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FROM
BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line Newsletter of the Sierra Center for
Peak Performance
Volume XIII, Number 1 January 2010
Welcome to the
one hundred and thirty third issue of the
free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology. The January and February issues
of the newsletter are being published together in an effort to address two
timely topics related to the 2010 Super Bowl.
PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
"Payton Manning and Process Thinking"
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.
On January 24th, 2010 Yahoo Sports published an article by Dan Wetzel entitled
“Manning Only Concerned With Ultimate
Goal”. When I read it two things immediately struck me.
(1) The title is very misleading and
(2) the fact that several concepts and principles of Sport Psychology were touched upon
in the article.
If the profile of Payton Manning is accurate then his behavior can be viewed as an excellent example of “Process Thinking” and the importance of the development and implementation of a pre-competition routine that emphasizes attention to detail. Process Thinking is the very antithesis of Outcome Thinking or focus only on the “Ultimate Goal”. According to Wetzel after the game that put the Colts in the Super Bowl, the Jets game, Manning ignored the post-game sideline celebration, refrained from “whopping it up with fans” and appeared to consider the trophy presentation “…more of a chore than anything else”. Manning’s behavior demonstrates how to stay in the moment by focusing your mind on the process of playing your best. Never allowing emotions to get too high or too low.
Wetzel also reported that during the week of preparation for the Jets game Manning “…all but wore out the Colts’ scouting tapes” and also reviewed, starting
with the 2000 season, every game the Jet’s Head Coach controlled as defensive coordinator for
the Baltimore Ravens. Manning’s attention to detail seemed to allow him, during the game, to recognize and adjust to the process the opposing coaches were implementing. He did not allow himself to be distracted by the challenges his opponents created or the emotions of the moment but rather focused his attention on what he had to do to be his best in the face of those challenges. In many ways Payton’s pre-competition ritual facilitated his calm under pressure, his focus on Process and his instinctive and successful response to adversity. The lesson for us all is to prepare rigorously, pay close attention to detail, stay mindful and
focus far more attention on Process than on Outcome. Perhaps a more accurate
title for Wetzel's article might have been "Manning Only Concerned with
Staying In the Moment".
The
winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time
period is Dalton Malone.
Dalton has until
midnight February 7, Hawaii Time, to claim the free Personalized Subliminal CD.
©Copyright 2010, Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Dr
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FROM
BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line Newsletter of the Sierra Center for
Peak Performance
Volume XIII, Number 2 February 2010
Welcome to the
one hundred and thirty fourth issue of the
free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology. The February issues offers a
sure-fire way to predict who is going to win the 2010 Super Bowl as the game
unfolds.
PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
"How to Tell Who Will Win the Super Bowl"
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.
In the week leading up to this Sunday’s Super Bowl I began to feel overwhelmed by the endless stream of prognosticators offering reasons why they are right in their stated opinion about the outcome of the game. To me the best way to accurately predict the game’s outcome is to pay careful attention to the signals given by players, and coaches, in the form of emotional expressions and body language during the game. In a competition as significant and emotionally charged as the Super Bowl the attitude of the combatants is more important than in lesser contests. When equally matched teams, or individuals, compete success seems to favor the one with the most consistently positive attitude. The following
“Six Axioms Of Attitude” have been developed by me and represent what I think are the keys to predicting the eventual winner of the Super Bowl and similar
contests.
Six Axioms Of Attitude
| I. |
The teams or
individuals who celebrate on-field events tend to distract themselves from
the process at hand.
|
|
|
|
II. |
The degree of
self-distraction occurring tends to roughly approximate the intensity and
duration of the celebration. That is, the greater the intensity and/or
duration of the celebration the greater the degree of distraction.
|
|
|
|
III. |
The teams and
individuals who tend to stay on, or express, a more even emotional keel
tend to perform the best. (Not to High; Not to Low; Emotionally right in
the Middle.)
