the most pain then racing is easy. And the more you can suffer in training, sometimes you will experience more pain than competition, and if you can do that, it makes competition even easier.” – (D)

Discussion

Positive Pain

In line with the research of others such as Heil (1993), it appears that even though pain is intrinsically an aversive sensation, it can be perceived positively. Participants described exertion pain as a common source of satisfaction and inspiration, creating positive thoughts and emotions that indicated effort and facilitated performance and well being. It is not surprising why athletes repeat pain evoking activity if it becomes essentially a positive experience. Perhaps those like Landis and other successful elite athletes are quick to perceive pain positively? Research and further understanding towards successful injured athletes is warranted.

Pain as a Psychological Weapon

Participants in this study suggest that the positive outcomes of exertion pain can create feelings of power, where pain can be used as a “psychological weapon” for use on competitors. Mood elevation; increased confidence; feelings of superiority; and feelings of control over others’ experiences of pain and effort, are all possible outcomes of exertion pain. Such findings extend Heil’s (1993) theory of the “social sphere” of pain, whereby athlete’s responses to pain can sometimes be mediated by the ways in which others display pain. Heil (1993) suggests that whether overtly or reluctantly displayed, others’ reports and limits of pain, not only serve as an informational means of gaging one’s tactics, but also play a key role in determining one’s own perception of pain. Participant reports from the present study additionally suggest that those “on the receiving end” may experience a heightened sensitivity to the negative aspects of pain, when interacting with others who appear “on top”.

Which Coping Style?

The present study revealed that coping strategies used to control pain, differed from participant to participant, and sometimes from situation to situation. The categories of coping strategies that emerged were similar to those identified by Hogg and Hayden (1997) and were labeled: rhythmic cognitive behavior, distraction or dissociation, and establishing an end. Participants believed that their own coping strategies were spontaneous, instinctive and largely unconscious. Participants also believed that such coping strategies effectively influenced their experience of pain, and that they were both situation and person specific. Heil (1993) proposed that counting, repeating a mantra, or singing to oneself, works to draw attention away from pain, by focusing attention on rhythmic activity. Such rhythmic activity may have a calming and stress reducing effect similar to that which is reportedly gained through the use of meditation or hypnosis (Barrett, 2001).

Room for the Psychological

The present study revealed that participants saw the mental aspects of performance as being very important, yet most did not feel formal mental skills training to be appropriate. This supports Hogg and Hayden’s (1997) suggestion that it is surprising that so few athletes seek professional help with mental skills training, given that they generally rate the mental element of performance as being so important. Participants tended to justify the decision to focus on physical aspects of training in terms of the belief that an individual’s ability to cope with pain is intrinsic to normal development.

References

Barrett, D. (2001). The power of hypnosis. Psychology Today, 34, 1, 58-65.
Egan, S. (1987). Acute pain tolerance among athletes. Canadian Journal of Sport Science, 12, 175-178.
Heil, J. (1993). Psychology of Sport Injury. Champaign: Human Kinetics.
Hogg, J. M. & Hayden, M. A. (1997). Pain perceptions among competitive runners. New Studies in Athletics, 2-3, 95-99.
Miller, S. & Maas-Hill, P. M. (1999). Sport Psychology for Cyclists. Colorado: Velo Press.
Morgan, W. P. (1985). Affective beneficence of vigorous physical activity. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 17, 94-100.
Tajet-Foxell, B. & Rose, F. D. (1995). Pain and pain tolerance in professional ballet dancers. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 29, 31-34.
Taylor, J. & Taylor, S. (1998). Pain education and management in the rehabilitation from sports injury. The Sport Psychologist
Vealey, R. S. & Walter, S. M. (1993). Imagery training for performance enhancement and personal development. In J. Williams, Applied Sport Psychology. California: Mayfield.
Walker, J. (1971). Pain and distraction in athletes and non-athletes. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 33, 1187-1190.

About the author:
Phil Moore is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at the University of Exeter, England. He has studied and worked in psychology for ten years, working in the fields of learning disabilities, child psychology and adult mental health. He is a keen cyclist and has a special interest in exercise and psychological health.

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

by Dr. Stephen Walker, CC-AASP

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 team 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 Garmin-Slipstream team.  Will he make the team again?

Enjoy Podium’s interview with Will Frischkorn as he and Team Garmin-Slipstream prepare for the Tour de France 2009.  Shortly after this post was originally written – Team Garmin-Slipstream announced its top nine riders for this year’s Tour de France.  Unfortunately, Will missed the cut and will have to watch with the support staff along with Tom Danielson, another Tour de France veteran who is missing out on this year’s race.  Both riders boast strong credentials, but their being left off Vaughter’s starting squad says more about Slipstream’s incredibly talented crew than either racer’s poor performance.  Either would serve an integral role with many of the other teams racing the Tour.

