The Sports Doc Chalk Talk

As the high school year comes to a close, there are a number of things for high school student athletes to think about – especially upper class students who wish to one day play college sports (AHPS).  Of course, the odds are long for most kids wishing to play college sports (only about 5-7% move on from high school to college sports), but there are still a number of tips sport psychologists suggest that can help increase the chances of playing at the next level (even if it’s DIII).

• Of course, the #1 (and most obvious) thing high school student athletes have to do is play their sport very well. While the rest of the tips below may help your son or daughter’s chances of playing college sports one day, none of them will be a substitute for the athletic talent needed to compete at the college level.
• Assuming your child has the athletic potential needed to play beyond high school, you will need to think early and often about “marketing” your child to colleges.  Keep in mind that while college coaches are limited to when and how often they can communicate (recruit) with potential student athletes about their athletic program, families can do a number of different things to help their chances.  Some of these ideas include developing a portfolio that highlights athletic, academic, and social activities; creating a sports video of his or her in action; and attending specific camps and clinics to raise visibility of your child’s athletic abilities.
• Speaking of camps and clinics, be sure to target the ones that make the most sense and commensurate with your child’s athletic abilities and potential.  For example, if your child is a borderline DIII student athlete, it might not make a lot of sense to sign up for elite-level DI camps where his or her talents may not be a fit. Similarly, if your child is a potential DI student athlete, your son or daughter might be “over-qualified” for a DIII college camp.
• Aside from athletic responsibilities, potential college student athletes need to also stay on top of academic grades, extra-curriculars, and other leadership-type experiences.  College coaches invest a lot of money in athletic recruiting and scholarships these days, making it even that much more important that they choose kids who are responsible with their decision-making and life choices.
• Think about having your child take the SAT or ACT early, if possible.  Some kids postpone taking these tests until their senior year, and by that time limit their opportunities to re-take these tests if their first scores were not quite as high as they would have liked.  Of course, make sure that your child has taken the right courses ahead of time in order to sit for these exams — if you are not sure of this, call your child’s school counselor for assistance.
• If your child is serious about playing college sports, he or she will also need to get registered with the NCAA clearinghouse – again, see your school counselor for assistance with this process.

While there may not be many things to “substitute” for a lack of athletic talent and potential when it comes to playing college sports, there are a number of things families can do to help improve the chances to play after high school (including the tips provided above).  Do your homework and leave no stone unturned — good luck!

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Sport Success 360 is the tool for helping families, youth sports leagues, and school athletic departments maximize the athletic experience – check it out today!

This week I wrote about the potential increased risk for injury associated with sport specialization, and how so many coaches and athletes search for perfection in the mechanics of their sport, while at the same time dismissing the importance of learning mental skills that help with confidence, focus, resiliency, and reducing anxiety.

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All athletes know that mental toughness is largely dependent on self-confidence, and that when confidence is high, athletic success almost always follows (Sport Success 360).  It is for this reason that it is important for athletes to develop their self-confidence – but how do athletes actually improve their self-confidence?  Unfortunately, it doesn’t usually happen in a moment’s notice by simply saying “I’m confident,” but instead happens over time by developing a solid training program based on the following three principles:

1. Set goals. Confidence increases dramatically when we can actually see our progress, and when we set and achieve goals it gives us tangible evidence that we are improving.  When we see improvement, it automatically boosts our self-confidence.  Every athlete who is serious about improving their athletic abilities needs to set specific, measurable, controllable goals that are drafted in a way that lists long-, mid-, short-, and daily-goals.

2. Reinforce effort. Sometimes athletic goals are not reached, but it is equally important to reinforce the effort put toward the goals nonetheless.  In fact, shaping sports behaviors largely depends on reinforcing efforts, with the idea that if we continue to put in the work we will eventually reap the rewards from our labor.  Parents and coaches can help with this by making it a point to heartily praise hard work and effort, and reminding young athletes of the importance of motivation and perseverance and how these traits help with eventual goal attainment (and sports success).

