Home field (dis) advantage?
It's assumed in sports that playing at home ALWAYS gives an advantage to a team. The roar of the crowd helps push the team to greater heights, building leads and coming from behind, right?
Maybe not. A new story in the Toronto Star tells us the Maple Leafs win at home only 49.4% of the time since 2005 and a remarkable 39% last season.
The reason may be simple - increased pressure to playing at home. The home crowd comes expecting a win, and good luck to the home team if they lose. One ex-Leaf said "Especially if you're not playing well, there's the pressure of, `Oh God, if I mess up they're going to be talking about it in the paper all week and I'll get booed off the ice'."
Perform Under Pressure (8)
While most of the country has been in summer weather mode for a month or more, the Pacific Northwest summer typically starts in July. This year, we’ve had especially little time to transition, going from temperatures in the 50's to the 80's in what seems like the blink of an eye. Of course, you know the need to hydrate and eat right (if not, here’s a good article), to wear sunscreen and the proper gear, all the physical elements of battling the heat, but what about the mental aspects?
As a coach, everytime a player said “It’s sooo hot!” all I heard was “Hey coach, I have an excuse to not play hard!” The mentally strong athlete treats the heat like another opponent: Not something to be feared and run away from, but something to look straight in the face and conquer. Here are a coupl esport psych standbys, tailored to the heat:
-Focus! - You could focus on the heat, but why? You don’t have any control over it. Focus on what you do have control over: preparation, attitude, and effort
-Positive self-talk – During uncomfortable moments, it’s natural to think negatively about asituation. But mentally strong athletes think positive thoughts and find the positives in any situation. “ugh, it’s hot, this stinks!” becomes: “this heat is only making me stronger – keep it up!”
- Visualization – Remember that if you are hot, your teammates and most likely your opponents are too. See yourself leading your teammates, and outlasting the competition
Athletes, want to work more on your mental game to boost your confidence this summer?
Coaches, looking for ways to add to your team’s experience and get that extra edge? Contact SPINw to talk to one of our consultants about individual or team programs for a strong mental game.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
1-866-300-1515
As a coach, everytime a player said “It’s sooo hot!” all I heard was “Hey coach, I have an excuse to not play hard!” The mentally strong athlete treats the heat like another opponent: Not something to be feared and run away from, but something to look straight in the face and conquer. Here are a coupl esport psych standbys, tailored to the heat:
-Focus! - You could focus on the heat, but why? You don’t have any control over it. Focus on what you do have control over: preparation, attitude, and effort
-Positive self-talk – During uncomfortable moments, it’s natural to think negatively about asituation. But mentally strong athletes think positive thoughts and find the positives in any situation. “ugh, it’s hot, this stinks!” becomes: “this heat is only making me stronger – keep it up!”
- Visualization – Remember that if you are hot, your teammates and most likely your opponents are too. See yourself leading your teammates, and outlasting the competition
Athletes, want to work more on your mental game to boost your confidence this summer?
Coaches, looking for ways to add to your team’s experience and get that extra edge? Contact SPINw to talk to one of our consultants about individual or team programs for a strong mental game.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
1-866-300-1515
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
After years in sales, Dan Di Cio, a Pittsburgh account executive, was aiming for "a breakout season" selling high-tech equipment. But even working longer hours and weekends, he kept falling short of his goals. Watching other salespeople win awards, he asked himself early this year: "Why can't I be that guy?" To boost his self confidence during the recession, real-estate broker Tim Stowell, copied some tactics used by golfer Jack Nicklaus to improve the mental side of his game.Mr. Di Cio, a big baseball fan, recalled how Major League pitcher John Smoltz got help on his mental game to pull out of a slump in 1991. Mr. Di Cio contacted sports psychologist Gregg Steinberg after hearing him speak and, with his help, Mr. Di Cio learned that he was working so hard that he risked driving his numbers even lower. Dr. Steinberg says he prescribed the same remedy many pro athletes embrace: Stop overworking and allow yourself to relax.
