The Sports Doc Chalk Talk

Are there “politics” in sports? 

ABSOLUTELY!

But aren’t there “politics” in almost every aspect of life, too?  What I mean is that anytime you have people left to make subjective opinions and appraisals you are going to inevitably have others who don’t agree with them.  This may not be “fair,” but I’m not so sure that it is even possible to be fair to all the people, all the time.

In my view, there are actually two types of “politics,” and I break down my thoughts on each below:

A.) Normal Politics: This is the kind of bantering I hear from some parents who feel their kid is better than the kid starting ahead of him.  This is normal, and expected, and really only shows that a difference of opinion regarding athletic abilities exists between the parent and the coach.  In my mind this really isn’t even “politics” as it’s more of a case of a coach simply using his or her best judgement evaluating talent, but we’ll leave it as a form of politics for now.

B.) Unfair Politics: This type of politics occurs when a coach has clearly treated a child unfairly, and is more a question around morals and integrity than it is a case of a coach simply making a judgment call.  For example, if several kids on a team were suspended from school earlier in the day for the same violation, and then in the game later that evening one of the student athletes was allowed to play while the others weren’t, this would certainly not be anywhere close to being fair. Another example of unfair politics might be a coach continuing to play a known ineligible player — again, this is a very different example from a coach who makes talent evaluations that you don’t always understand (or like).

Neither type of politics are easy for parents, but I would urge you to distinguish the differences between the two.  Keep in mind that if you are upset because the coach made a different decision about your kid starting than what you would have made that’s OK, but even if he would have selected your kid then another parent would be feeling exactly how you did!  In other words, coaches really can’t win in those situations.

On the other hand, when coaches blatantly abuse the trust and fairness that should be in place with the team and create new and special rules for some kids, then you may have a situation that warrants a higher degree of involvement (possibly from an Athletic Director or League Operator).  The idea here is not to make the situation worse, but to protect the integrity of the program if a coach is clearly abusing the responsibilities he or she has with coaching.  The good news is that the type of politics most parents complain about, ironically, has to do with judgement calls around talent and not direct and intentional decisions that treat kids unfairly.

The “politics” in sports are really no different than the politics we see in many other areas of life, including job promotions, voted award winners, and students selected to colleges.  In life, it’s sometimes difficult to acquire objective, measurable criteria needed to make fair decisions, leaving us to make decisions with the information that is made available.  In some cases this information is incomplete, so making “perfect” decisions is really nearly impossible when you think about it.

While sports politics are tough to deal with at times, these situations can also be great teaching tools to use with kids.  Teach your child about how politics are a part of life, and that the true test is developing resiliency and coping skills to weather the tough times.  When kids keep their heads up and their spirits high, they will be more ready for that next opportunity in life where they might become the benefactor of a “political” decision that goes their way!

www.drstankovich.com

A common question I receive from youth sports parents is why some kids who display above-average athletic skills seem to struggle with focus and motivation.  Of course, there are many reasons why this may occur, but one reason that is usually overlooked is the interest level the kid has in playing sports.  In other words, some kids are good at sports, but simply don’t love playing them!

Admittedly, it’s difficult to accept that a talented young athlete might have little (if any) interest in playing a particular sport, but this actually happens more than you might believe.  Kids who are especially good at a sport, yet are indifferent about playing that sport, seem to present the most frustration for parents.  The faulty assumption some parents make, unfortunately, is that if the kid is good at playing sports, he must also love playing sports.

There are a number of reasons why an otherwise athletically talented kid might not like playing sports, including the following:

• For some, it simply doesn’t interest them – there’s nothing more to read into it than this.
• Some kids like playing games, but do not enjoy the commitment to practices, extra training, travel, and all the other responsibilities that often come with being an athlete – in fact, the child may even be experiencing sports burnout.
• Some kids feel as though the time commitment with sports take away time they might have devoted to other things, like academics, other activities, and social endeavors.
• Some kids don’t “connect” with their sports friends, and would rather spend their time with their friends who might not be involved in sports.
• Some kids do not enjoy all the intensity around sports these days – in other words, they like playing the sport, but don’t like how it feels like a job to them because of all the outside expectations by others.