3. Use constructive feedback. Most coaches are really good about providing feedback and instruction, making it important for athletes to temper their emotions during tough times and instead refocus on becoming a terrific “student of the game.”  While feedback can sometimes bruise our ego, it can also serve as a road map and template for what we need to do in order to get better.  Therefore, it behooves athletes to solicit feedback from their coaches and work the teachings into their everyday training schedule.

Of course, there are more ways to build self-confidence and mental toughness than just the three tips provided above, but setting goals, reinforcing effort, and soliciting constructive feedback will certainly help athletes in very big ways.  Sport psychology studies regularly show that when self-confidence increases, so does focus, motivation, and resiliency — all things that lead to maximizing athletic potential.

Learn more about the importance of self-confidence (as well as many more skills that can help with athletic performance) by checking out Mind of Steel today!

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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!

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Attention wrestlers – our new DVD designed to assist wrestlers with improving mental toughness (Wrestling Your Best: Developing a Mind of Steel for Mental Toughness) was just released on New Years Day.  This exciting sport psychology training video is ideal for wrestlers of all ages and skill levels and helps wrestlers with the following:

• Confidence development
• Focus
• Resiliency
• Pre-match routines
• Imagery
• Goal setting
• Cue words & self talk
• Overcoming anxiety
• Beating the bracket sheets
• Plus much more!!

Wrestling is one of the toughest individual sports going today, as wrestlers regularly battle nerves and anxiety while trying to master synchronized muscle movements.  Unfortunately, there have been few professionally developed resources for wrestlers to turn to…until now!

If you are a wrestler or a wrestling coach (or know a wrestler), make sure to check out Wrestling Your Best. For more information about this DVD please visit www.drstankovich.com

“Consistently performing at your best is a mental challenge and there is no one better in the mental game than Dr. Chris Stankovich. He understands the power of mind and is a master at providing the tools we need to have as athletes seeking top performance.”

Joe Heskett
NCAA Champion and U.S. World Team Member

Athletes are known for setting goals for future sport success, and the good news is goal setting can be a very powerful tool for athletes if used properly (Advanced Human Performance Systems).  Unfortunately, when goals are too vague, uncontrollable, or impossible to measure, they can hinder an athlete’s progress, and actually become counter-productive.

Take for example when an athlete sets a goal to be the best player he can become — would you say this is a good goal, or merely a statement defining a future wish? A goal should include a clear-cut road map to specifically defined behaviors, not simply a sentence that reads more like a hope.  A better, more effective goal an athlete might state is to life x amount of weight by a specific time, or to complete x amount of running before the start of training camp.  In both of these examples, the goals are defined, specific, measurable, and controllable — all essential pieces to effective goal setting, and by reaching these goals the athlete will put himself in the best possible position to become the best athlete that he can be.

Most athletes I know do a great job stating what they would like to see happen in their future, but stop short of employing a strategic goal setting plan to help them reach future success.  It’s like saying you would like to eat a gourmet meal tonight for dinner, yet stop short of defining the food you would like to eat, or identifying how you will find/make your food.  Unfortunately, simply closing your eyes and hoping The Iron Chef appears in your kitchen is probably not going to produce your delicious dinner.

Interestingly, goals can be looked at like recipes you might find in a kitchen.  In essence, a properly written goal should include specific ingredients that can be measured, and you should be able to actually make the dish (meaning you may need a stove, refrigerator, etc.).  There should be little left to chance, too (like how you wouldn’t just throw some hot peppers into your cake mix).  Sport goals, like food recipes, should be carefully identified and followed for you to have the best chance of becoming a great athlete (or a skilled chef).

