The Sports Doc Chalk Talk

Increasingly more athletes are getting tattooed these days – sometimes as early as high school (or even Jr. High).  While it wasn’t that long ago that tattoos were a rarity to see in sports (just watch NBA clips from the ’80′s), nowadays you are seemingly in the minority if you don’t have any ink.  It’s funny, but if you want to be noticed these days you will likely get more attention for not having tattoos than if you do choose to get one, ironically.

Of course, it is to each individual what he or she wants to do with their body, and tattoos are not “right” or “wrong” per se. Tattoos are, however, very permanent and it is from this perspective that I would like to offer a few thoughts to young athletes thinking they might want to start working on their “sleeve” this weekend:

• Take a look back at pictures of yourself from just a few years ago.  Do you laugh at the hideous shirt you wore, and do you cringe at the awful haircut you used to have?  Fortunately, those are days of the past and short of a “friend” playing a joke and posting those pics on Facebook at your expense, you can probably lock them up in a drawer and prevent the world from seeing the old you.  The point here is that what people like one day can end up being something they don’t like later on in life — with tattoos, you don’t get a “do-over,” and it’s quite likely that what you think is cool today might be something you hate later (like that haircut in 9th grade).
• Remember, you are not LeBron James, Dennis Rodman, David Beckham, or even Lil’ Wayne.  People at the top of their craft have a lot more latitude when it comes to what they can get away with — for the rest of us, making permanent decisions like getting a tattoo on your neck can lead to some very negative consequences down the road – like at a job interview.
• Regardless of what anyone says, people get tattoos for attention (meaning you didn’t get that dragon tattoo down your arm for people not to look).  There’s nothing wrong with seeking the attention of others, as we do it all the time – the question is can you still get the attention you seek without tatting up your body for life?  Perhaps a new haircut, different clothes, or even a more affable smile and personality might get you all the attention you could ever ask for!

Again, tattoos are not bad, and there’s nothing wrong with those people who choose to decorate their body with them.  The problem, however, is that many people make decisions about tattoos without much forethought, and only later do they come to realize the full cost of their short-sighted decision.  Don’t believe me?  Ask people over the age of 40 how many of them still feel a connection to their tattoo.  You might be surprised to learn how their feelings have changed, yet the permanent markings on their body still remain.  Short of spending thousands of dollars for laser tattoo removal, many of these folks are stuck with a branding that they feel no longer represents who they are — similar to that really ugly outfit they wore back in high school.

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As a sports fan, there’s nothing worse than getting ready for another long season when you already know before the season starts that your team will be in the basement – again. Some professional teams are annual losers, including the LA Clippers (who still need to prove they will be a winner this year), the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Columbus Blue Jackets to name a few (AHPS).  Of course, there are plenty more professional sport franchises that excel in futility, so today’s blog goes out to you, the die-hard true fan of an annually terrible sports team.

Unlike the front running fan, the die-hard usually starts each season with a glimmer of guarded hope, thinking this year might be different – that those years worth of high draft picks will finally pay off.  Unfortunately, be it due to economic hardships of the team, poor scouting & development, poor on-field management, or any other conceivable reason (injuries?), the team ends up out of the race within the first few weeks of the season.  It is at this point where the loyal fan must “suck it up,” deflect criticism from friends and co-workers, and somehow find a way to carry on through the rest of the season when about the only excitement he will have will be to think about what possible first round draft pick his team can get in the upcoming draft.

For you Celtic, Laker, Patriot, and Yankee fans, can you only imagine how horrific this sports experience is compared  to yours?!

Have no worries fans of bad teams, the Sports Doc is here to help by providing some quick tips to help you get through the season(s):

• Make a joke out of it. It is widely accepted that humor is a great tool to help ward off stress, so make it a point to let your guard down and roll with the punches whenever possible.  Face it, your team is rotten, so you might as well have a good laugh, right?!
• Don’t take it to heart. Sports fans are famous for taking ownership of the teams they follow, often cultivating a personal identity tied to the team.  While this is interesting for sport scientists to study, it’s typically not good to put so much value into your team that your overall attitude and well-being are greatly mediated by your team’s success (or lack thereof).  Instead, roll with the punches and remember that it’s just a game.
• Don’t be a fair weather fan.  Yes, there is no doubt it’s tough to continue to follow a crummy team, but it’s also a very admirable and worthwhile pursuit.  Sure, it would be easy to be like LeBron James and just pick all the good sports teams to follow, but you don’t want to be like that do you?!
• Take even more pride in your team when they lose. If you really want to confuse the people in your life – and have some fun amidst a trying season – buy some new gear and wear it proudly.  Sure, it probably won’t help your team in the standings, but it’s a fun way to deal with losing.
• Balance your team’s success against other important things in your life. Remember, sports are entertainment, so no matter how long the season becomes with ongoing losing, try to keep it in perspective by balancing sports against your family, friends, and other important people and things that you like to do.