Kids who don’t enjoy playing sports (even if they are good at them) are not good or bad, right or wrong.  Just like how we as adults like to do some things and don’t like others, kids are the same — and in some cases kids show a natural talent toward something, yet have little interest in the activity.

Of course, a little parental coaxing to get a kid to have more fun playing a sport isn’t a bad thing, but be careful to not push too hard, or to continue signing your kid up for sports if it’s clear he doesn’t want to play.  While it might not be the easiest thing to do, it’s almost always a better move to work with your child on future decisions rather than continue pushing him because he has an above-average athletic talent.

Sport Success 360 is a great tool to use when helping provide your child with the best sports experience possible – pick up your copy today!

www.drstankovich.com

In sports, unlike most other life endeavors, participants are often more readily known and recognized because of their number as much as they are their name.  In basketball, #23 will always be Michael Jordan’s number, and in hockey #99 belongs to “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky.  Baseball fans know that Derek Jeter is #2 (another number the Yankees will undoubtedly retire once Jeter calls it a career), and there are dozens more numbers that we have come to associate with famous sports figures over the years. Unlike non-athletes (the majority of society) who go to work each day without wearing a numbered jersey, athletes are unique in that they often become one with their number, which contributes to their unique “athletic identity.” (Sport Success 360)

Even though few athletes will become successful enough in their athletic careers to have their number retired one day, most do become closely associated with their number, sometimes as early as pee-wee youth sports.  Similar to how the professional athlete becomes his or her number, amateur athletes involved in youth and interscholastic sports often begin their association with their number quite early in life, which in turn becomes their major identity in many cases.  This in itself is not a good or bad thing, but it does present an interesting view and better understanding of the life of an athlete (even amateur athletes), and how much of who they are is tied to their athletic persona and player number.

The Implications of Athletic Identity

The Benefits:

• For many kids having a sports number and developing an athletic identity is a great thing, as it gives them (and the world) a lens to view them through  — “she’s #20 on the soccer team.”
• Kids often take pride and develop self-confidence in their role and status on a team, allowing them to appreciate the privilege of being a part of a team.
• When kids are proud of their team and number, they are often more committed and motivated to continue pursuing team and individual goals.

The Negatives

• When an athletic identity and sports number becomes the exclusive identity of a child, it could be too limiting and actually stunt the growth of the child’s overall identity.  While being an athlete is great, most kids also have other parts of their identity that are important to embrace and nurture — including academic, artistic, musical, and social interests.  In other words, “#20 on the soccer team” might also want to be known for her abilities in the classroom, as well as her above-average talent in playing a musical instrument.
• Scientific studies have shown that the more exclusive an athletic identity, the less likely an athlete will be prepared for his or her inevitable sport retirement transition.  This inverse relationship makes sense when you think about it — the more exclusive (and often rigid) we are with our identity, the less prepared we are to move ahead in life without it (and have to develop an entirely new identity).

The sports number and athletic identity are very unique to sports, and as such bring a host of related issues for us to learn about.  While we want all athletes to take pride in their sports number, we also want to make sure that they don’t over-invest in this single identity at the expense of developing holistically as people.

Do your part and learn as much as you can about your kids or the kids you coach and the implications of their sports identities – for more help on this topic, check out Positive Transitions for Student Athletes or Sport Success 360 today!

www.drstankovich.com

The most popular and effective forms of psychotherapy today are grounded in cognitive-behavioral philosophies and techniques. Cognitive-behavioral psychologists help clients improve both their irrational thinking as well as their maladaptive behaviors.  For example, someone battling obesity might benefit from learning ways to stop looking at food as a healthy coping mechanism to stress (cognitive), as well as make sure he doesn’t bring certain foods home that will tempt him to over-eat (behavior).  As you can see, both thinking and behaviors interact with each other very closely, leaving it up to each individual to determine where to start when developing plans for improved future habits.

In sports, cognitive-behavioral approaches work quite well, as it is not uncommon for athletes to get caught up in irrational thinking and self-defeating behaviors.  Take for example a Little Leaguer low in mental toughness who is afraid of being hit by a pitch (a common problem for baseball players at this age).  In the scared batter’s mind, he has equated the pain associated with being hit by a pitched ball to that of being the worst pain of his life — and as a result regularly steps out (or “in the bucket” as baseball coaches say) to avoid every pitch that comes his way.  The reality is that baseball helmets protect against the most dangerous problems of being hit by a ball in the head, and even when a player is hit in the body the pain associated with the errant throw might sting slightly, but is rarely bone-breaking pain.  A counselor (or coach) using a cognitive perspective would likely talk to the kid about how being hit with a ball really isn’t that painful, and how he has made it out to be a far scarier experience than it really is.