Josh Anderson for The Wall Street Journal
Josh Anderson for The Wall Street Journal
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
Tagged under
Sunday, 24 October 2010 11:30
Putting Foot to the Ball Can Often Be a Test of Will
Written by Administrator
Matt Dodge, the Giants' seventh-round draft choice, has struggled at times this season in his attempt to effectively replace the former punter, Jeff Feagles. read more
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 07:18
Students more stressed now than during Great Depression
Written by Administrator"A new study has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era."
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
In a recent article on Olympic skiier, Lindsey Vonn, she was interviewed about how her ability to perform under pressure. She commented how she has grown and developed her confidence. Here's her quote from Bill Pennington's article in the New York Times.
Vonn is not naturally introspective. But when I asked her how she has managed to perform successfully under pressure in recent years, especially since stress seemed to undo her in the past, she paused. "Athletics at the highest level is a sport within a sport," she answered, looking at the ceiling. "When you're young, you develop ways to win, and you think they will always work, but then you get to the top, competing against the other top athletes, and sometimes things don't work. You go home and ask yourself what went wrong, and for me the answer was that I didn't have enough confidence in my preparation, and I didn't have enough trust in myself.
"So now I know that I've worked harder and prepared myself better than anyone. And I have put things in place. I have a race routine. I have a team of people helping me. I have winning habits. I believe in myself. I have balance in my life. In the end, it's a mental maturity to let your best come out."
Vonn is not naturally introspective. But when I asked her how she has managed to perform successfully under pressure in recent years, especially since stress seemed to undo her in the past, she paused. "Athletics at the highest level is a sport within a sport," she answered, looking at the ceiling. "When you're young, you develop ways to win, and you think they will always work, but then you get to the top, competing against the other top athletes, and sometimes things don't work. You go home and ask yourself what went wrong, and for me the answer was that I didn't have enough confidence in my preparation, and I didn't have enough trust in myself.
"So now I know that I've worked harder and prepared myself better than anyone. And I have put things in place. I have a race routine. I have a team of people helping me. I have winning habits. I believe in myself. I have balance in my life. In the end, it's a mental maturity to let your best come out."
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
Tuesday, 08 December 2009 07:29
Psychological support for athletes under pressure
Written by Administrator
In addtion to working with athletes to enhance their performance, our consultants work with athletes to give them the support to manage the unique pressures that athletes experience. While society may think that those who engage in athletics are healthier, mentally and physically, the evidence doesn't support this. Athletes are just as likely as the rest of us, possibly even more so, to suffer from depression, anxiety, addictions, and other illnesses.
In the wake of the tragic suicide of Robert Enke, the world has begun to ask questions about the levels of psychological support available to players who have to deal with the highly pressurised environment of professional football. In England, the Sporting Chance Clinic has been asking those questions and providing that support for the eight years since its inception. Click here to read more
In the wake of the tragic suicide of Robert Enke, the world has begun to ask questions about the levels of psychological support available to players who have to deal with the highly pressurised environment of professional football. In England, the Sporting Chance Clinic has been asking those questions and providing that support for the eight years since its inception. Click here to read more
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
Preparing for Tryouts
Tryouts for any sport at any time can be nerve-wracking. It is huge event where coaches you've never met are watching you play, writing down notes on a clipboard, and talking quietly with other coaches while you play.
"Is he writing down something about me?"
"Did she see that mistake I just made?"
"Oh, man, what if I don't make it?"
"What if I make a fool of myself?"
These are pretty common thoughts that can come up while playing during a tryout situation. They are natural thoughts, and not bad really if they are motivating for the player. But more often than not, these thoughts can take a player's focus off of playing and doing well, and become negative distractions.
These thoughts can also come up weeks or even months before tryouts and can be extremely detrimental to the player's confidence and energy level. In working with young athletes, I often get calls from parents that go something like this: "My son/daughter has ODP/club/high school tryouts next week and is very nervous, and it is effecting his/her performance. Is this something you can help with?"
