CURRICULUM VITAE PERSONAL DETAILS NAME Dr. BALBIR SINGH A/L BHAGWAN SINGH (Phd.) DATE OF BIRTH 26-08-1956 PLACE OF BIRTH KUALA LUMPUR GENDER MALE N.R.I.C. No. 560826-10-6027 ADDRESS 9, LORONG SENTUL BAHAGIA EMPAT SENTUL PASAR 51100 KUALA LUMPUR CONTACT 03-40411801 (HOME) 012-2378031 (MOBILE) e-mail: balbir@tm.net.my EMPLOYMENT: PRESENT POSITION DEPUTY DIRECTOR SPORTS CENTRE/ LECTURER UNIVERSITY OF MALAYA SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: MAJOR AREAS OF STUDY: i. Phd. (Sports Science- Sports Psychology) ii. M. Ed (Sports Psychology) iii. B.Ed. (Physical Education) iv. Cert. Ed. (Teaching Certificate) i. Science of Coaching ii. Sports Psychology iii. Motor Learning iv. Fitness Development and Games v. Organisation and Administration of Sports vi. Counselling and Movment Therapy 1
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION: 1. Coach of Australian Universities games women s hockey squad (1996) 2. Coach of Victoria Junior Boys Team (1997) 3. Coach of Melbourne League One Hockey Club (1996-1997) 4. Coach of the KL Hockey Association (Senior Squad) 5. Mental Trainer for the National Men and Women Hockey Teams 6. Deputy president of Malaysian Wing, Association of Sports Psychology Asia Pacific 7. Secretary, Coaching Committee - Malaysian Hockey Federation PUBLICATIONS: 1. Balbir Singh (1996). Seminar on Science of Coaching, University of Melbourne Hockey Club. Australia 2. Balbir Singh & Dickinson,S. (1997). Frequency of strokes used in field hockey. Department of Science and Mathematics Education, university of Melbourne. 3. Balbir Singh & Rodrigues, S. (1997). Stress management Techniques. Paper presented in the Department of Science and mathematics Education, University of Melbourne. 4. Balbir Singh (1998). The effects of Mental Rehearsal on a Psychomotor task. Phd. Thesis, university of Melbourne. 5. Balbir Singh (2002). Kesan gabungan latihan mental dan fizikal ke atas guru pelatih Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas berdasarkan inventori Prestasi Mental. References and sample of my work are available upon request. 2
THESIS EXAMINATION EXPERIENCE: 1. Phd. Thesis (USM Kubang Kerian) 2. En. Annathurai (Universiti Malaya)- Masters Thesis 3. Mr. Lim Boon Hui (University Malaya) - Phd. Thesis 4. Norsilawati (University Malaya) - Phd. Thesis 5. En. Rahizam (University Malaya) - Phd. Thesis 6. Ong Kong Swee (University Sultan Idris) - Phd. Thesis 7. Tariq Khan (Universiti Malaya)- Masters Thesis CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ACADEMIC AND SPORTS FIELD 1. Consultant in Movement Therapy in Counselling Bahagian Pendidikan Guru, Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia. 2. Advisor on Psychological Skills Training to the National Paralympic Athletes 3. Lecturer on Mental training and Sports Science for the Malaysian Navy 4. Presenter Module on Communication & Leadership Skills Badminaton Association of Malaysia 5. Speaker for Consembition Jaya Sdn. Bhd. On Self Empowerment and Stress Management. 6. Sports Science Instructor and Metal Trainer for the National Sports Council 7. Development of Concentration among athletes University Putra Malaysia 8. Effects on Imagery on performance enhancement university Purta Sports Academy 9. Presenter on Psychological Skills for Referees for the Football Association of Malaysia and the Asian Football Confederation 10. Stress management and Team Building Instructor- Maktab Perguruan Ilmu Khas 11. Presented a paper on Attitude and Psychological skills in the Indian Sports medicine Conference, New Delhi (2001). 3
12. Poster presentation at the Sydney Olympics (2000) 13. Program coordinator for youth development Badminton Academy 14. Program Consultant in hockey for the Malaysian Singapore Sikhs Sports Council 15. Mental Trainer SEA Games in Brunei (1999) and Kuala Lumpur (2001) 16. Involved in Curriculum Development in Physical Education and Sports Science Ministry of Education. REFERNCES: 1. Dr. Stewart Dickinson, Department of Science and Mathematics Education, University of Melbourne, Australia 2. Ass. Prof. Dr. Brian Nettleton, DSME, University of Melbourne Australia. 3. Tan Sri Noordin Hassan, President, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association. 4