Quick Tips for Goal Setting Success

• Begin setting goals by brainstorming what you want to happen in the future (like being a great player).  Even though your goals will likely be vague at this point, you can begin with this exercise and then work to make your goals more specific next.
• Quantify your goals by making them measurable. How can you measure your progress toward becoming a “great player?”  Does this include improving your strength, speed, or even knowledge of the plays you will be asked to perform in games?  If you can count something, you probably have developed your goals into something measurable.
• Make your goals controllable. This means your goals should be pursuits that you can actually follow and don’t include luck or the help from others.  We call these process goals.
• Make your goals challenging. When goals are challenging we increase our motivation and improve our resiliency — two great factors when it comes to successful goal setting.

For more information on goal setting and how to get started (as well as many great tips), please visit Advanced Human Performance Systems and check out Mind of Steel for Athletic Success!

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As people we are often easily influenced by what others in our life say about us – for better or for worse. For athletes this may be especially true, as some kids will play “over their head” and beyond what might have previously been thought possible with an inspirational and positive coach, while other kids may play down and below their abilities if they are coaches by an adult who regularly belittles, teases, and chastises (Advanced Human Performance Systems).

When a parent, coach, or other respected adult perpetuates a prediction or belief, oftentimes kids will live up to the prediction or belief.  We call this a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you can witness this phenomenon in academics, music, art, and sports.  For example, if a youngster is repeatedly told that he has special creative talents, it’s quite likely he will spend more time and effort doing creative things.  As he continues to engages in creative activities, he will probably get better through his dedicated efforts, lending evidence that self-fulfilling prophecies can impact human development (in this case, creativity).

Positive Prophecies

Positive self-fulfilling prophecies happen in sports all the time, as many coaches do a great job inspiring kids to believe in themselves and use their above-average natural talents.  Whether the kid actually has above-average potential doesn’t matter, as the prophecy set by the coach usually increases motivation and mental toughness, refines focus, galvanizes resiliency, and inevitably helps the kid play to his or her highest ability.  The prophecy, therefore, actually serves as a catalyst to bring out the best the kid has to offer – regardless of whether there was a previous genetic advantage or not.

Negative Prophecies

Unfortunately, the opposite can also occur for coaches who make flippant remarks about a kid’s inabilities.  For example, telling a kid he “couldn’t hit the side of a barn with that poor throwing arm” may prompt a youngster to prematurely quit throwing based on the false belief that he has no ability to throw well.  Ironically, he may actually have above-average abilities to throw that have yet been developed, but since he has come to believe he can’t throw (based on the coach’s negative remark), he will quit practicing throwing and inevitably never develop his throwing talent.

Final Thought

Become aware of the power of self-fulfilling prophecies and how they impact human development – especially with kids.  If you are a coach or serve in another capacity leading kids, pay close attention to the things you say to kids that may demoralizing in nature and actually hinder or limit future development.  Belief is a very powerful construct and can make a huge difference in personal development, so be sure to instill positive belief in the kids you mentor.

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Sport statistics are a really big part of sports today, as nearly every sport has it’s own way of measuring a player’s on-field athletic abilities (Sport Success 360).  Interestingly, sport statistics are now being collected and analyzed at youth and interscholastic levels, creating new pressures for young athletes that previously didn’t exist.  Unlike the old days of sizing up players by only watching their on-field abilities, today’s young athletes are now regularly reminded of their status through various data providers, including traditional media like newspapers as well as new social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and chat rooms.

It is important for adults to talk to kids about sport statistics and remind them that while having great stats is a nice thing, it can also be a very temporary and misleading way for players to self-evaluate.  In other words, a child may feel great today about his stats, but then go on to have a few bad games and all of a sudden end up devastated that his numbers have dropped as much as they have.

Sport statistics can also sometimes be misleading, as not all key variables are counted and measured.  Sure, a batting average is easy enough to compute, but how do you measure mental toughness variables like motivation, focus, concentration, and resiliency? Ask any sport talent evaluator or scout about what the toughest thing is to measure and they will almost immediately tell you heart (or the passion and drive to be successful).  Unfortunately, no box score in the world will ever be able to measure this vitally important aspect to sport success.

