It is a widely held belief in the sports world that team culture can have a big impact on how a team functions and performs. How team members, think, feel, behave, and perform are all influenced by the environment in which they practice and compete. For example, have you ever been on a “downer” team? I’m [...]
Let me preface this article with a few observations about sport coaching and mental training. First, I believe that great sport coaches are also great intuitive psychologists. They may not have the fancy degrees, but through experience and self-education (and sometimes formal education), capable coaches develop a deep understanding of the importance of the mind [...]
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A truly eye-opening and painful article in The Atlantic describing how many coaches are the real bullies in school and, by extension, youth sports. Moreover, this abusive behavior is applauded by many parents who see this treatment as character building. These parents have seen too many so-called inspirational movies (such as the recent film Whiplash about [...]
I was recently interviewed by Glenn Whitney of SportsCoachRadio.com about the many different aspects of the psychology of sport. A good listen (scroll to bottom) if you want to learn more about how the mind impacts athletic performance.
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. [...]
I'm leaving on Saturday for Doha, Qatar for two speaking events at the ASPIRE4SPORT international conference next week. I will be giving a keynote address on Prime Sport: The Psychology of Athletic Performance and participating in a panel discussion on the role of technology in sport psychology training for athletes.