The effects of mental rehearsal techniques on sports skills Balbir Singh Gill Sports Centre University of Malaya Introduction It has been established that mental practice serves to enhance motor skill performance when used in conjunction with physical practice. Numerous studies and reviews have provided evidence of this relationship (Feltz & Landers, 1983; Mohr, 1971; Richardson, 1967). Although the associations between mental and physical practice was once a dominant concern, more recently there has been an interest in distinguishing between various types of mental practice (Feltz & Landers, 1983; Weinberg, 1982). There is a need to identify the elements of mental practice that prove to be most beneficial with specific sport performances. This type of research will give practitioners, the knowledge and ability to pass on applied skills that are of direct use to athletes. A series of intensive interviews with Olympic competitors showed that this type of knowledge is desired by athletes when choosing sport psychology services (Orlick & Partington, 1987). Hemery (1990) states that your state of mind directly affects how you perform. Your body responds to your thoughts. If you are aiming for peak performance you want to be in a state of readiness; mentally and physically. You want to be neither too tense nor too relaxed. Sage(1997) and Weinberg (1988) state two reasons mental training can be an effective tool in enhancing performance. One reason is that vividly imagined events produce innervations in muscles. The effect is similar to that of physically performed movements. The second reason is that mental training helps athletes to understand the movements. A mental blueprint is successfully formed through familiarization of the skill. Balbir (1998) stated that mental training in addition to enhancing performance assisted individuals in improving their attention abilities, imagery vividness and 5
reduced cognitive anxiety. It has been noted that mental rehearsal strategies can act as a corrective techniques, an energizer, a practice aid, a problem solver and a controller of opinion supports mental rehearsal as a facilitative techniques in the learning of many sporting skills. This article will focus on the key psychological skills training required to enhance performance in sports. Psychological skills training (PST) refers to systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills, Coaches and athletes all know that physical skills need to be regularly practiced and refined through long hours of repetitive practice. Similar to physical skills, psychological skills such as maintaining and focusing concentration, regulating arousal levels, enhancing confidence, and maintaining motivation also used to be systematically practiced. Although PST programs take many forms to match participants individual needs, they generally follow a set structure with three distinct phases : education, acquisition and practice. In the education phase, participants quickly recognize how important it is to acquire PST and how the skills affect performance. The acquisition phase focuses on strategies and techniques for learning the different psychological skills. Both formal and informal meetings are devoted to learning of these skills. The practice phase has three primary objectives : a) to automate skills through over learning b) to teach people to systematically integrate psychological skills into their performance situations. and c) to simulate skills you will want to apply in actual competition. The skills introduced in this article will focus on : 1. goal setting 2. motivation and positive environment 3. relaxation 4. self confidence 5. imagery 6. concentration 7. coping skills 6
1. Goal setting Goal setting is simply the process of identifying what you are trying to accomplish and decide upon a plan of action to achieve that goal. Goal setting is an important and effective technique because it can stimulate you to think about where you want to go ( i.e. your aim, objective, target or dream ), and it also gives you the step by step procedure to get there. Coaches should focus on three types of goals in order to assist athletes to achieve their objectives. a) Outcome goals typically focus on a competitive result of an event, such as winning a race, earning a medal, or scoring more points than an opponent. b) Performance goals focus on achieving standards or performance objectives independently of other competitions, usually making comparisons with one s own previous performances. For this reason performance goals tend to be more flexible and within your control. c) Process goals focus on the actions an individual must engage in during performance to execute or perform well. Goal setting helps athletes in the following manner : a) Goals direct attention to important elements of the skill being performed. b) Goals mobilize performer efforts c) Goals prolong performer persistence d) Goals foster the development of new learning strategies. 2. Motivation and positive environment The environment in which the athletes perform affects almost everything they do : motivation to train, openness to learning, commitment to improved performance, anxiety level, feelings of personal acceptance, overall satisfaction and the ability to perform to potential. In order to create a positive environment, coaches should : Plan for long term involvement in sport Offer multiple incentives Set goals Develop team harmony Communicate effectively 7
