sports psychology for track and field mark stanbrough, ph.d. emporia state university emporia high...
TRANSCRIPT
Sports Psychology for Track and Field
Mark Stanbrough, Ph.D.Emporia State University
Emporia High School
Great Coaches Have a passion for athletes they work
with Love their athletes Have a passion for the sport they coach Have a vision Develop training plans Teach skills Develop each athlete’s mental skills
and confidence
What does it mean to be a successful coach?
Is it winning? Striving for excellence Relate, communicate and motivate
athletes
Sports Psychology
Not something to fear or avoid Not mystical or magical Simple and logical Most coaches possess the basis for
it IT’S ABOUT THINKING RIGHT
Fixing Problems?
Challenging athletes I have a problem can you fix it? Lack of: confidence, motivation,
concentration, self-discipline, respect, overarousal, poor communication
Thought of as REACTIVE The horse is out of the barn at that
time-it’s already broken!
BE PROACTIVE The job of the coach is to develop the
athlete’s core confidence! Provide an experience for athletes to:
prepare betterperform betterbe happiermore fulfilled
Also prepares them for life
Trees Grow Slowly
Be positive Build athletes up Communication-Golden Rule Monitor and build each athlete’s
confidence
How much of track and field is mental?
How much time do you spend on the mental?
Do we believe it’s important? Do athletes either have it or don’t
have psychological skills? Do coaches have the background? Do we have the time?
Research
1973- Dr. Leroy Walker, Olympic Coach Importance of a “psychological winning
edge” USATF Sports Psychology- started in
1982 1988 Olympic trials- 85% used mental
training- Ungerleider & Golding
Canadian Olympic team- 99%- Williams
Theories of Mental Training
Symbolic Learning Theory- Blueprint deep in mind
- Psychoneuromuscular Theory- Produces small muscular contractions- EMG of skiers- Chevreul’s pendulum
Mental TrainingTheories
- Bioinformational theory- If we imagine how we respond to a
certain event we can better respond to it Dual Coding theory
Receive information by two channels Verbal and motor channels New skills are better learned if they are
explained and then actualized
Mind-Body
Fight or flight system Mugger Lemon Walking the board The world’s greatest computer is in
your mind!
Relaxation
Prepares one for imagery Conscious (rational) mind
Views things as they currently are Likes status quo Comfortable with way things are
Subconscious Mind
Accepts new ideas and images
The POWER TO MOVE THE WORLD IS IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND… William James
Imagination Rules Your World
To have what you have not, you must do what you have not done!
A narrow comfort zone makes dream achieving impossible.
The comfort zone junkie is satisfied and fears making mistakes.
Dream it. See it. Believe it. Achieve it.
Relaxation Techniques
Progressive relaxation Breathing rhythms
Inhalation phase Exhalation phase
Inhale without any conscious thought
Focus on the exhalation phase Eliminate points of tension
Affirmations
Powerful statements that repeated over and over will lead to changed beliefs.
I am the greatest!I am strong!I am fast!I run relaxed!I explode!
5 P’s of Affirmations Positive
Positive talk filters down to subconscious Present Tense
“I am” “I can” or “I will” or try is an early quit.
Personal These are your words
Powerful Action words such as power, strong, explode
Point Short and to the point
Cue Words
Power word in your affirmation. When your mind draws up the
image your body responds The more often affirmations are
repeated the more noticeable the desired effect.
Mental Recall
Recall one of your best performance In the flow Everything worked perfectly
Puts you in a positive frame of mind
Mental Rehearsal
Preview the upcoming performance Use positive frame of mind You guide the mind- you’re in
control Visualize different situations Visualize performance with
neuromuscular blueprint
Mental Rehearsal- Meet Situations
800 meters Pace Surges Start Maintain Contact Push through comfort zone Kick
Goal Setting
Research shows it improves performance by 16%
Athletes need info on how to set goals
Once goals are set, work with them
Goal Guidelines Challenging but realistic- art of coaching Inch by inch, it’s a cinch Be specific and measurable Performance goals versus outcome goals
You have control only over yourself Short term, intermediate, long term Identify steps to reach your goals Practice goals Write down your goals Athletes have major input, coaches advise Follow up with goals Limit to 2-3 major goals
Practice To starting line
Am if good enough to win? Has my preparation given me the best chance
to perform to my potential? Talent and genetics are outside your
control Can’t choose to be taller or have more fast
twitch fibers Can choose to practice consistently with a
high degree of quality
Practice makes Pe________
When athletes compete, their bodies respond in the same way they were trained to perform.
Learned responses occur automatically in times of high stress
Incorporate mental training into practice
Negative versus Positive Self-Talk
Third throw- Poor first throw, 2nd-sector foul
I've got to get a good throw. What if I foul?
Anxiety, pressure Overarousal
Third throw- Poor first throw, 2nd-sector foul
Composed, focus on process of throw, easy out of back, good position, explode
Focused, confident Optimal arousal
Example Cues Hurdles: Drive to erect, fast, attack Sprints: Sound releases, quick hands, Go! 800: Control, hot track, quick hands High Jump: Push, grab the ground, pop Long Jump: Push, rock rolling downhill, grab
the board Shot: Compress, push, fire hips Javelin: Run away from hand, push off and
extend, left arm, right leg
Meet Jitters The goal is to get the butterflies flying
in formation. Achieve optimal level of arousal
Different for different people Pre-meet routine
Relaxation, say affirmations Stay positive Be confident of yourself
The feeling of fear before a contest is called EXCITEMENT!
Evaluations
Mental Toughness Questionaire Mental Training Skills Meet Practice Mid-season End of season
Motivational Strategies
Bulletin Board Team Goals, Individual Goals for
meet Motivational sayings- daily, team
developed Team motto- ROHO
Two teams, one dream Reach out and touch someone
Motivational Strategies
Power songs Power videos Get rid of stinking thinking Draw goals Training diaries Mental training logs
Develop strong beliefs In yourself In your coach or leaders In your philosophy of life Mental toughness is learned. You are not
born with it….. Joe Vigil A solid mental training program shifts the
rewards form extrinsic to intrinsic. Today I gave the best I had. For what
I’ve kept I’ve lost forever.
What type of athlete do you like to coach?
Come early Stay late What can I do to be great? They know there is room for
improvement.
Resources The Mental Athlete, Kay Porter The Mindset for Winning, Jack Curtis In Pursuit of Excellence, Terry Orlick The Psychology of High-Performance
Track and Field- Ralph Vernacchia and Traci Statler
Sports Coach Psychology: http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/psych.htm
Sport Psychology: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bing/oversite/sportpsych.html
Contact
For relaxation, affirmations, mental recall, and mental rehearsal scripts, evaulations, goals, please e-mail.
Mark Stanbrough, Box 4013, Emporia State University, Emporia, KS 66801
[email protected] 620-341-5399