Using the same example from a behavioral perspective, one might focus on using a physical technique that prevents the kid from actually stepping away from the plate.  Perhaps the coach might hold the player by the ankles during batting practice so that he cannot move his feet when the pitch heads his way.  Notice, from this perspective there is no emphasis on the irrational thinking, but instead a focus on the actual physical behaviors (in this case, making sure the kid’s feet don’t step away from the plate when the pitch comes in).  In theory, after holding his feet enough times the child will become less anxious and more used to standing in during pitches (muscle memory), and if he is still eventually hit by a pitch will quickly realize that it really wasn’t the end of the world!

Cognitive-behavioral approaches can be used by parents, coaches, and anyone else involved in sports.  Keep in mind that our thoughts and actions are very intertwined, and each does not usually happen without the other.  For this reason it is important to think creatively when helping athletes with their anxieties and sport phobias.  Is it an irrational way of thinking that is bogging the kid down?  Or is a behavior that can be directly addressed that will help improve the situation?  In most cases there are both cognitive and behavioral solutions that can be implemented to help with the situation.

www.drstankovich.com

I am very fortunate that I have had the opportunity to work one-on-one with many amazing athletes during the course of my career, and from those experiences I can emphatically state that in the vast majority of cases the success these athletes accomplished did not happen as a result of casual efforts, but instead due to a lot of hard work, mental toughness, and perseverance.  Similarly, I have also been lucky to teach many college psychology courses over the years, and again, the most successful students I have had in class weren’t “naturally gifted,” but instead the hardest workers in class. Are you starting to see a connection here?

Nature v. Nurture

Often we make the mistake of attributing the success seen in others (athletes, students, etc.) to their natural abilities, and while genetics certainly do contribute to our abilities, it’s actually the work we put in that matters the most. In sports, some athletes do have an advantage over others because of their natural size, speed, or strength — but if they rely exclusively on those gifts and do not put in the work needed to continually improve, it’s very likely they will “max out” early in life and fall short of reaching their full potential.  Conversely, and perhaps more interestingly, athletes who are average in natural abilities – but develop a strong work ethic and mental toughness – often make up for their average physical abilities through their motivation and effort.

Excellence in the classroom is really no different — simply having natural abilities in math, science, or foreign language will only take a person so far without putting in the work needed to continue to excel.  Most students can only “show up” for so long before being awakened to the fact that if you want to acheive excellence, it won’t happen through casual efforts.

We often do not see all the extra time, work, and effort great athletes, students, and business people put into their craft that allows them to become the best.  Instead, we tend to overlook or ignore all of these efforts, and falsely assume these people had God-given natural abilities that lead to their success.

The Value of a Strong Work Ethic

In my direct experience working with many outstanding athletes, as well as  everyday people, the common denominator to their success has always been a strong work ethic. These are the people who are first to practice and the last to leave — and they are the most resilient when it comes to dealing with stress, frustration, adversity, and failure.  They really don’t have as many natural advantages over the competition as you might think.  Instead, they simply want it more.

Yes, it really is the “blood, sweat, and tears” that is at the core of champions, or everyday people who seem to excel at whatever it is they do.  The reality is there is no substitute for hard work, and our natural abilities can compensate for causal work efforts for only so long.  The good news, however, is that a strong work ethic will not only level the playing field, but it can actually lead to even greater success when compared to the individual with the natural talent but a minimal work ethic. 

Find passion and purpose in what you do, and develop a conviction toward your future success.  If you do, you will be amazed at how quickly things change for the better in your life, and how these positive changes will be a result of the efforts you put into your craft.

www.drstankovich.com

Having studied psychology and mental health disorders for many years (as well as being a licensed practicing clinician), I have long been troubled by the trend for doctors to quickly prescribe anti-depressants to their patients without first encouraging other, safer alternatives.  Since the 1990′s, increasingly more doctors have quickly bypassed recommending things like professional counseling, exercise, or trying new hobbies and interests (all things that can really help with mood state), and instead quickly scribbled out scripts for anti-depressants.  Of course, if these new pills worked significantly better than the other ideas I just presented, and if these pills were 100% safe, I don’t think using them would be much of a concern.  Unfortunately, that’s simply not the case.