So take a listen to our interview with Will Frischkorn after being named to the Garmin-Slipstream team.  He was optimistic and excited about the team’s prospects.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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

I’m confident he didn’t anticipate the incredible development of  David Martin,  the Irish Champ and nephew of  legend Stephen Roche.  Also, missing the cut is Canadian Champion Svein Tuft.  Vaughter’s team is deep too with British sprinter David Millar and Tour journeymen David Zabriskie, Christian Vande Velde and Bradley Wiggins.  While your at it – take a listen to Podium’s interview with Tom Danielson after his first Tour de France with Team Discovery:

Click here to view the embedded video.

http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/tom-danialson-interview/

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) to be part of a team,   5) to get exercise and stay in shape, and   6) for the challenge and excitement of competition (Gould & Petlichkoff, 1988).   Young athletes do not yet possess the talent, strength, skill, and experience to be elite (Erickson, 1996).  They’re in it purely to enjoy the experience.

From a developmental perspective, there are two justifications for youth competitive sport (Wiggins, 1987): personal development and peak performance. Personal development includes, but is not limited to, positive self-perceptions, long-term motivation to be active and experience new things, ability to cope with anxiety and disappointment, and sportspersonship.

Performance enhancement includes skill development and improvement

To keep young athletes in sport long enough for them to develop these positive qualities and discover their true athletic potential, sport psychologists recommend ……..

…….that youth competitive sports find a balance between individual and competitive rewards (Ames, 1986).

An individual reward structure allows athletes to work toward exerting more effort, learning from their mistakes, and improving their personal best performances. Individual rewards foster a sense of personal control and persuades athletes to bring attention to their skill development.

Conversely, a competitive reward structure highlights the natural urge for social comparison and forces athletes to work against each other for recognition. Competitive rewards encourage athletes to evaluate their ability solely based on performance outcome criteria and to forget about whether or not they improved from last time.

Individual rewards are especially important for children younger than 14 years. Research in developmental psychology (Horn, 1991; Horn & Hasbrook, 1986; 1987; Horn & Weiss, 1991) demonstrates that young athletes between eight and 12 years rely heavily on social comparison criteria and feedback and evaluation from significant adults (e.g. parents and coaches) to measure their success. Individual rewards teach young athletes to become aware of their own skill improvement. In turn, they develop an internal sense of satisfaction, self-efficacy and motivation. At this point, it would be difficult for an athlete to want to do anything but play sports.

It isn’t until about age 14 that athletes use multiple sources of criteria including social comparison, self-improvement, ease of learning new skills, and enjoyment of the activity to measure success. Thus, athletes around the age of 14 are developmentally capable of putting winning and social comparison in perspective and balancing it out with self-improvement.

As young athletes are developing, it is the responsibility of the coaches and parents to emphasize individual improvement rather than highlight the natural tendency to focus on how one young athlete compares to another. In turn, these athletes will exert more effort, persist to improve and learn new skills, and develop a long-term interest to stay in sport. Most importantly, they will be given the opportunity to develop physically and psychologically and realize their true athletic potential.

An Example worth looking at: Competitive Ski Racing

In an effort to create a more enjoyable experience for young athletes and instill positive personal development and performance enhancement, many youth competitive sport programs have modified the typical reward system. Instead of rewarding only the top three males and females in their level of competition, the reward system acknowledges a larger number of athletes (e.g. the top ten males and females).
Although intensions are pure, this reward system could produce the exact opposite effect of what it was designed for. Instead of decreasing the significance of social comparison and winning, the reward system places further emphasis on finish placements. Also, by distributing competitive rewards to a larger group of athletes in an attempt to increase self-efficacy, the youth program runs the risk of instilling unrealistic expectations for future competition. These viewpoints are discussed below.

Emphasis on Social Comparison and Winning

Imagine Jake, a small nine year old racer, who continues to improve his technique, but is not yet capable of placing in the top ten for his age group. To be a good “team player” Jakes is required to stay after each race and watch his peers be recognized for their race results. With a typical reward system, Jake would watch for a short period of time while the bronze, silver, and gold medals are distributed to the three fastest racers. With this new reward system in place, the duration of the ceremony is much longer. Consequently, Jake is conditioned to believe that the results and the competitive rewards make up the main event of the competition.

