The benefit of youth participation in sport is constantly being questioned. What do these youth gain? Parents ask this question as they make the decision to enroll their children in various programs. Taxpayers ask this question as athletic directors fight to keep programs in school districts. It doesn’t help when the media focuses on the negative in an effort to gain ratings. To be honest there are some programs that need a lot of work; however, there are so many programs out there making a positive impact that it’s just a matter of doing the research.

Take a look at the Run Buddies program. This is a running program that pairs youth with mentors. While learning about nutrition and fitness, these youth also learn mental toughness and have an outlet to discuss any issues they have in their life. Run Buddies shows that successful programs are not a result of monetary support but because of quality coaches.

It’s easy to give the list of benefits. Sports teach personal responsibility, teamwork, communication, sportsmanship, mental toughness, etc. Making a list is easy, but structuring a program to truly teach these life lessons takes work. This is why coaches can benefit from working with a Sport Psychology Consultant. A consultant can teach coaches how to better demonstrate and reinforce these skills. Then, instead of just listing the gains, coaches can watch their athletes put these skills into action.

If you are a coach looking to strengthen your program, contact SPINW.

About the Author: Lisa Peetz received an M.A. in Sports and Exercise Psychology.  Lisa is an avid runner who appreciates and is addicted to marathon running.  She uses her athletic experience in her mental skills training by individualizing skills to be both sports and life specific. 

It is essential that an athlete be able to evaluate their performance so they can recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their performance. More importantly, it is essential to understand how these individual skills come together to create an overall performance. Even the most skilled athletes recognize that there is always room for improvement.

The key is not letting these self-evaluations decrease confidence. Take tennis player Roger Federer, a strong player who realistically evaluates his performance. He knows the skills he needs to work on, yet he does not let this distract him from his game.

There are 3 common trends for self-evaluation.

1. Athletes who recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and understand how their skill set impacts their overall performance. They do not let this interfere with their overall confidence. Instead, they utilize this information to set new goals and provide motivation for continued improvement. This also allows for more thorough preparation for competition as athletes often compare their skill set to that of their opponents to strategize.

2. Athletes who recognize only their strengths. While this may enhance confidence, it’s not a realistic picture of one’s performance. Athletes may focus all their energy on the positive; however, this makes it difficult to set personal goals for improvement. Also, this makes it difficult to prepare for competition.

3. Athletes who only recognize their weaknesses. This results in low confidence. Also, if an athlete only focuses on what they do wrong it can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. This may also make a sport less enjoyable and increase frustration, which ultimately may lead to quitting.

What category do you fall into? Not sure? Or do you recognize a need for a change? Maybe you drift back and forth between more than one of these trends? A consultant at SPINW can help you evaluate your process of self-evaluation, and will help you develop a more constructive process that will enhance overall performance.

Ever walk into a practice to see athletes joking around only to see the complete opposite on game day? What is wrong with this situation? No, it's not the joking around. It's the inconsistency between practice and competition. While this may seem like a small thing, it matters! Whatever tricks an athlete uses to help themselves focus should be utilized in both practice and competition to increase their effectiveness. And in all actuality this applies to both athletes and coaches! Contrary to popular belief there is no switch that is flipped on game day that gets everyone focused and motivated.

So how do you find consistency? Start by making a few lists.

1. Write down what you do pre-practice and pre-competition to focus and amp yourself up.
2. Write what you do during practice and during competition to maintain focus and energy.
3. Write what you do post practice and post competition to relax and reflect.

Notice any differences? Notice any skills missing?

Now comes the hard work...breaking old habits and developing performance enhancement routines! The more practice and competition routines are in sync the better the performance. Example: If a gymnast uses imagery in competition before performing on beam, but not in practice. This may help them focus during competition; however, by not utilizing in practice this athlete is not reaching their full potential. By using imagery in practice they will be able to develop and push their skills further, which means an even stronger performance in competition.

Need help developing a more consistent routine? Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !

About the Author: Lisa Peetz received an M.A. in Sports and Exercise Psychology.  Lisa is an avid runner who appreciates and is addicted to marathon running.  She uses her athletic experience in her mental skills training by individualizing skills to be both sports and life specific.  

Whether a recreational or competitive athlete, maintaining fitness during pregnancy and returning to sport post-pregnancy has its challenges. Some competitive athletes plan their pregnancies based on their schedules. They try to time their pregnancies. Kara Goucher was very vocal about the window of time she would try to get pregnant. She even stated after a certain point they would stop trying so it would not affect her focus on making it to the 2012 Olympic Games. Timing was on her side and now, a few months after giving birth, she is beginning to build up her training. This is not an easy task!!

During pregnancy, physical abilities are inconsistent. One day an athlete may perform just fine, and the next consists of a workout full of struggles. An athlete may begin to question themselves, and might wonder if they’ve lost their abilities forever. Self-confidence turns into self-doubt. Self-talk is not motivating. Common sense may occasionally remind one that pregnancy poses a lot of physical demands on the body, BUT that doesn’t always help. Thank you hormones!

So how do those professional athletes make their comebacks? How do they maintain their self-confidence? How do they keep their self-talk positive and constructive? Well, they rely on a STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM, which can include family, friends, coaches, teammates, and SPORT PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSIONALS.

If you are going through a life changing moment, pregnancy or otherwise, add to your support system. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to see how we can help!

About the Author: Lisa Peetz received an M.A. in Sports and Exercise Psychology.  Lisa is an avid runner who appreciates and is addicted to marathon running.  She uses her athletic experience in her mental skills training by individualizing skills to be both sports and life specific.