The answer is yes and no. While working with a sport psychology consultant is a great way to learn tools to reduce anxiety and effectively control emotions so allow the player to play up to potential, a week may not be enough time to help fully. Depending on the level of anxiety, this may take a month or two, or it may be able to be accomplished sooner. So while more time is ideal, a meeting or two can definitely be worthwhile for the short team.
However, working full on with a sport psychology consultant may not be realistic, so as competitive youth soccer clubs head into tryout season, here are some mental tips for players and parent in getting prepared.
Players
The key for players going into tryouts is to be as confident in their abilities and as focused on them as possible. Building confidence is a process and is based on these factors:
You know your kid is the best. As the tryout (or any big event) approaches, be aware of your child's actions. Do they seem more nervous, more quiet, or noticably off? As much as we'd like for our kids to come to us when they are feeling this way, for the most part it doesn't happen. If you do notice the extra nerves, here are some steps you can take:
Good luck in your tryouts!
Tryouts for any sport at any time can be nerve-wracking. It is huge event where coaches you've never met are watching you play, writing down notes on a clipboard, and talking quietly with other coaches while you play.
"Is he writing down something about me?"
"Did she see that mistake I just made?"
"Oh, man, what if I don't make it?"
"What if I make a fool of myself?"
These are pretty common thoughts that can come up while playing during a tryout situation. They are natural thoughts, and not bad really if they are motivating for the player. But more often than not, these thoughts can take a player's focus off of playing and doing well, and become negative distractions.
These thoughts can also come up weeks or even months before tryouts and can be extremely detrimental to the player's confidence and energy level. In working with young athletes, I often get calls from parents that go something like this: "My son/daughter has ODP/club/high school tryouts next week and is very nervous, and it is effecting his/her performance. Is this something you can help with?"
The answer is yes and no. While working with a sport psychology consultant is a great way to learn tools to reduce anxiety and effectively control emotions so allow the player to play up to potential, a week may not be enough time to help fully. Depending on the level of anxiety, this may take a month or two, or it may be able to be accomplished sooner. So while more time is ideal, a meeting or two can definitely be worthwhile for the short team.
However, working full on with a sport psychology consultant may not be realistic, so as competitive youth soccer clubs head into tryout season, here are some mental tips for players and parent in getting prepared.
Players
The key for players going into tryouts is to be as confident in their abilities and as focused on them as possible. Building confidence is a process and is based on these factors:
- -Positive preparation leading up to tryouts
This includes practicing your skills (be sharp!), training hard (be fit!), and making sure you are well-rested and well-nourished (be healthy!). In short, control the controllables. - -Know yourself
You must know what your strengths and weaknesses are and focus on showing your strengths. Know not only your soccer skills, but also your physical skills (speed, strength, etc), and your mental skills (leadership, communication, intensity, etc). Coaches are looking for all three aspects. - -Set goals and stay focused on them
Set goals for the tryouts based on the preparation you put in, and your strengths. If you are a great passer, focus on that instead of trying to dribble. If you are a hard worker and strong defender, make sure that you focus on that for tryouts. Instead of focusing on the "what if?" questions, focus on what you know you do well, and do it!
You know your kid is the best. As the tryout (or any big event) approaches, be aware of your child's actions. Do they seem more nervous, more quiet, or noticably off? As much as we'd like for our kids to come to us when they are feeling this way, for the most part it doesn't happen. If you do notice the extra nerves, here are some steps you can take:
- -Ask questions.
"How are you feeling for tryouts?" "Has the coach mentioned what he is looking for in tryouts?" "What are your goals for tryouts?" This is a good start to being able to support your young athlete. - -Be positive and instill confidence.
Pick out a couple aspects of your young athlete's game that is positive and give feedback. This does not have to be a monologue - a simple "Hey, I noticed in practice how you were talking and being encouraging to your teammates - good job." or "I have noticed that your ball control has improved this season." will do just fine. - -Encourage extra work outside of normal practice.
Be a positive force in making sure your child is building confidence is his skills, fitness, and health. Doing the extra work outside of team practices can make all the difference, and a little encouragement from parents goes a long way.
Good luck in your tryouts!
Published in
Perform Under Pressure
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Order yours by clicking the link above.