Picture Tracy, an 11 year old girl, walking to her parent’s car after the reward ceremony. Tracy is now looking around and seeing many athletes holding their reward while she is getting into the car empty-handed. Compared to when only a select few athletes, who finished in the top three, received a reward, Tracy is reminded of how slow she was compared to many of her peers.

In both cases, Jake and Tracy are exposed to a youth sport environment that teaches them the importance of race results and social comparison for measuring success. Due to their inability to earn a competitive reward, Jake and Tracy will develop low self-efficacy and possibly a fear of failure. The end result is an unhappy athlete who no longer enjoys the sport.

Instilling Unrealistic Expectations

Lisa, an early developing and talented 12 year old ski racer, is among the top five fastest girls in every race. Lisa is used to being recognized for skiing fast and she loves the attention and praise she continues to receive from all of the coaches, ski parents, and peers.

What will happen in a few years when Lisa’s peers catch up to her in strength, ability, and speed? It is common for an athlete like Lisa, who received endless recognition for her performance outcomes, to develop high self-efficacy in her sport. Unfortunately, when a top ten placement becomes harder to achieve, Lisa will have difficulty coping with the possibility of not getting a competitive reward. She will then be susceptible to anxiety and emotional exhaustion that could lead to burnout and, in worse cases, dropout.

How to Structure Rewards for Youth Competitive Sport

Winning and social comparison is inevitable in sport. The desire to be the best will never disappear, nor should it. Athletes, young and old, are going to ask themselves if they won and how they compared to their peers. However, we can balance this orientation by emphasizing individual improvement.

It is appropriate for youth competitive sport to include competitive rewards, just as they are included in higher levels of competition. Young athletes do not need to be sheltered from the true nature of competitive sports. Experience with success and defeat will help athletes to develop coping skills they can implement in any life domain.

It is essential, however, for coaches and parents to also provide athletes support for their self-referenced achievement. This support can be verbal (“Jake, your hands were up in front of your body the whole run – way to go”), physical (Tracy’s coach pats her on the back and gives her a smile in the finish area), or tangible (Lisa earns a hat, donated by a sponsor, for demonstrating aggressive effort from the start to the finish line). What is important is that each reward is earned and not just given for the sake of giving. When the reward is meaningful, it will instill self-efficacy in the young athlete, making the overall experience much more enjoyable.

The individual reward structure will also serve to put winning in perspective and define success and failure in terms of personal improvement (Smoll & Smith, 2002). Now, in addition to wanting to know how one person compared to another person, young athletes will be interested to know how they can get better than they were before and what will help them improve from their last performance.

Who is Dr. Haley Perlus?

Haley is a doctor of sport and exercise psychology.  She is an expert at empowering individuals to achieve peak performance.  A former elite athlete, Whistler Cup Alpine Ski Racing Champion, Coach, group fitness instructor, and fitness trainer, Haley has devoted her life to sport and exercise and understands the difficulty of overcoming performance blocks so that people can consistently perform to the best of their ability.  She is an enthusiastic and passionate seminar leader, speaking at numerous conferences, workshops, conventions and trade shows. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs.  Dr. Perlus is available for individual and group mental toughness consultations. To find out more about these programs, email us at haley@drhaleyperlus.com or call us at (303) 459-4516.

By Larry Lauer, PhD, CC-AASP

“I wouldn’t want to coach her, she is a head case!”“He will never be a great player. He is so mentally weak.”

Have you heard coaches, spectators, television and sport talk commentators mutter these words? I certainly have heard these jabs at very capable professional and amateur athletes, and it is frustrating to hear it as a sport psychology professional.

That is why Ana Ivanovic’s win at the French Open is a win for all the athletes that have suffered from nerves in the big match. You can beat your demons. You can show others (that would consider you a head case) that they don’t know you, and they underestimate your mental toughness…..

In last year’s French Open Final, Ivanovic admittedly had a bad case of nerves against Justine Henin and meekly went away in a blowout. This had some critics pondering whether Ivanovic had the mental toughness to win a slam. Her tough loss at the Australian Open only served to support those that didn’t believe Ivanovic had the mettle.

“It was very tough loss for me, and I had few sleepless nights after that, honestly,” said Ivanovic. “But, yeah, it’s something I learned from. I was again in that final, like in Paris it was much better but still, part of me was already thinking about possibly holding a trophy. So this time I really tried to change that and don’t think about that at all and just focus on my game.”

And change she did! Despite feeling nerves at times during the match (the match itself was described as a very nervous one), Ivanovic hung tough and kept battling. She allowed Safina to make the mistakes. Eventually Ivanovic was rewarded for her commitment winning the title 6-4, 6-3. She fought through the nerves and finished off her first grand slam.

