Confidence (6)
Tuesday, 10 April 2012 09:25
Elliott Waksman’s work with the Portland State University golf team
Written by Elliott Waksman
Read about Elliot Waksman’s work with the Portland State University golf team at http://www.goviks.com/news/2012/3/26/WGOLF_0326125341.aspx
“I want him to help my players realize how they are feeling, to recognize when they're getting out of their comfort zone. We want to help them get back into their routine, to focus on what they need to focus on…help get rid of bad thoughts,” Takaishi says. Are you a coach that wants to get that extra edge for your team’s mental game? Call us at 1-866-300-1515.
“I want him to help my players realize how they are feeling, to recognize when they're getting out of their comfort zone. We want to help them get back into their routine, to focus on what they need to focus on…help get rid of bad thoughts,” Takaishi says. Are you a coach that wants to get that extra edge for your team’s mental game? Call us at 1-866-300-1515.
Published in
Confidence
Brian Baxter interviewed by Stumptown Footy about the Timber’s home field advantage, late game collapses, and leadership.
http://www.stumptownfooty.com/2012/4/5/2928397/who-is-portlands-motivational-leader#comments
http://www.stumptownfooty.com/2012/4/5/2928397/who-is-portlands-motivational-leader#comments
Published in
Confidence
In the mold of Friday Night Lights, Steve Wilson’s The Boys from Little Mexico is one of those sports books that I finished in a couple days. It follows the all-latino Woodburn High School (just down I-5 from SPINw) soccer team through their 2005 season. The book goes back and forth between describing the season, the players and coaches, the history of the town to give a full picture of the school, the team, and it’s community of players, coaches, and role models.
The sport psychology and the mental side of the game is a theme of this book. The coaches consistently talk about the fact that the players’ belief in themselves does not match their high level of skill. You can see it in the players’ comments and thoughts, too. Will they find the confidence and that extra edge they need to finally win it all? Check out the book to find out!
Check out The Boys from Little Mexico in the SPINw webstore.
The sport psychology and the mental side of the game is a theme of this book. The coaches consistently talk about the fact that the players’ belief in themselves does not match their high level of skill. You can see it in the players’ comments and thoughts, too. Will they find the confidence and that extra edge they need to finally win it all? Check out the book to find out!
Check out The Boys from Little Mexico in the SPINw webstore.
Published in
Confidence
Sports Identities
It happens at all levels. Pros retire and move on to the broadcast booth. High schoolers graduate and get to the next level - some realizing they won't make it big. Older weekend warriors gradually realize they can't compete like they used to.
At all levels of athletics, the transition point is eventually reached for most of us when we realize we can't always go on. Maybe it's age, or injuries, or other factors, but at some point the identity of pure athlete is lost.
What is the impact of losing our identities? How can some athletic identity be preserved, even if competition at previous heights is no longer possible?
Leave your comments about athletic identity, and it's loss, below.
At all levels of athletics, the transition point is eventually reached for most of us when we realize we can't always go on. Maybe it's age, or injuries, or other factors, but at some point the identity of pure athlete is lost.
What is the impact of losing our identities? How can some athletic identity be preserved, even if competition at previous heights is no longer possible?
Leave your comments about athletic identity, and it's loss, below.
Published in
Confidence
Book Review - Just Kick It: Tales of an Underdog, Over-Age, Out-of-Place Semi-Pro Football Player by Mark St. Amant
Having been a high school kicker myself growing up in Florida, this book caught my attention right away. And after picking it up, it was such a good read that I completed it in only 3 days. The story spoke to me in a number of ways: going from soccer player to place kicker, fitting in as a minority being one of the only white guys on the team, the thrills and anxiety of competition, and the question that goes through the mind of most over-the-hill athletes - "Could I still do it?" Not only that, but now, as a sport psychology consultant, there are tons of great, experiential anecdotes about the mentality of an athlete in this book.
In Just Kick It, writer Mark St. Amant chronicles his first season as a 37-year-old, first time place kicker for the Boston Panthers, an inner-city Boston semi-pro football team. After researching the history of semi-pro leagues in the United States (which would have made a pretty interesting book on its own), one of St.Amant's contacts asks him if he'd be interested in kicking for the Panthers and before he knows it he's blurted out "Sure, why not?" St. Amant's writing style is compelling, mixing stories about practices, games, his teammates' backgrounds, disappointments, and celebrations.
In my own experience, I found that being a kicker had all the mental challenges faced by a golfer, but with 11 guys way bigger than you barking at you, talking smack, and then charging you at full speed, praying for a chance to pummel the poor kicker. Another mental challenge is that you are not quite looked at as a real football player, but depended upon heavily to win or lose games - in other words, a necessary evil. But perhaps the greatest challenge I faced was getting on the team to begin with. Coming from the soccer team, incorrectly labelled a wimpy sport, being unsure of my ability, and having to learn a new kicking technique (I distinctly remember hitting the center in the butt in my first two practice field goal attempts, and the look he gave me and then the coach afterwards) was not easy.
St. Amant captures these challenges in great detail. Joining the team in the first place, not knowing anyone, and having to prove himself not only to the team and its coach, but in his own mind as well, were the first obstacles. Later, in another instance, he is put in a situation where the amount of extra conditioning the rest of the team had to do was on his shoulders. And then the pressures of kicking live, in games, with fans and teammates looking on, he describes his successes and failures, and the confidence and focus involved in each. His explanation of his mental state in each of these situations contain great lessons that could be applied to any athlete.