Whether you follow good teams or bad, be sure to check out our always-expanding product line of sport performance products only at www.drstankovich.com

Last week Aaron Rogers, star quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, did something many sports fans would like to do.  More specifically, he called out the absurdity of sports “experts” who build their career doing nothing more than finding extreme and shocking ways to build their audience and increase their ratings.  Rogers specifically called out one of the more polarizing ESPN talking heads, Skip Bayless, claiming that his comments are purposely outlandish, specifically designed to get people to tune in to the program.

Today’s sports media landscape could easily consume several chapters in an introduction to sport psychology textbook, as there seemingly as many experts and television/radio shows as there are athletes and sports teams.  In addition to the growing number of sports programs for fans to check out, there’s also a behind-the-scenes battle amongst these experts to drive ratings.  It is at this sad juncture where Aaron Roger’s calling out of Skip Bayless makes perfect sense (and was long overdue).

Why all the negativity, anyway?

The media business is dependent on ratings in order to attract sponsorship for advertising.  So how do you increase ratings?  One way is to be as extreme, controversial, and argumentative as possible.  The more obnoxious the better it seems, as sports fans seem to pay more attention to sports entertainers like Bayless, Jim Rome, Stephen A. Smith, and the Sports Reporters crew than they do the propeller head analysts with far less flare (John Clayton anyone?).

Aaron Rogers said what a lot of people would like to say if they only had the voice, even if he made his comments in a rather subtle way.  Rather than come out and call Bayless a jerk (interestingly, he didn’t even name Bayless), Rogers merely pointed out the absurdity of how desperate Bayless (and ESPN as a network) is to drive ratings, so much so that it only pays today to find the silliest, strangest, or most controversial angle to every story.  One can presume from Rogers’ comments that he would prefer less flash and flare from guys like Bayless, and instead more substance focused on the stories.  Unfortunately, that approach doesn’t seem to attract as many viewers in the minds of the folks in the think tank at ESPN.

More problems – or just more people reporting the problems?

Rogers comments may also serendipitously shed light on an even bigger question in sports today: Are there really more bad stories in sports today than in the old days?  Prior to the ESPN generation of 24/7 sports, there were not media outlets to pounce on every transgression, ethical violation, and police arrest as there is today.  Is it me, or does it seem as though the folks at ESPN sit around the police scanner anxiously awaiting the next athlete to do something dumb, wrong, or illegal so that they can jump all over it from the early morning (Mike & Mike show) through mid-morning (First and Ten) to later in the afternoon when LeBatard hands off to Rome who hands off the Around the Horn, wrapping up with PTI which then segues into ESPN SportsCenter.

As ESPN continues to fan the fire with their strongly opinionated experts, many of the stories they report seem to grow legs of their own, and in some cases become even bigger stories simply because of the increased media attention and absurd histrionics played up by the reporters who talk (scream?) about the stories.

Good for you, Aaron Rogers, for calling out the silliness of what some ESPN experts will do in order to attract viewers and corporate sponsorships (and at the same time make themselves relevant enough to remain on TV).  Some fans have already grown tired of the played up theatrics from guys like Bayless, and it’s likely more fans will feel this way in the future as they try to keep up with sports stories while having to endure through the outlandish folks reporting the stories.

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There is no disputing that it’s a different youth sports landscape today than it was only a few years ago, when in the old days it was a regular sighting to witness kids assembling pick-up games in the backyards and games of H.O.R.S.E. on driveway basketball courts (Sport Success 360).  Today, those distant memories are being replaced by a generation of student athletes constantly “plugged in” electronically to their friends through social media via Facebook, Twitter, IM, email, and all other electronic means of texting communication.  In fact, in increasingly more instances it appears as though today’s kids are literally tethered to their smart phones, seemingly afraid that by not being “plugged in” they will be left out of life’s exciting happenings.  The important question, therefore, pertains to the negative effects kids experience while choosing to be connected 24/7 to their Facebook, while at the same time missing out on real-life academic, social, and athletic opportunities?