The win was not without some nervousness, but Ivanovic is happy with it all the same. “Obviously you’re nervous”, admitted Ivanovic. “You want to make one step more and win a title. But, you know, the last two Grand Slams were great learning experience for me. I’m only 20 and it was my third final already, so that kept some pressure off me. Just trying to enjoy it and that’s what I did today.”

“I’m just really proud about my efforts today. It wasn’t [an] easy match. You know, it was a few mental games out there today, so I was really happy that in a key moment I managed to stay strong and calm, in the second set, especially.”

“Obviously there were a lot of emotions inside, but till the last point I tried to, you know, don’t think about the occasion and just focus on my tennis. So I was really happy I managed to do that today.”

Just because you have a history of nerves doesn’t mean you will always have nerves. You can overcome these demons. Ask the best player in the world, Roger Federer. He defeated his nerves to become the best player in the world. Yet, he still gets nervous at times.

“I felt the pressure. I’ve had an upset stomach, shaky hands, I’ve had it all,” said Federer talking about his nerves during the 2007 US Open.

“But it is just great to be back in a Grand Slam final and win it. I really enjoyed today and the entire two weeks.”

Federer’s quote is interesting. He felt nervous and had a great time! This shows the level of emotional maturity that Federer has. He understands that at times you are going to get nervous. He also recognizes that he can play through it and still win.

I think Ivanovic’s and Federer’s quotes highlight something very important. Mental toughness is not about being perfect, and it is not about 100% confidence and composure. It is as much about being able to deal with adversity, like feeling nervous in a big competition, by recognizing that it happens and playing through it.

For those of you out there that struggle with nerves there is reason for optimism. You can beat your demons like Ivanovic did at Roland Garros. And, this can be achieved by recognizing that nerves are a part of sport and that sport is not perfect. Finally, you might just want to hone your stress management skills so when the nerves appear you have a tool for dealing with them.

One method for beating your demons you read from Ivanovic was staying in the moment. That is when she was able to refocus back on playing the game and not on the impending championship or the nerves of trying to serve out the match. Ivanovic focused on the “productive”.

When you are in a stressful situation, try visualizing your game plan being played out or a specific tactic you plan to implement. This technique will help you stay in the moment and productively deal with your nerves.

Ivanovic quotes from Day 14-An interview with Ana Ivanovic-Saturday, June 7, 2008. Retrieved at http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/interviews /2008-06-07/200806071212853882999.html
Federer quote from ROUNDUP: Federer overcomes nerves to write more tennis history. Retrieved at http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/226003
/ROUNDUP_Federer_overcomes_nerves_to_write_more_tennis_history

About the Author:

Larry Lauer PhD is currently the Director of Coaching Education and Development in the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (ISYS) at Michigan State University. His role involves working closely with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and Think Detroit PAL to conduct high quality coaching education programs, training instructors, evaluating the program’s effectiveness, and developing curricular materials. In addition, Larry conducts cutting-edge youth sport research at the ISYS and develops resources for youth sport organizations, parents, athletes, coaches, and administrators. For instance, Larry has worked with USA Tennis to develop junior parent education presentations on getting started as a junior tennis parent and developing your child’s talent. Also, he has spearheaded the development of a book of mental skills and drills for junior tennis. At this same time, Larry completed a Ph. D. in Exercise and Sport Science, specializing in sport psychology, at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Larry has been consulting with athletes on performance enhancement and personal development issues for the past 8 years. He has worked with athletes from a variety of sports including tennis, ice hockey, soccer, cross country, swimming, figure skating, volleyball, gymnastics, and baseball. These male and female athletes have ranged from youth to collegiate to professional in their experience. Larry has been very involved in youth ice hockey in performance enhancement and reducing aggressive play. He has created a “Playing Tough and Clean Hockey Program” to help players develop emotional toughness and avoid dirty play on the ice. This Program is now being disseminated to youth hockey coaches through a partnership with the Michigan Amateur Hockey Association. Larry also has worked a great deal with coaches and parents providing educational presentations and resources, and private consulting. He conducts coaching clinics throughout the state of Michigan for high school and youth sport coaches, and parent education workshops. Larry has 7 years experience instructing in the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program. A former coach of baseball, hockey, tennis, and basketball, Larry has also received USA Hockey’s Advanced Level coaching certification. Larry served as hockey director for over two years in Philadelphia/South Jersey and Charlotte, NC. Specifically, he worked for the Philadelphia Flyers rink development department and Flyers Skate Zone for 14 months as a community youth ice hockey director.
Lauer & Associates, Championship Performance Consulting
Office Phone (517) 353-5395 Email: lauerl (at) msu.edu

by T.C. North, Ph.D.