The confidence and mental state of any athlete is crucial to the success and enjoyment of any athlete. I highly suggest Just Kick It for athletes and coaches alike. It's well written, funny, and sometimes sad. I found myself a Boston Panther fan at the end of the book, cheering them on as the good guys, and hoping their season would keep going. The details of the sport psych side of his experience: teamwork, positive thinking, focus, and confidence, that he lays out in the book will definitely give you something to use in your own sport.
Having been a high school kicker myself growing up in Florida, this book caught my attention right away. And after picking it up, it was such a good read that I completed it in only 3 days. The story spoke to me in a number of ways: going from soccer player to place kicker, fitting in as a minority being one of the only white guys on the team, the thrills and anxiety of competition, and the question that goes through the mind of most over-the-hill athletes - "Could I still do it?" Not only that, but now, as a sport psychology consultant, there are tons of great, experiential anecdotes about the mentality of an athlete in this book.
In Just Kick It, writer Mark St. Amant chronicles his first season as a 37-year-old, first time place kicker for the Boston Panthers, an inner-city Boston semi-pro football team. After researching the history of semi-pro leagues in the United States (which would have made a pretty interesting book on its own), one of St.Amant's contacts asks him if he'd be interested in kicking for the Panthers and before he knows it he's blurted out "Sure, why not?" St. Amant's writing style is compelling, mixing stories about practices, games, his teammates' backgrounds, disappointments, and celebrations.
In my own experience, I found that being a kicker had all the mental challenges faced by a golfer, but with 11 guys way bigger than you barking at you, talking smack, and then charging you at full speed, praying for a chance to pummel the poor kicker. Another mental challenge is that you are not quite looked at as a real football player, but depended upon heavily to win or lose games - in other words, a necessary evil. But perhaps the greatest challenge I faced was getting on the team to begin with. Coming from the soccer team, incorrectly labelled a wimpy sport, being unsure of my ability, and having to learn a new kicking technique (I distinctly remember hitting the center in the butt in my first two practice field goal attempts, and the look he gave me and then the coach afterwards) was not easy.
St. Amant captures these challenges in great detail. Joining the team in the first place, not knowing anyone, and having to prove himself not only to the team and its coach, but in his own mind as well, were the first obstacles. Later, in another instance, he is put in a situation where the amount of extra conditioning the rest of the team had to do was on his shoulders. And then the pressures of kicking live, in games, with fans and teammates looking on, he describes his successes and failures, and the confidence and focus involved in each. His explanation of his mental state in each of these situations contain great lessons that could be applied to any athlete.
The confidence and mental state of any athlete is crucial to the success and enjoyment of any athlete. I highly suggest Just Kick It for athletes and coaches alike. It's well written, funny, and sometimes sad. I found myself a Boston Panther fan at the end of the book, cheering them on as the good guys, and hoping their season would keep going. The details of the sport psych side of his experience: teamwork, positive thinking, focus, and confidence, that he lays out in the book will definitely give you something to use in your own sport.
Published in
Confidence
Papi's Struggles
When asked about his play during an 0-7 outing against the Angels in May, David Ortiz's answer was short and to the point. "Just put down 'Papi stinks". The Red Sox Sluggers' struggles at the plate have been well publicized this season, as he's hitting only .197 with 2 home runs - not the numbers Sox fans are normally used to from their DH. Sport psychologist Dana Sinclair offered an opinion on slumps among elite athletes: "Top-level guys know what they're doing. When you get down to it, they know how to hit, they just start to think about too many things and try to do too much and try too hard. It's a process of getting them from distracted thinking to normal performance characteristics."
Some theorize the problems for Ortiz are all mental, some think they are related to a wrist injury from last year, and some think he's just getting older. Common work with 'overthinking' athletes includes relaxation techniques, always trying to think positive, and narrowing the mental focus to one specific area.
Whatever the cause of his problems is, most experts agree on one thing regarding Ortiz - he is an excellent hitter at the core, and needs to find some way, any way, to get back to his natural form and technique without getting in his own way. Have you struggled with cold streaks or slumps in your athletic or coaching career? Comment on your experiences and ways of breaking the slump below.
When asked about his play during an 0-7 outing against the Angels in May, David Ortiz's answer was short and to the point. "Just put down 'Papi stinks". The Red Sox Sluggers' struggles at the plate have been well publicized this season, as he's hitting only .197 with 2 home runs - not the numbers Sox fans are normally used to from their DH. Sport psychologist Dana Sinclair offered an opinion on slumps among elite athletes: "Top-level guys know what they're doing. When you get down to it, they know how to hit, they just start to think about too many things and try to do too much and try too hard. It's a process of getting them from distracted thinking to normal performance characteristics."
Some theorize the problems for Ortiz are all mental, some think they are related to a wrist injury from last year, and some think he's just getting older. Common work with 'overthinking' athletes includes relaxation techniques, always trying to think positive, and narrowing the mental focus to one specific area.
Whatever the cause of his problems is, most experts agree on one thing regarding Ortiz - he is an excellent hitter at the core, and needs to find some way, any way, to get back to his natural form and technique without getting in his own way. Have you struggled with cold streaks or slumps in your athletic or coaching career? Comment on your experiences and ways of breaking the slump below.
Published in
Confidence
New - Warrior Golf E-book
SPINw founder Mark Henry has written an e-book for golfers!
Order yours by clicking the link above.