I have personally witnessed a change in recent years with the student athletes I counsel at my practice, as it has become a common sighting to witness student athletes regularly looking down into their lap, purse, or gym bag to check their Facebook page while in the middle of counseling sessions.  Interestingly, in the vast majority of these instances the kids don’t bother to look up and acknowledge the momentary disruption in our dialogue, but instead simply carry on as though the device is just a small part of our session. Of course, with each instant message that comes through, the youngster’s attention is divided, and we inevitably have to go back to the previous comments to “find our place” again after the disruption.

Being tethered to virtual communication is exciting for many kids (and a lot of adults), but there are many consequences to consider – especially as they apply to student athletes.

●      It is often perceived as rude. It goes without saying that people don’t like having their face-to-face communication disrupted by a text message or Facebook update, but this is exactly what is happening increasingly more these days.  For student athletes, especially when talking to coaches, AD’s, and possibly future college coaches, this type of behavior sends the message (no pun intended) that the virtual conversation is far more important than anything to be gained in the face-to-face meeting.

●      You miss out on real-life things – like sports! For kids who are constantly connected to their devices, one thing they are not doing is using that time to play pickup games, lift, run, or do anything else that can help them improve in their sport.

●      It fosters dependence, not independence. The perception that people have when watching kids constantly connected to their devices is that they are overly-dependent on their friends, and may not have the confidence and skills needed to make future independent decisions.

●      Security risks for when things “get out.” As we all know virtual communication is anything but safe, as we have all heard the stories of controversial messages and pictures that have gotten out to the public.  For student athletes, this kind of unwanted attention could impact athletic eligibility, as well as future potential athletic scholarships.

●      Multi-tasking and the threats to time management. Lets face it, it takes time to keep up with your virtual friends, return IM, texts, and email, and make regular posts on your wall.  Again, the question becomes what other things suffer because of the huge time commitments needed to “keep up” in the virtual world?  With some kids easily going over 5000 texts in a month (yes, you heard that correctly), is it any wonder when you see grades drop in school?

Being plugged in to social media and electronic communication can be a really fun and exciting life endeavor, but it can also be a very life-draining experience when there is little time left over for real, face-to-face life interactions.  The key is to balance virtual communication with real-life living so that real-life opportunities aren’t missed or overlooked simply because of the responsibilities need to stay “plugged in” to the virtual world.

Get “plugged in” to the many ways you can help your kids get the most from sports by checking out our high performance line of products at www.drstankovich.com

By now you have probably seen those little bottles at the cash register promoting quick, 5-hour energy boosts — and recently you may have noticed the newest addition to the quick-fix energy boost market: Energy Strips.

If you have followed my columns in the past, you already know that I am a big fan of the placebo effect, and regularly talk about how when human changes take place it is the belief about the expected change that serves as the catalyst for the change, and not the protocol, pill, or recommended procedure.  Placebo effects become very powerful when we believe something is going to happen, especially things we really hope to happen (like putting a film strip on your tongue and moments later being magically awakened!).

Similar to the bottled water boom of 10 years ago, where all of a sudden folks were duped into thinking that bottled water when compared to tap water A.) tasted better, and B.) was safer — many people are falling prey to the same paradigm today concerning quick energy (* for the record countless empirical studies have shown bottled water is no safer, nor does it have any better taste, than normal tap water).  Energy strips are convenient, cool, and to the untrained eye a very fast way to make up for the lack of sleep you had last night — but be careful, folks, as great marketing does not make a product (even if it’s LeBron James pitching it).

The reality is that there is no safe, effective solution for making up for the fact that you didn’t get enough rest/sleep.  Similar to how a cup of coffee might give you a quick (albeit limited) “jolt,” at best that’s what you will get from the little bottles and strips of energy sold at the gas station.  If you are vulnerable (typically don’t get enough sleep), and hopeful (would like a quick fix to your sleep problems), then you are a perfect target for these marketing campaigns (even though you are really buying more of a placebo than any legitimate energy booster).

Rather than getting jacked up on drinks and strips, you would be far better served to simply make it a point to get an adequate amount of down-time and sleep into your daily schedule.  And while your first reaction to that comment might be “I’m too busy for rest,” I would challenge you to reconsider that statement and instead look for ways to better manage your daily living.  I don’t doubt you are busy — we are all busy — but my question has to do with how you manage and prioritize your day, and how you do things like delegate, multi-task, and communicate?  In my experience we can all do a better job in those areas, thereby freeing up more time for rest, relaxation, and sleep.  The end result?  No need to spend $3-4 for little bottles of liquid lightning or film strips of energy!