Last night 60 Minutes ran a segment on the efficacy of anti-depressants versus placebo effects, citing Harvard social scientist Irving Kirsch’s discoveries when evaluating real anti-depressant medications against placebos (or sugar pills).  Kirsch’s findings were really nothing new, and certainly not any different than what other research scientists have known for years — that is, anti-depressants only “work” because of the belief the patient has when using them, and not due to the chemical properties of the drugs themselves.  In other words, the changes patients claim they experience are due to the placebo effect, not the medication.

The problem, however, is that in the United States we are constantly bombarded with really great advertising that tells us if we are depressed, the answer to our problems might just be one quick office visit away.  As one of only two countries in the world that allows for direct drug marketing to consumers on television, these fancy ads coupled with our intense desire to get better provide for the perfect storm, so to speak.  In other words, when we feel depressed and are “ripe” for an answer, and then see a 30 second ad of a Zoloft egg bouncing around happy, it’s easy to see why so many potential consumers light up with excitement and quickly schedule a visit with their doctor as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, the problems we experience in life don’t simply “go away” by taking a pill (similarly to how they don’t go away from getting drunk, either).  The problems at home, mounting bills, and battles with health problems don’t get better by taking a pill — these situations only improve by learning important life coping skills.

So why are anti-depressants so widespread if:

A) they have been scientifically found to not work any better than a sugar pill, and

B) they put the patient at great risk for side-, interaction-, and withdrawal effects — check the black box warnings to learn more

Listed below are some of the big reasons why so many people continue to be prescribed these drugs:

• There is huge money in pharmaceuticals today, and these companies are not afraid to spend money.  This is the reason why we see so many ads today, and the more of the ads we see the more confident we become that these drugs really “work.”  Most people figure that if they see something enough, it must be true – this is called the mere exposure effect.
• Patients often ask their doctors directly for these medications, and often doctors are happy to acquiesce.  In some cases, doctors really believe in the value of anti-depressants, while in other cases doctors assume the placebo effect will “work” and that the potential side effects are worth the risk.  In other cases doctors know that patients expect to be given drugs during medical appointments, and would feel short-changed if the doctor told them the real things that help with mood state – like counseling and exercise programs.
• When clients do experience side effects, in most cases they continue to use these drugs because they blame the side effects on their disorder (i.e. depression), and not the medications!  In fact, in some cases patients take even more of the medication in order to overcome the side effects.

While we would all love to find a quick fix for our problems in life, the reality is these answers are not in the form of anti-depressant pills (as science is revealing through ongoing empirical findings).  Scott Peck, author of the popular The Road Less Traveled, starts his book with one very important sentence:

Life is difficult.

Think about that for a moment — the problems we face in life are difficult, and success doesn’t happen from casual efforts.  We need to also remember that there are no fast “silver bullet” answers when it comes to life’s problems, even if we wish there were.  Anti-depressants, which work no better than placebos and carry many potential problems with them, should not be the first thing we seek when we hit rough waters in life.  Instead, learning life skills like communication skills, conflict resolution, and stress reducing techniques should be tried first, along with developing a physical exercise program.  Most people dramatically improve their mood state from just those life changes, and professional counseling can help round out the self-improvement process for those still looking for even better improvement. 

Check out our Life Wellness programs to help improve mood state and the quality of your life!

www.drstankovich.com

As a college sports fan, do you ever wonder where all the corruption, loss of integrity, and sometimes outright cheating originates?  More specifically, I am talking about the stories about student athletes receiving improper benefits followed by extremely light penalties  from the university?  Alvin Kamara’s recruiting experience with the University of Alabama might just provide us with many of those interesting answers.

It should be noted that to date Kamara is still an uncommitted high school junior RB from Georgia and has done nothing wrong, nor has he been accused of any wrongdoings to my knowledge.  Similarly, as bizarre as the story you are about to hear sounds, apparently Alabama has done nothing wrong yet, either.