Sport statistics can also lead to self-fulfilling prophecies – for better or for worse.  What this means is that some kids will “play up” their efforts because they have developed self-confidence from reading about their good statistics.  On the other hand, many kids struggle with self-image and motivation to improve their athletic abilities when they only look at their stats when their numbers are low.  Sport performance, therefore, can fluctuate dramatically based on beliefs.

Sport statistics will always be a part of sports, and more and more kids are tuning in to what their numbers reveal.  Be sure to sit down with your child this season and make sure she knows that while stats can be helpful, they are by no means the only way to evaluate athletic talent.

Check out Sport Success 360, the resource for families involved in sports!

www.drstankovich.com

If you are an athlete — or a coach/parent involved with kids who play sports — be sure to check out The Sport Performance Assessment (SPA) available for the iphone, ipad, and ipod!  The SPA is the world’s first professionally designed mental toughness assessment, and was created to help athletes quickly and easily improve their mental toughness, and ultimately their athletic talent!

The SPA is currently being used by athletes worldwide and is becoming a must-have for serious athletes.  The original SPA is only $3.99, with sport specific SPA apps retailing at only $1.99.  Later this summer the SPA-Soccer, SPA-Basketball, and SPA-Football will be available, adding to our growing line of sport performance apps.

Learn more by clicking on the link below:

Sport Performance Assessment

As we prepare for the summer sports season, now is a great time to reflect back on your child’s athletic accomplishments from the past year, as well as look ahead and begin to develop new and exciting goals for this summer (Sport Success 360).

• The start of a new summer is a great time for re-evaluating athletic progress, gauging your child’s current interest in sports, and developing new goals for the upcoming year.  Try to make time to sit down with your child, staying open-minded, and ask open-ended questions about how he or she feels (i.e. “Looking back at last year in soccer, tell me about how you think it went”).  When your child responds, try your best to provide a positive, supportive environment – regardless of his or her responses.

• If your child responds to your inquiries in a less-than-enthusiastic manner, that may be a sign that your child may not be as interested in that particular sport as he or she once was.  This is good information to know as a parent, but it may not mean that you need to immediately pull your child from that sport (although it is information to note).  Instead, try to gauge if this is a temporary feeling your child has where a small break may be all that is needed, or if this is more of a chronic situation where your child would truly like to spend his or her time doing something else.  Processing this decision out of season is highly recommended as emotions are typically not as high, offering you and your family more objective decision making abilities.

• If, on the other hand, your child does show positive emotion when talking about his or her year in sports, try to spend as much time as you can listening to her and share in this excitement.  Again, use open-ended questions when discussing future goals and what your child needs to focus on for improved athletic success.  As she talks, you might want to jot a few notes so that you will have something to work from when developing goals for the summer.

• Speaking of goals, helping your child understand the importance of goals can be a vitally important component to success – in sports and life.  Work together with your child and try to develop specific, measurable goals that will challenge him to continue to work hard and improve.  Goals that are too vague (i.e. “play your best”), not measurable (i.e. “get strong”) or hardly challenging (“just go out for the team”) will probably limit your child’s growth; however, each of these goals can be easily tweaked for dramatically different results (for example, working to lower a golf score average can be more easily accomplished by starting with a desired score to be achieved by a certain date, developing a weekly schedule of set practices, and balancing that schedule so that it is challenging, but not overly-demanding).

• Try to look for new, exciting opportunities for your child that you may have overlooked or chosen against in the past.  Perhaps this is the year you allow your child to attend a sports camp, travel out of the area with his or her team, or even play on an elite team.  It is relatively easy to contact your local sports league, school, recreation center, or the internet for different opportunities to discuss and process with your family.

• Finally, keep in mind the things your child enjoyed doing this year may not be the same things he or she wants to do next year.  Child development is often quite rapid with plenty of peaks and valleys, and their personal identity can change, sometimes seemingly overnight.  The focus on identity development is very normal for young people, so be sure to allow room for growth and change rather than fight against it.  By supporting your child and accepting him or her regardless of their changing interests you can be confident more times than not good decisions will be made.

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