The vast majority of parents want the absolute best for their children. This is especially true in organized youth and high school sports, where parents love to see their children do well and win. But in many cases parents’ desire to have their children do well can cause problems in the parent/child relationship. In extreme situations that I have witnessed, it can cause irreparable damage.

For 16 years, I have consulted with athletes in elementary school, junior high, and high school as well as college, Olympians and professionals. Sports, and other areas where children and teenagers participate competitively, play an important role for these youths to learn personal and team success strategies and how to compete. Consulting with young athletes, I have discovered that loving, well-meaning parents can sometimes behave in a manner that is be a detriment to the parent/child relationship and to the child’s development through sports. So, over the years, I have developed guidelines for parents and young athletes to consider in maximizing the enjoyment and benefit of organized sports for the whole family. However, since all family situations are different, please only consider the guidelines that make sense to your family.

Support your children …
• Give them unconditional love whether they win or lose.
• Let your child’s sport be your child’s challenge and success, not yours.
• Allow them to be more independent.
• Use positive communications with your child.
Support the Coaches …
• Your child needs you to be the parent. Let the coach do the coaching.
Parents Have Fun …
• Enjoy competitions whether your child wins or loses.

Give children unconditional love whether they win or lose! This will help your child understand that he/she is lovable and has value independent of the outcome of competition. Emphasize and reward fun, skill development and other benefits of sports participation, like cooperation, competition, self-discipline and commitment, rather than winning. Show interest in your child’s participation by attending competitions, transporting your child to practices and asking questions about their enjoyment and what they are learning. Avoid being highly emotional about the outcome of the competition.

Let your child’s sport be your child’s challenge and success, not yours. Assist your child in setting realistic and challenging goals for participation (not outcomes). These goals must be your child’s goals, not yours. Help your child understand success and disappointment and to learn from both. Help your children to develop mastery and love of a lifetime of sports and help your child develop positive, constructive personal success strategies through sports participation — a transferable life skill.

Allow your children to become more independent. Participation in sports is an independent step for kids. Your attitude influences how your child feels during and after a competition. Share your child’s joys, be empathetic with your child’s frustrations and losses, and encourage your child to keep learning. Allow your child to experience and process the feelings of winning and losing without imposing your feelings; try to not become overly emotionally involved. When your child loses a competition and experiences you the parent as upset, this may cause the child to feel guilty for upsetting you. While watching your child compete, always look upbeat. As part of your child’s maturation process, allow your child to struggle a little to solve his/her own problems as much as possible.

Use positive communications with your child. Use of threats, sarcasm, fear, or other negative approaches, erodes your child’s self-esteem and provokes a desire to rebel against you. Be honest with your praise. When your child feels successful, share the joy, when your child is disappointed, be supportive. Always compare your child’s development to himself or herself, not to other children. Please do not do or say anything that will cause your child to think less of him/herself, or of you.

Support Coaches

Your child needs you to be the parent. Let the coach do the coaching. Give the coach and the team your time and support. Parents please do not criticize coaches, officials or other athletes, this will effect your child, almost always by being embarrassed and may cause them to lose respect for you. Communicate with the coach about your child and listen to what the coach learns about your child that can help you. Ask for a periodic update on your child’s progress to be done at a mutually convenient time. If your child’s behavior is unacceptable during practice or competitions, discuss with the coach how the coach would like you to help to resolve this.

Parents Have Fun

Enjoy competitions whether your child wins or loses. Enjoy socializing with other parents at sporting events. This can be more fun for you and your child will not have to be concerned about your enjoyment. Do not make your child feel guilty for the time, energy and money you are spending. However, it is fair to have participation guidelines that your child needs to meet in order for you to continue to pay for the child’s sports (e.g., going to practices).

It is natural for all parents to want their child to succeed in what ever they do. However, in parents’ strong desire for their children to be their best, it is easy to become overly emotionally involved in your child’s sports and despite a parent’s best intentions, end up hurting your relationship with your child. Following the above guidelines can help both you and your child get the most joy out of sports competition while maintaining, and even strengthening your relationship.

TC North, Ph.D., is CEO of Catalyst High Performance and Founder of Spirit of Sport. He is a high-performance speaker, consultant and coach for entrepreneurs, sales professionals and athletes. He catalyzes individuals and teams to become higher-performers, personally, professionally and athletically. You may contact him for an individual consultation, or to work with your team or business at (303) 665-8920 or TCNorth (at) BoulderCatalyst.com.