It was reported today that Alabama is so incredibly interested in recruiting Kamara that they sent him 105 recruiting letters…in one day.

The Invincible College Recruit

Of course, in this day and age where amateur athletes receive many more valuable “gifts” than recruiting letters, this story seems at first to be nothing more than funny.  Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes much easier to see where the future potential problems lie after this stunt, and how blurred the paradigm between university and student athlete has just become due to Alabama’s actions.  Some might say this “genie” isn’t going back in the bottle anytime soon.

When student athletes are recruited to colleges there is a normal ego rush in learning that they are one of the select few to be chosen to play at the next level.  The job of the coach, and athletic department at-large, is to entice the athlete to choose their school, and to do this they usually give the recruit the royal treatment.  As you might expect, there are always potential problems during this process, most notably when the psychological paradigm between college and player shifts so dramatically that the player knows he actually calls all the shots.  In these instances, the athlete becomes infallible, invincible, unstoppable, and inevitably “the man.”

Assuming Alabama lands Kamara, can you see how upside-down this relationship has already become — even before he has attended his first practice??  How do you say “no” to the kid you gushed over so badly that you sent him 105 letters in one day??? How do you maintain the same discipline measures for this player as you do the walk-on players, or even any of the other scholarship student athletes from the other teams at Alabama?  This kid’s “different,” remember?

The Difficulties in Enforcing Discipline

If Kamara chooses Alabama and he eventually messes up, is it fair to hold him 100% responsible for his actions after his college treated him like Elvis during the recruiting process?  After all, this young man has been developed into a superstar by Alabama’s letter writing campaign (amongst other things) — and when 18 year old student athletes feel like this, it’s pretty easy to see why they sometimes make really bad decisions based on their self-perceived invincible status.

For the institution (Alabama in this case), how will they play by the rules if Kamara chooses their school and then goes out and breaks rules and laws?  How do you come down on a guy when this is the same guy you laid rose pedals at his door?  He came because of the royal treatment you gave him, and now you want to discipline him??  You want him to play by the same rules as every other player, but you didn’t treat him like that during recruiting — so why now the change? You did everything you could to make him feel immortal, and now you want him to be held accountable and responsible?? I mean, you sent him over 100 letters in one day telling him that he could walk on water, eat fire, juggle chainsaws, and leap tall buildings in a single bound —- and now you want him to comply with those silly NCAA rules and regulations???  If I’m Kamara and this eventually happens, I want to know who changed the game?

Kamara and Alabama are not the only examples of this warped psychological paradigm that often develops.  Letter writing campaigns like what was recently done at Alabama happen at other schools, too (or some other similar practice).  The student athlete is given the keys to the castle, while the university sports administrators and coaches nearly break their collective necks trying so hard to not look or notice when rules are broken.  I mean, how do you crack down on the new “money man” for your school?

How Does a Responsible Coach Really Act “Responsibly?”

Responsible coaches know the importance of playing by the rules and maintaining the integrity of the sport, but they also know that you don’t just roll up that red carpet you had out for the top recruit, throw it in the back of the van, and then all of a sudden crack down on him.  No, it doesn’t work that way — remember, this kid can transfer so you better learn to become aloof and look the other way — it pays better if you do.

Coaches also know that if you don’t roll out the red carpet and surf & turf dinners, then you probably won’t land him, as there are hundreds of other coaches out there that will spoon feed his every need if it results in an eventual signing.

“Amateur” sports are really an impossibility when you think of them in these terms.  In order to get the best kids you have to be over-the-top, outlandish, endearing, and full of promises.  Some might even say you have to sell your soul to the devil. But after the young man signs, it is expected that you alter the landscape and coach-player dynamics 180 degrees, and “hold the young man accountable” for his actions.  Then, when a kid screws up, society wants to blame him and hold him accountable — but the reality is he was never held accountable from the start of the recruiting process!

Unfortunately, this model simply doesn’t work, and it’s really obvious the reasons why.

www.drstankovich.com

Millions of kids each year compete in youth and interscholastic sports, and there are many different reasons why they elect to devote their time and energy to playing on a sports team (Sport Success 360).  For some, they play sports to be with their friends, while others enjoy the identity that comes with wearing a sports uniform and being part of a team.  The main reason kids play sports, however, is actually a pretty simple one – to have FUN!