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One question I repeatedly get these days is around the magic of the power bracelet, and whether or not they really “work.”  Actually, before we even delve into the bracelets, it’s important to note what different people mean by the word “work.”  For one athlete, adding a few pounds to his bench press might be the evidence he needs for improved physical strength and mental toughness to say the bracelets “work,” while another athlete might need longer and more sustaining evidence before claiming the bracelets “work” (like having the best season of his career).  As you can see, there is a great challenge and subjective differences in simply defining what the word “works” means — even before we talk about the bracelets! (Advanced Human Performance Systems)

Assuming for a moment that we all came to a unanimous agreement about the word “works” (which would need to be operationally defined as the dependent variable in a sport psychology research study), only then could we begin to test the efficacy of the bracelet.  To determine if power bracelets “work” by helping athletes reach their full potential, it’s important to take a wide-lens view of all the variables that may be in play.  For example, lets say an athlete begins wearing one of these bracelets and then has a couple really good games — the bracelet could be the cause of this change, but so could many other things.  First, luck may be at play – sometimes things just fall into place naturally.  It could also be possible that belief in the bracelet caused the change, and not the bracelet.  In science we call this the “placebo effect,” and it occurs when a person improves simply because of belief.

More than likely, the hologram bracelets “work” (when they seemingly do) because of belief, and not the proclaimed medicinal properties of the bracelet. Simple controlled studies have already shown that in double-blind experiments (where neither the subjects nor experimenters know if they are wearing the real bracelet or a substitute) there have been no differences in human performance.

Having said all that, if you like wearing one of these bracelets and you feel it helps you, by all means keep wearing it.  On the other hand, if you have a lucky penny taped inside your shoe, or wear the same lucky t-shirt under your uniform, you will probably see the same mental toughness and athletic improvement results as any power bracelet could ever provide!

For real sport-performance products that “work,” check out our growing product line at Advanced Human Performance Systems, as well as our world famous Sport Performance Assessment apps offered at the Apple apps store!

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As the end of summer youth sports nears, many families are nervously awaiting to learn whether their young athlete has been selected to be a member of his or her leagues all-star team.  At the same time, coaches across the country are faced with the dubious task of making critical, often subjective, appraisals about which kids should make the all-star team (AHPS). As with any selection process, errors, oversights, and omissions will occur – sometimes resulting in hard feelings between families and coaches.  The strife some families feel during the all-star selection process is often blamed on the “politics” of sports (Sport Success 360).

The “science” behind all-star selections

While the field of sport psychology has allowed us to learn many powerful skills to enhance athletic abilities, it has yet to yield a cook-book recipe for coaches when it comes to all-star decisions.  In other words, there is no science – only each coach’s own ability to evaluate talent while maintaining a level of integrity in the process.  What this means is that while there are always some statistics to examine, individual comparisons are never “apple-to-apple.”  The “X” factors that include mental toughness are rarely captured in a box score, yet coaches often use these factors when evaluating talent.

Many parents become upset and disenfranchised by the all-star selection process because they subjectively see their child as better than he or she really is — and/or they don’t see the talents of another athlete who was chosen over their son or daughter.  Additionally, while its not the norm for coaches to purposely pick only the kids they personally like (politics), this does occasionally occur (though not nearly to the level upset parents think).

The reality

Selecting all-stars can be a brutal task for coaches and league operators involved in youth sports, as it is inevitable that some deserving kids will be left off teams while other seemingly less talented kids will end up making all-star teams.  Similarly, many parents struggle accepting the news that their child has been left off a sports all-star team, and in some situations feel as though their child was “done wrong” in the process.  Since this disconnect happens so regularly, I have provided a few quick tips for both coaches and parents so that the all-star selection process goes smoothly and with fewer problems around how the kids were selected:

What coaches can do

• Try to use as much objective data as possible.  Statistics like goals scored, batting average, fielding percentage, and stolen bases are examples of data you can use to not only help in the selection process, but also to offer up when people question your decisions.
• Take time to critically evaluate the kids.  Of course, some all-star selections will be quite easy, but after the first couple of kids it usually gets a lot tougher to discern the small differences between kids.  When you consider the heartfelt responses that usually follow all-star team selections, it certainly warrants that you take the process serious and do your homework when making decisions.
• Vote on players.  Leaving the decisions up to just one coach is never a good thing, so be sure to have multiple sources available to offer opinions.
• Be respectful when announcing the team.  Keep in mind that as soon as the team is announced there will be some families who feel as though their child was treated unfairly, and may even let you know about it.  Be sure to prepare for this and try to be understanding if you get approached by a distraught parent, keeping in mind their level of hurt seeing their child left off the team.