By Dr. Stephen Walker – CC-AASP

“The inability to forget is infinitely more devastating than the inability to remember.”
– Mark Twain

Athletes in every sport will from time to time lose focus, become self-conscious, have self-doubts to contend with and worry about things. It happens in every sport but especially in mentally challenging sports and endurance events grueling on the best of days. People think that golf requires 4-5 hours of sustained concentration, but in reality the focused periods are relatively short, its just that there are many of them, and the athlete is required to channel their mental center of attention upon demand. Jack Nicklaus referred to the six inches between our ears as the most important in the game. Our thought patterns can both help or hinder our performance and perhaps most importantly determine whether we experience a round as joyful or disastrous. As our thinking goes, so goes our game.

There are emotions in golf that have strong physical components. Those that do have what’s called an attractor field – an energy field that at times can be quite palpable and influence our senses including sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Sometimes the result is a closed thought loop and corresponding mood that can be disconcerting or worse…..

The resulting anxiety, anger, disappointment, confusion and/or self-doubt can really impair performance.

These disruptive thought patterns may be transitional or long standing. Some represent concerns that pop-up unexpectedly, serving as an annoying distraction. Others may have assaulted your confidence for several years, and relate to a dreaded experience that got traction in your young mind many years ago. Such judgments may have nothing to do with the sport you are engaged in but nevertheless, they do test your poise. Whether incidental or enduring, they can cause you to lose focus and make mistakes.

Imagine how potent a really disruptive pattern might be. You might say, “I never perform well when it’s windy” or “I always have trouble with this track.” This article is designed to help you develop a BrainTough Skill™ early in the season so that you are savvy in working with your thought habits…take into account those triggers that have the potential to throw you out of your optimal performance zone…and establish a mental conditioning routine that enables you to get back on track quickly and efficiently.

Mental Conditioning – Good Thought Habits

Good habits in thinking are essential to building confidence, a positive self-expectation and focus. Some sports are extraordinarily challenging. Especially those that require you to maintain concentration in the midst of both internal and external stress, as well as changing conditions in competition, weather, and opponents play. The thought pattern interrupt (TPI) is one of a few really valuable mental conditioning skills one should acquire to excel at golf. Consider a thirty minute mental conditioning session, 4 times each week as a solid investment in developing your game and overall preparation.

Thought Pattern Interrupt – Golf

The thought pattern interrupt (TPI) (Copyright 2008 SE Walker) is a technique first developed by the renowned hypnotherapist, Dr. Milton Erickson, and has been used widely in cognitive-behavioral work and neurolinguistic programming (NLP). The TPI involves a four-step process that is designed to shift the flow, neutralize negative thinking, and channel the players attention toward a more productive thought pattern. The four steps are:

1) Recognize and explore the thinking pattern getting in the way. You might need to chart a problem as you experienced it on the course. When you have time to work the process, sit alone and think about your situation. Do your best to identify the disruptive thought pattern and the negative feelings associated with it. Take enough time with this to examine them in detail, exploring the original experience if possible, but at least the most frequent and common situations that trigger the pattern. Journal this process and explore as much of the attractor field as you can, including all of the physical senses you encounter during the experience.

If you are not sure where to start, think about a competition you didn’t perform well in. We all have at least one in which we feel we psyched ourselves out. Consider what disruptive thought pattern or condition you hold responsible for interfering with your focus. Anything that has the ability to take you out of a good mindset for performing is fair game. Windy conditions, heat, arriving late to the event, an unwanted pairing, anything can do it. The best athletes perform well in all kinds of conditions. Their ability to neutralize a disruptive train of thought in favor of cool concentration on the task at hand can make a huge difference, not just in how much you enjoy the competition but in how well you perform.

2) After reviewing these situations, consider what you would like to have happen instead. Talk with your coach about the situations you are most likely to experience again in upcoming competitions. Explore them until you are clear about how you want to deal with them. Discuss ideas for alternative responses you might want to employ.

There are some strategies for crafting these alternative responses. For example, Erickson suggested enlarging the possibilities. If playing in wind is a mental challenge, then enlarging the possibilities might include a clear focus on maintaining your form and a smooth swing in conditions that involve wind. Your focus goes to what is “possible” to accomplish, even in conditions you don’t favor.

Another strategy taught by Erickson concentrates on reframing your sensory focus. Once asked how he might confer with someone feeling guilty about a pattern of eating too much, he replied, “I hope you really enjoy lunch today. Enjoy it thoroughly and well. You know, it’s as easy to enjoy a small portion as it is a large portion. In fact, a small portion can be enjoyed even more than a large one. And you really will enjoy it more because you won’t have to feel guilty about that small portion.” In this case, Erickson reframed the thought pattern around food. You might be able to do this for yourself but it requires preparation. You must purposely craft your internal dialogue the way you want it to go, and repeat the process until you’ve established an efficient and readily repeatable neural pathway.