3. Relaxation Excess anxiety can produce inappropriate muscle tension, which in turn can diminish performance. Coaches are encouraged to employ basic relaxation techniques to reduce somatic (physical) and cognitive (mental) anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation technique involves tensing and relaxing specific muscles. It s purpose is to help people learn to feel tension in their muscles and then be able to let go of their tension. Deep breathing is a relaxation technique where you focus on inhaling, holding and exhaling your breathing. Research has demonstrated that breathing in and holding your breath increases muscle tension, whereas breathing out decreases muscle tension. Deep breathing is a handy technique that works quickly and is useful close to competition or during short breaks in competition. When you are calm, confident, and in control, your breathing is likely to be smooth, deep and rhythmical. When you are under pressure and tense, your breathing is more likely to be short, shallow and irregular. 4. Self confidence Self confidence is defined as the belief or degree of certainty individuals usually possess about their ability to be successful in sport. Self confidence is characterized by a high expectancy of success. It can help individuals to develop positive emotions, maintain high concentration levels, set goals, increase effort, focus their game strategies and maintain momentum. Coaches should encourage athletes to reframe negative thoughts to positive thoughts. For example, I can t; the athlete should say, I can. Positivism and positive self talk can often be the difference between winning and losing in competition. 5. Imagery Imagery refers to creating or recreating an experience in the mind. Through imagery you can recreate previous positive experiences or picture new events to prepare yourself mentally for performance. Imagery is considered as one of the most common and widely used technique to enhance performance in sports among elite athletes. It is important to remember that imagery does not take the place of physical practice. 8
However mental practice does improve performance more than no practice at all. A combination of imagery and physical practice can give individuals an edge in improving performance. Athletes visualize themselves successfully coping with stress in tough situations. Athletes can employ imagery in many ways to improve both physical and psychological skills, including concentration, confidence, control over emotional responses, acquiring and practicing sport skills and strategies, and coping with pain or injury. 6. Concentration Concentration in sports involves three parts : a) focusing on the relevant cues in the environment (selective attention) b) maintaining that attention focus over time, and c) having awareness of the situation. Coaches must recognize the internal and external distractions that affect athletes in performance. By recognizing these distractions, coaches are able to assist athletes to prepare carefully and successfully in such situations. The following techniques can assist athletes in enhancing their concentration during competition : a) positive self talk b) use simulations in practice c) concentration grid d) watching the clock face e) eyerobics f) rehearsing game concentration g) learning to maintain focus ( Cognitive techniques) 7. Coping skills The two most widely accepted coping categories are : a) problem-focused coping b) emotion-focused coping Problem-focused coping involves efforts to manage the problem that is causing the stress for the individual involved; 9
Emotion-focused coping involves regulating the emotional responses to the problem that causes stress for the individual. Athletes use both emotion and problem solving strategies for coping in sports. Although many athletes cope successfully with the pressure of competition, others have difficulty with stress and are unable to maintain focus during competition. Psychological skills are not concomitant learning s that occur during competition but they must be learned and practiced. Williams (1986) likened this learning and practice to that associated with the development of physical skills and strategies in that the positive effects occur after prolonged practice and application. Hence coaches should implement psychological skills in association with physical practice to ensure maximum benefits in order to enhance athlete s performance. 10