Coaching my daughters' teams (ages 6-13) I have started using what you might broadly categorize as 'Sports Psychology.' I have been pleasantly surprised - and occasionally blown away - by the quality of the outcomes. I ensure alignment with PCA principles of focusing on effort and fun. Question is, how much sports psychology is OK, and at what ages? Also, can you refer me to specific books, websites, and other resources?
-- Mark Westgate, Danville, CA
Posted by David Jacobson at 01/28/2010 04:31:34 PM |
We understand all the technical stuff involved with improving our players but in the end it is the mental aspect that brings it all together. I have learned that a lot of mental training methods can be tought by us trainers. Not much different then to teach how to catch a ball....
Book: Coaching the Inner Edge, Robin Vealy, good overview and practical advise.
Posted by: Martin ( Email: | Visit ) at 1/29/2010 2:02 AM
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Mark:
I have been working with young adults from 10-20 for 13 years in the area of Sports Psychology / Mental Game Coaching and adhere to the PCA principles in my practice.
Please go to the following web site, www.protexsports.com, and click on Mental Toughness Network then go to my blog and search through the articles. Many of these have been syndicated, but here you will fiond all of them in one location.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send me an email. I would be happy to talk with you on the phone.
Cheers
John
Posted by: John Ellsworth ( Email: | Visit ) at 1/29/2010 8:30 AM
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Yes, sport psychology is a great tool for coaches. I even decided to go to school (started last year) for an MS in Sport Psychology. It's an online program, which is very convenient, and it is amazing how much I have learned there so far, and I am still only half way through! I am sure there are other Sport Psy programs in other schools, but I wish there were more.
Posted by: Alex Gilgur ( Email: ) at 1/29/2010 10:38 AM
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You are indeed correct that "sports psychology" is a broad category. Meeting the physical and emotional needs of child athletes on the PCA model (as you are doing) qualifies as sports psychology. But so too does playing mind games with youth leaguers as if they were pros; chronically benching some players on the rationale that competing for playing time toughens players; believing that most kids find winning more fulfilling than participation; assuming that more talented and less talented players each need the same measure of emotional support from the coach; and similar abuses.
The short of it is that, depending on what a youth-league coach brings to the table, sports psychology can perpetuate the good or it can perpetuate the bad. Sports psychology helps youth leaguers only when the coach begins with wholesome attitudes, or at least develops these attitudes along the way.
Earlier posters have cited some thoughtful books, and there are others, including ones written in recent years by Bob Bigelow, Tom Farrey, Mark Hyman, Jim Thompson and Rick Wolff. None of these books, however, substitutes for the coach's own wholesome personal constitution.
For years, I have written that youth-league coaches (and youth leagues themselves) can determine whether they meet the emotional needs of child athletes by asking and honestly answering one simple question: "How well do you treat your least talented player?"
Doug Abrams
Posted by: Doug Abrams ( Email: ) at 1/30/2010 9:57 AM
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Mark - as everyone else has stated, sport psychology is absolutely beneficial for all ages when it comes to sports and performance. Having completed my M.A. degree in Sport and Performance Psychology I am a huge advocate for the field. My number one comment for you is that sport psychology should be done by someone that has training in it. As some have mentioned, you have to be sure you are relaying the right message and teaching the appropriate skills.
There are a number of graduate programs throughout the country and I would recommend connecting up with any that might be in your area. A lot of times students are in need of practicum hours and will volunteer their time to work with teams of all ages.
As for literature it might be beneficial to pick up a general sport psychology book that would provide you with a good overview of the field before diving head first. This type of book can then provide additional resources to explore if you feel that something would be beneficial. Richard Cox and Mark Anshel have written some overview books (titled Sport Psychology) that you might find helpful.
Again I would like to emphasize that before you dive in, make sure you know what you're doing. There is no help in teaching your kids a skill that you have not yet mastered yourself.
Posted by: Erin Kennedy ( Email: ) at 2/1/2010 1:23 PM
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PCA RESPONSE BY ERIC EISENDRATH, LEAD TRAINER-NEW YORK
Yogi Berra was right when he famously said, "90% of the game is half mental," so it makes sense to focus on the psychological aspects of the game.
Sport Psychology has gradually been working its way into the youth sports mainstream because it has a lot to offer youth athletes (and coaches!). PCA's research-based approach to coaching, especially our ELM Tree of Mastery (E for Effort, L for Learning, M for bouncing back from Mistakes) comes directly from sport psychology research. So if you are coaching to the ELM Tree, you are already using sport psychology with your athletes.
PCA Founder Jim Thompson describes how he used visualization with his high school basketball players in his memoir, "Shooting in the Dark: Tales of Coaching and Leadership" (available at www.balancesportspublishing.com). Jim found out that his players initially were unsure how to react to his use of visualization but he persevered through the "giggly" stage. Ultimately, his players came to believe it was instrumental in their winning their league title and asked him for more when he forgot to use visualization for awhile. With younger athletes you might experiment with it and see how your players react while erring on the side of too little versus too much.
Other resources for high school and youth coaches include:
Get Your Game Face On by PCA Trainer Kathy Toon, available at http://coachtoon.com/book
Heads-Up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time by PCA National Advisory Board member Ken Ravizza and Tom Hanson. (Although this book is baseball specific, many of the tools can be adapted to any sport.)
Thinking Body, Dancing Mind by Chungliang Al Huang and Jerry Lynch. This book applies Eastern philosophy principles to sports in a really interesting way.
Mindset: the New Psychology of Success by PCA National Advisory Board Member Carol Dweck isn't traditional sport psychology but her notion of the power of the "growth mindset" is a wonderful mental framework for success in sports as well as life.
Finally, stay tuned for PCA's launch of our "Triple-Impact Competitor" online workshop in April. A Triple-Impact Competitor makes self, teammates and the game better. This coming workshop, which is also available as a live presentation contains a wide variety of mental tools to help youth athletes improve their performance.
Posted by: Eric Eisendrath ( Email: ) at 2/4/2010 6:28 PM
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