Don’t hurry. Think about how these alternatives might look and what replacement pattern you will employ for the results you want to achieve. Consider the attractor (Copyright 2008 SE Walker) field and how the replacement will feel different. When you are crafting the script for the alternative, always give yourself a positive self-expectation and include a goal, an encouraging outcome, or perhaps a waking ‘dream’ to visualize your success. Practice session(s) will naturally include the distraction, followed by your systematic and routine shift in focus to the desired concentration goal. Multiple practice sessions will be rewarded by good thinking habits and a positive self-expectation in a variety of conditions that were previously disruptive.

3) Occasionally, we get surprised by an intrusive thought pattern, one that
we haven’t planned for. In such a case, you can prepare a designed response for the moment the disruption occurs, with the intent to ‘change the channel’ of your thinking. In these situations, the plan should involve a quick recognition of the problem, a physical gesture to snap you out of it, and a rapid shift in focus.

Wear a rubber band around your wrist. When you notice a counter-productive intrusion, snap the rubber band on your wrist to acknowledge the mistake and accept a self-imposed ‘penalty’ if that is useful. Then it is imperative to REFOCUS on the task at hand, and if you can, repeat to yourself an inspiring quote you favor. Consciously take a deep breath to shift your attention toward the desired point of concentration.

4) For a TPI to be successful, it must be practiced and rehearsed repeatedly.

Consider the number of times you have practiced chipping, putting, swing mechanics or put a plan together for a particular course or tournament. You think nothing of repeating the same shot or practice routine over and over. Set aside practice sessions several times a week to practice your mental conditioning skills. These practice sessions will reinforce your ability to focus, control stress and maintain concentration when you need it most.

In conclusion, the TPI is but one method for proactively addressing those emotional glitches that can interfere with your performance. More than that, it can help you enjoy competition more, and feel better about your overall training program and practice routine.

“I’ve developed a regimen that allows me to move from peaks of concentration into valleys of relaxation and back again. My focus begins to sharpen as I walk onto the tee, then steadily intensifies as I complete the process of analysis and evaluation that produces a clear-cut strategy for every shot. It peaks as I set up to the ball and execute the swing, when my mind picture is totally positive.”
- Jack Nicklaus

Glossary of Terms:

Attractor field – a thought energy field that can be quite strong and can affect the senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

Enlarging the possibilities – Ericksonian method of expanding one’s perception of what’s possible and establishing a positive self-expectation that the new target is achievable. Breaking a world record seems to be an impossible feat, but one can enlarge the possibilities to perform five tenths of a second faster, which may be enough to break the record. The athlete’s perception of what is possible stretches to accommodate the goal. (Copyright 2008 SE Walker)

Neural pathway – Thought patterns pass through circuitry in the nervous system throughout the brain and body. At first, this pathway may be cumbersome circuitous and inefficient. As a neural pathway is used more frequently it becomes better organized, requires less effort and is more effective.

References:

Beilock, S. & Carr, TH. (2001). On the fragility of skilled performance: What governs choking under pressure? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (Vol.130, No.4).

Budman, SH & Gurman, AS; (2002). Theory & Practice of Brief Therapy; New York; Guilford Press.

Furman, M & Gallow, FP. (2000). The Neurophysics of Human Behavior: Explorations at the Interface of Brain, Mind, Behavior, and Information. Boca Raton, Florida. CRC Press.

Gould, D; Dieffenbach, K & Moffett, A. (2001). Psychological talent and its development in Olympic champions. Unpublished final grant report, Coaching and Sport Sciences Division, US Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Grove, J. & Lewis, M. (1996). Hypnotic susceptibility and the attainment of flowlike states during exercise. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 18, 380-391.

Jackson, S & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in Sports: The Keys to Optimal Experiences and Performances. Champaign, Ill., Human Kinetics Press.

O’Hanlon, WH, O’Hanlon, S & Bertolino B; (1999). Evolving Possibilities: Selected Papers of Bill O’Hanlon; Philadelphia, PA; Taylor & Francis Publishers.

Rosen, S. (1982). Utilization of the “Teaching Tales” of Milton Erickson, MD , New York, WW Norton & Co.

