In this article, I’m going to talk about “mindset,” which I consider to be an essential contributor to athletic success and a mental area that has only come to light in my work with elite athletes during the past three years. This topic is also where professional and Olympic athletes offer wonderful examples in which [...]
I was interviewed recently by WGN Radio Chicago about the city's pro sports teams and its fans. Address topics including leadership, injury, and the diehard nature of Cubs fans. Here's the link.
I was recently interviewed by Today's Parent for an article titled "How to Raise the Next Sidney Crosby" (it's a Canadian magazine). It's a good read for sports parents with some great perspectives from elite athletes, parents, coaches, and, yes, yours truly.
Cyclists might be interested in this interview I did for a cycling website on the psychology of cycling (both road and mountain).
A nice article in the New York Times describes research that confirmed what many of us already knew, namely, that listening to our favorite music during intense workouts increases our efforts. Surprisingly, the research reported that music didn't make the workouts any less unpleasant or bearable, just that people try harder. It was not clear [...]
If you have a child involved in sports or are a fan of sports, whether high school, college, or pro, this New York Times article should be really unsettling to you. Sports can be a wonderful world to instill healthy values, attitudes, and life skills. But, what has been spotlighted recently, from the Sayresville, NJ high [...]
Not long ago, I completed what has turned out to be a three-week international tour of sport psychology. During my trips, I have worked with athletes and coaches from the U.S., Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Russia in Argentina, California, Oregon, and Switzerland. One question that has emerged during my travels involves the role of mental preparation in athletic development. But before I get to that question, let me provide some back story. Whenever I speak to athletes and coaches, I ask them how important the mind is to sport success. With few exceptions, the response is that the mind is as or more important than the physical and technical side of sports. I am obviously biased given my work in sport psychology, so I won’t take a position on which I believe is more important. But I will say that the mind is an essential piece of the sport performance puzzle. Consider the top-10 athletes, male or female, in any sport. Are they all gifted? Yes. Are they all in exceptional physical condition? Yes. Are they all technically sound? Yes. Do they all have the best equipment? Yes. So, on game day, what separates the best from those who are close, but can’t quite get to the top? All of these other factors being equal, it must be what goes on in their minds.
A compelling article in the New York Times titled All Played Out, written by an orthopedic surgeon and sports father, nails the problem with youth sports directly on the head. Every parent of a young athlete should take a long and hard look in the mirror at why they have their children participating in sports. [...]
An interesting article discussing research that demonstrates the benefits of self-talk and the difference between using second person ("You can do it") and first person ("I can do it"). Hint: second person is better.
A great article that further debunks the "10 years, 10,000 hours" theory of deliberate practice. Yes, practice makes you better, but, according to a recent study, not that much better.