Every research study I have ever read has clearly shown that the number one reason kids play sports is to have fun, and, as you might have guessed, the number one reason why kids voluntarily quit playing sports is when they no longer have fun.  Interestingly, while many adults might guess that “winning” is a big reason why kids play sports, in most cases it doesn’t even make the top ten lists of the polls surveyed.

As adults, we sometimes forget this most basic lesson about why kids play sports, and the result of our oversight can lead to a less-than-exciting experience for kids.  When adults make youth sports a very serious experience and at the cost of having fun, kids often lose their motivation for playing – and usually quit a lot sooner as a result.  Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to think about the many ways in which you as a parent or coach can make youth sports a fun (and meaningful) experience for kids:

• Bring your “A-Game” when it comes to attitude and emotion!  When you get excited about sports, kids will, too.
• Make sure to keep sports interesting and find ways to offer your positive reinforcement and hearty praise whenever possible — even if it’s just for effort.
• Balance instruction with fun, especially with the younger kids you coach.
• Laugh and have a sense of humor.
• Ask the team what things you can do that would make the sport experience exciting for them – you may not be able to do everything they suggest, but if there’s an idea or two you can make it happen it can really make a difference!
• Do fun team bonding things outside of sports if you can – like taking the team to a college or professional sports game, or establishing team dinners.
• Create a team identity the kids can be proud of, maybe a team nickname or a slogan that matches your team’s character.

Obviously there are many different things that you can do to make sports a fun experience for kids, so be sure and do your part and capitalize on the number one reason they play – TO HAVE FUN!!

The Parents Playbook is a great resource for helping kids maximize the sport experience – pick up your copy today!

www.drstankovich.com

Athletes of all ages, levels, and sport types know from personal experience that having uncontrollable nerves (anxiety) can be a terrible hindrance when it comes to playing well.  Making things even more frustrating is when they play with comfort and confidence in practice, then seem to lose their mental toughness and fall apart in real games as their thinking becomes distorted and their bodies become filled with nervous energy.  Anxiety, therefore, can be the mediating variable when it comes to whether an otherwise talented athlete succeeds or fails in sport competition (Sport Success 360).

Today I would like to remind athletes of three important points about how anxiety directly (and negatively) impacts athletic performance.

1. Anxiety disrupts the perfect mind-body synchrony needed for sports success. When athletes are on their game, their success largely relies on automatic “muscle memory” movements that develop through their synchronized thoughts and actions.  What this means is that they trust their previous experience and success and allow themselves to simply play. Unfortunately, when athletes become nervous, self-doubt creeps in, and the result is almost always an overly-cautious, second-guessing, unsure competitor.  The result?  Previously synchronized mind-body movements become disrupted and the athlete usually tries too hard, or plays “not to lose” rather than plays to win.

2. Anxiety negatively impacts focus. When an athlete experiences high anxiety he will almost immediately begin to think internally about the symptoms rather than externally toward the next play.  This is what we call a cognitive response to anxiety.  Of course, the physiological symptoms of anxiety are tough enough to overcome, but when thinking becomes distorted and focus is directed toward the last bad play rather than the next play ahead, it’s obvious the athlete will almost always perform below his abilities.

3. The impact of anxiety on resiliency. Sport psychologists know that resiliency, or mental toughness, is often the difference when it comes to athletic success or failure.  When athletes succumb to nerves and anxiety, it literally zaps their bodies of the energy needed to pull through tough times, physical pains, and sometimes even nagging injuries.  Instead of an endorphin rush, nervous athletes actually experience the opposite — that is, they lose the energy needed for stamina.

Anxiety is not unique to sports, and is actually something that we all experience in various times of our lives.  Whether it’s the nerves associated with a first date, waiting on a test grade, or preparing for a job interview, we have all felt the impact of nervous energy at different times in our lives.  For athletes, learning to prepare for and control nervous energy is key, as it may be the single most important – yet often overlooked – variable when it comes to mental toughness and athletic success.

If you know an athlete struggling with anxiety, be sure to help him or her learn about proven strategies and techniques that can help – the Mind of Steel program is designed to do just that!

www.drstankovich.com