By Sean McCann, Ph.D., CC-AASP, USOC Sports Psychologist

1. Mental training can’t replace physical training and talent.
2. Physical training and physical ability isn’t enough to succeed consistently.
3. A strong mind may not win you an Olympic medal, but a weak mind will lose you one.
4. Coaches frequently don’t know what their athletes are thinking.
5. Thoughts impact behavior. Consistency of thinking = consistency of behavior.
6. Coaches often have a different view of changing technical mistakes vs. mental mistakes.
7. Coaches must be involved in the mental training process.
8. Sometimes it is ok to force athletes to take the time to do mental training.
9. Like any other skill, mental skills need to be measured in order to maximize performance of those skills.
10. Coaches need to think about their own mental skills.

Here’s a link to a more in-depth discussion of this top 10.

The following paragraphs come from an article on Coach Dave Rogers.

According to the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology, 2002, mental toughness is having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to:

Cope – generally cope better than your opponents with the many demands such as training, lifestyle and head to head competition that are placed on world class top performers.

Be Consistent – specifically, to be more CONSISTENT and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure’ Gianoutsos adds that world class athletes like Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Ernie Els have their counterparts in the workplace such as Richard Branson, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet….

One major difference is that athletes have a specific, more structured schedule, to attend to while entrepreneurs or corporate leaders have a schedule that tends to be 24/7 hour, 365 days a year, that can span not only five or ten years, an average for professional athletes, but for two, three or four decades.

The toll on the corporate athlete is often more extreme than the sports athlete and many of these corporate athletes do not have the support, infrastructure or resources to perform at their peak levels, especially the middle level executives looking to make it to the top.

Research from the Journal of Applied Sports Psychology, suggest that the four key components that make up Mental Toughness are:

Self Belief – leading entrepreneurs and top athletes must display an unshakable belief in their ability to achieve their competition goals. They have unique qualities and abilities that make you better than their opponents. On belief Lombardi bellowed “If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done.”

Motivation – top performers have an ability to bounce back from performance or market set backs with an increased determination to succeed. Corporate Athlete Ray Kroc shares numerous stories in his autobiography Grinding it Out of his trials and tribulations in building, stretching, and systemizing the McDonalds winning formula from his mid 50’s when he finally started to get things working for him in business. He faced many failures throughout his careers as a sales person and it was self belief and self motivation that saw him through the difficult times. Kroc is a classic example of an ordinary man, who thanks to an insatiable desire and internalised motivation to succeed, went on to do extraordinary things and changed the way the world ate forever.

Focus – Need an visual image of focus and intensity? Close your eyes and imagine watching Tiger Woods, wearing his red sweater, on the 18th Hole with a one stroke lead at the British Open (for a great You Tube www.coachdaverogers.blogspot.com) That is focus and intensity personified. World class performers remain fully focused on the task that they face, are not distracted by others, and have an amazing ability to turn Focus on and off as required.

Handling Pressure – the final component of mental toughness is that top performers love to let it all hang out. They thrive on pressure and they often raise to the occasion. Basketball phenom, Michael Jordan relished the opportunity to take the last shot of the game and throughout his career he won more than 2/3rds of the games with his last second heroics. Jordan shares that “I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot… and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why… I succeed. To make it to the top, a leader must be willing to experience the valleys to enjoy the peaks!

Here are some of the opening paragraphs in an interesting article by Grant Dodd that appears on iseekgolf.com

John Crampton must have felt like Osama bin Laden in front of the United States congress. Addressing a group of reluctant, somewhat hostile, NSW State Amateur squad members on the semi-mystical, unexplored subject of sports psychology (a notion still in its infancy in 1987) probably didn’t amount to his idea of a great day.

A good proportion of those that weren’t hostile were disinterested. Others just sat there a bit confused by the whole deal, contemplating the curve ball that had been thrown out of left field by the NSW State team manager. Psychologists dealt with nutters, and either the NSW Golf Association knew something that we didn’t or this guy was in the wrong room.

Crampton introduced ideas during his presentation like effective practice and seeing yourself hitting the ball through imaginary windows in the sky, in the process honing one’s mental skills. Words like “visualization” were used…..

Big words – words that were anathema to the overall simplicity of golfing vocabularies that had previously been content with par, birdie and bogey.

Of course, Crampton, one of Australia’s leading sport psychologists then and now, made the point a number of times that most of us were already incorporating such techniques in our game. We just didn’t view it in such an analytical way. Understanding your mental tendencies and harnessing the power of the mind would enable you to become a better, and more efficient player, he said, and that was where a sport psychologist could help to enhance your performance.

In the end, there were a few converted souls in the room, myself included. Others were more dubious – “Let me see him hit a 2-iron over a long water carry and then I’ll start listening”, was one response. Nonetheless, there was little doubt that some of his thought processes rang a bell. In particular, techniques used for dealing with distractions and goal setting have stayed with me ever since. The day also inspired me to seek out others on the matter in future years.