SPORT PSYCHOLOGY HUMAN NATURE

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1 SPORT PSYCHOLOGY Most often mirrors the fix-it medical model We can also view it as a preventative model, but this is more work for us: We must understand human nature We must know the athlete We must understand the power and the role of sport (both good and bad) The power of intuition HUMAN NATURE We all want to improve ourselves We most often are defined from the outside. The process of social learning defines us The circle of life: Purity at Birth --> External shaping -->Internal Quest to again find ourselves Sport offers us plenty to learn about ourselves when we heed its call

2 IT S ABOUT WINNING, it s the American way We are taught this from day 1 When we figure it out, we have to deal with the baggage that came with it We, as coaches, can intervene Winning as A goal, not THE goal. How do you present process and result to your athletes? KNOW THE ATHLETE Outside the X s and O s, where much of the teaching and learning takes place Knowing the athlete means you know their issues. Every athletes is different and has different needs, both physiologically and psychologically. Meetings with the athletes Daily contact Knowing them means you can read them better THE POWER OF SPORT Sport tells us plenty about ourselves Sport in our culture The metaphor of baseball to football tells us plenty Running is a sport of discipline, consistency and persistence (it is hard to hone these in the face of societal values) The battles the coach faces Instant gratification Lack of persistence and discipline, patience Poor nutrition, lack of general fitness and poor lifestyle choices

3 INTUITIION We rely on intuition often in the physical part of coaching..we call it the art of coaching. Intuition can also help us with understanding and reading the athlete from a psychological standpoint When you can tell that something is not right, it is likely intuition talking to you. Don t be afraid to act. ATHLETE-CENTERED, COACH-LED Coach-centered Vs Athlete-centered Our athletes want to succeed. Our job is to show them how. They are hungry for leadership The process is far more complicated than winning or losing (the result) and it is far more important. COMPETITION AND THE ATHLETE Competition as a social comparison Success = win Failure = lose Result: we are defined by our success and failure at running, not by the process Problem 1: There can only be one winner. Q: Do all others then lose? Problem 2: We don t define ourselves in this model, others do. Q: Is this right?

4 DEALING WITH ADVERSITY Learn to accept it! Life is painful we must learn from it it can be opportunity knocking His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burden. Victor Frankl in Man s Search for Meaning CAN WE TEACH COURAGE? Courage is a learned behavior, not an innate trait Training and competing can be painful, difficult and sometimes humbling this is where courage is trained.. Outside the comfort zone. Does your training model and coaching philosophy challenge the athlete in a way that helps to train courage? Sport Psychology as a fix it model Treats the symptoms not the cause Band-aid treatments that are often superficial and not accepted fully by the athlete Time-consuming and without a quick return Most coaches are not trained to deal with psychological issues. Many issues have to do with self-esteem and social comparisons.

5 101 COMMUNICATION Communicate your values with your athletes. Know why they run and respect those reasons Communication is what you say and how you say it Complete the communication cycle 101 COMPETITION Know how the athlete feels about competition. Does it provoke fear or positive excitement? Why? Process before result this must be the mantra We can t control 1/2 of sport! Using the opponent to go to a higher level of performance Unconditional acceptance from the coach regardless of performance 101 TAKING OWNERSHIP The first step in developing a team is for the team to take ownership (individually and collectively) The team will go through steps in its development as runners fight to find roles and then accept these roles. Allow for it. The runner must take responsibility of their situation if real growth is to occur Coach s role is to teach, to mentor, and often, to get out of the way. From contract to covenant. A true commitment to athlete-centered. (see handout thanks to Joe Vigil)

6 101 TRAINING DESIGN The most important part of Sport Psych 101! Know WHAT to do, WHEN to do it and WHY you are doing it and the athlete must understand these issues too. If the training is progressing, you don t have a problem athlete! THE BASIC PRINCIPLES Multi-Lateral training Variety Individualization Overload and Adaptation Progression Specificity Reversibility 101 FINDING BALANCE Wellness, balance and the runner INTERNAL VARIABLES Training/recovery Nutrition Rest EXTERNAL FACTORS Coach/athlete Team dynamics Social life Family Studies/Work Weather/Geography Money What builds efficacy and confidence in the runner? Unconditional support Belief in the training model and the coach Read, call, be suspect of what is written Question, question, question Read Vigil, Daniels, Martin and Coe, Harre, Schmolinsky, etc and then decide for yourself. Consistency in training (staying injuryfree) IMPROVEMENT! Does your model provoke consistent improvement, and not quick fixes?

7 101 SELF-ESTEEM We have a self-esteem problem in this culture as kids look to the outside for affirmation of who they are. Olympic Trials in Survey on drug use and success. How do we, as coaches, help? Be examples Be supportive Care about the person first, and support their uniqueness. Focus on improvement, and reward it! 101 DEVELOPING TRUST Trust in the model and in the coach Read, learn. Go on-line! Call coaches. Fake it till you make it. Your commitment to learn shows Never to old to learn Self-trust (the goal of the athlete). No doubts, no fears, just shoot the starting pistol 101 MENTORING The original Mentor is a character in Homer s epic poem The Odyssey. When Odysseus went to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted the care of his kingdom to Mentor. Mentor served as the teacher and overseer of Odysseus s son, Telemachus Vigil, Pfaff, Daniels, Higgins Building faster runners? Yes, but building stronger people first. Mentors are trusted, caring advisors, not just coaches.

8 101 RE-DEFINING EXCELLENCE Robert Pirsig and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance His search for a definition of quality We, as coaches, need to think about how we define quality in what we do and look for models that exemplify quality. FINAL THOUGHTS Preventative sport psychology means beginning with a healthy model of sport Make improvement how you define success Think about what quality is in coaching The runner can flourish if: Improvement is primary goal (and illustrated) They take control when ready They have unconditional support on multiple fronts They have their life in balance They have a teacher-mentor to teach them A healthy model of running can avert a lot of psychological issues that have to be fixed