|
|
|
|
IV. |
Teams, coaches
and individuals, who spend the least amount of time dwelling on
misfortune, a poor call by a referee or “Bad Luck” for example, tend
to excel. (Staying “In the Moment”)
|
|
|
|
VI. |
“Psychological
Momentum”, if such a thing exists, is most likely 100% attitude and
teams, coaches and individuals who more consistently maintain and express
a positive attitude tend to keep “Big Mo” on their side. |
|
|
| VII. |
The effects of playing poorly or
making a mistake can, to some degree, be mitigated by how you react after
the fact. Namely, a focus on the miscue tends to magnify the effect while
a focus on “Process” or staying in the moment tends to limit it. |
You can test out these hypotheses as you watch the Super Bowl this week. Drop me a line and let me know if I was right or I was right!
The
winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time
period is John Lindler.
John has until
midnight February 7, Hawaii Time, to claim the free Personalized Subliminal CD.
©Copyright 2010, Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Dr
Relax | Free
CDs | Subscribe
| Free Workbook
| Athletes| Attitude
| Relaxation
| Visualization
| Subliminal
| Birthing
| Ordering
|
Alternative Site | Slide
Show | Soccer | Golf
| Skating | Running | Tennis
| Football | Cycling
| Volleyball | Alpine Skiing
| Nordic Skiing | Baseball
| Skydiving | Snowboarding
| Powerlifting | Basketball
| Judo
TOP
FROM
BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line Newsletter of the Sierra Center for
Peak Performance
Volume XIII, Number 3 March 2010
Welcome to the
one hundred and thirty fifth issue of the
free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology. This months article has as it's
focus a story about the Pittsburgh Pirates new Mental Trainer.
PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
"Mental Training in the News"
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.
My recent review of on-line articles resulted in a pleasant surprise. Actually, I laughed out loud as I read the
Steve
Henson, Yahoo! Sports article entitled “Can A Military Mind Whip Pirates Into Winners?” As a professional it is always a joy for me to learn about major sports teams that systematically and enthusiastically embrace mental training. It is very gratifying to see the gradual increase of stories in the news about the field of mental training even if
some of them don’t take a very serious approach. I also found it amusing that a 36 year-old West Point instructor was the focus of the article and the new leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates Minor League Mental Training Program. It tickled my funny bone to realize that I have been working in the discipline for almost as long as he has been alive! My first formal position with a team, the University of Nevada Reno football program, was over 28 years ago. The article went on to acknowledge that Sport Psychologists, and others who deal with the mental side of sports, are not new to baseball and that other professional sports organizations continue to expand their use of mental trainers. In an interview with Henson the Pirate’s mental conditioning expert, Dr. Bernie Holliday, described his job with a strength training analogy. He said that a part of his job was to help ballplayers “…get mental reps when it comes to developing confidence, practicing concentration and learning to become more composed under stress.” Holiday also talked about the techniques of goal setting, daily planning and mental rehearsal. He described how he planned to put visualizations on iPods and iPhones so that frequent repetitions could be more easily used to build mental strength for the real life, game day situations. He described his program as having six fundamentals: “the foundation, confidence building, attention control, managing energy, goal setting and visualization.” In another
article it was stressed that Dr. Holliday views his work as a personalized “…long-term, multifaceted, intensified regimen.” What was described, as the major components of his program are all very familiar to me and any one else who has followed this newsletter over the last 12 years. I wish to offer Dr. Holliday my most sincere and abundant best wishes for a successful and long-running program with the Pirates organization.
You can get the same personalized training
as members of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Email
or call me toll free at: (888) 625-2743
The
winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time
period is Julia Lapworth.
Julia has until
midnight March 10, Hawaii Time, to claim the free Personalized Subliminal CD.
©Copyright 2010, Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Dr
Relax | Free
CDs | Subscribe
| Free Workbook
| Athletes| Attitude
| Relaxation
| Visualization
| Subliminal
| Birthing
| Ordering
|
Alternative Site | Slide
Show | Soccer | Golf
| Skating | Running | Tennis
| Football | Cycling
| Volleyball | Alpine Skiing
| Nordic Skiing | Baseball
| Skydiving | Snowboarding
| Powerlifting | Basketball
| Judo
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