What parents can do

• Understand just how difficult all-star selections are for coaches!  At every level of sport competition we see criticism around what players make the team and what players don’t.  Keep in mind all the unseen variables coaches often take into account (i.e. hustle, team needs, particular position needs, etc.), and try not to immediately use the excuse that “politics” were to blame.
• Talk to your child (if he or she didn’t make the team) about stress, failure, and adversity – and how they can be used for motivation and future success.  Many kids come back the following year and make the all-star team because of the motivation they developed after missing the team a year earlier.
• If you feel it’s important to learn more about why your child didn’t make the team, be sure to remain respectful and considerate toward the coach.  It’s always better to ask about what areas your child can improve in for the future rather than argue why your child should have made the team over another kid who was selected.

Help your child succeed on and off the field – check out our ever-expanding line of peak performance products for student athletes, coaches, and parents!

www.drstankovich.com

Sports for kids today are very organized, usually providing a multitude of options to select from that vary from recreational to elite/premier.  While today’s sports model can be beneficial for some kids, other kids feel as though it is too exhausting and leaves little, if any, time to simply play pick-up games around the neighborhood (Sport Success 360).  Does all this structure actually prohibit kids from wanting to pick up their glove and bat and improvise games with their buddies??

This past weekend I watched kids in my neighborhood hit the swimming pool, ride their bikes, and skateboard at a local skate park.  What I didn’t see were kids playing pick-up games in their yards, the street, or even the vacant baseball diamonds around town. 

Has backyard wiffle ball been officially replaced by Xbox?!

Admittedly, when I tell kids about the days when I was their age and how we used to regularly create pick-up games just about wherever we were (i.e. backyard, street, parking lot, empty field, etc), I do feel as though I am telling them how I used to walk to school through the snow for 10 miles without any shoes!  My point is that today’s kids, for the most part, have not grown up playing unstructured sports and therefore see the idea as a rather foreign concept.  At least that’s why I think they look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them what we used to do!

When I was a kid playing Little League Baseball, our 1-2 game-a-week schedule hardly satisfied my appetite to play.  Since we didn’t have travel teams in the 1970’s and 80’s, most of us created games out of just about anything that was available (or could be made — ragballs taped up with duct tape were quite popular).  Of course, traditional baseball could be played on the fields that sat open each day, but we also created our unique wiffle ball stadiums in our backyards, almost always incorporating the unique nuances of the yard (i.e. over the pine trees for a home run!!).

If we couldn’t play in the backyard, we had bases secretly painted on the street and used tennis balls (or even racquet balls – they go very, very far when hit) and played street ball.  Of course, the street was also used during football season, too, with sewers being used as goal line markers.

Kids today seem to spend a lot of time on gaming and texting, and while not a bad thing, it does seem to take their attention away from the pure joy of simply going outside and “getting a game together.”  Sure, structured sports are great, but theres also something to picking teams and playing wherever and with whatever is around.  Need someone to call balls and strikes?  Tip a picnic table on its side and tape off the strike zone.  Field too small?  Make each player bat opposite hand.  Break a window?  Run!  (just kidding about that one).

Organized sports are great, but when I talk to people 30 and older it seems as though most of them feel the same as I do when thinking about the dearth of pickup games today.  I wouldn’t say things are worse today, but they sure are different – about the only good thing I can think of with less pickup games is the decreasing number of houses and cars hit by errant balls!

Apps, apps, and more apps — good for organized and backyard sports!

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Being a sports fan is an interesting life experience, as it often polarizes the people in the stands as much as the players on the field. When “our” team wins, we reference the victory by telling others “We won, we crushed that team.” Conversely, when our favorite team loses, we usually distance ourselves in the loss and describe it by saying “They lost.” Interesting how quickly we jump ship from the team we support when they don’t play up to our hopes and expectations, isn’t it?  Fan behavior can be a funny thing, and serve for great fodder for people who enjoy debating issues in sports sociology (AHPS)

Researchers in the field of sports psychology have consistently found this unique way fans describe their affiliation with their favorite teams time and time again, and if you are a sports fan, you probably have described your teams the same way. Fans take on the identity of their favorite teams (as evidenced by wearing their sports gear), but unlike their human identity (which cannot be changed as easily), with sports teams it’s a lot easier to simply change one pronoun and no longer associate with the losing team.

Ohio State fans are the latest to be challenged with the decision of how to describe their current affiliation with the university – did “we” just get caught cheating, or did “they?” How are the people talking about this around the water cooler where you work? How are you describing what just happened?One thing is for certain – when your team wins, you win, and it’s likely you use the word “we” to celebrate the victory!

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