Free Sport Psychology E-Zine

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 5 - May 2002

EDITORS NOTE: This is the second of two Newsletters published this month. Publication has been delayed by a business/pleasure visit to Honolulu, Hawaii and a significant increase in the enrollment in the Virtual Mental Strength Academy.

Welcome to the forty-first issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Kristi Thompson.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Self Esteem and Athletic Success: Part II
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Self-Esteem is a critical characteristic that is needed for success in sports and in life. This is the second article in as series about the importance of self-esteem and how parents, coaches and athletes can work to increase it. Here is Self-Esteem Building Tip #1 based upon the previous article.

Self-Esteem Building Tip #1: In sports and in life one of the best ways to increase self-esteem is through Skills Mastery. It is however not simply the mastery of relevant skills but the recognition of those skills by significant others that energizes the self-esteem building powers of skills mastery. Sam had not only mastered the skills of pitching, at the Little League level, but also the relaxation, concentration and positive attitude skills that are a part of our Mental Strength Training Program in the Virtual Academy. Coach Dad increased the power of skills mastery by actively acknowledging, through verbal and non-verbal means, his confidence in Sam and his recognition of Sam's mastery of pitching skills. We might conversely conjecture that perhaps the 12-year-old Ace has not received enough recognition of his skills or not learned the Mental Strength Skills needed to feel more confident and perform better under pressure.

Coach Dad can work to increase self-esteem in his son by making sure he tells his son how much of a winner he was for just wanting to pitch under pressure regardless of the outcome of his efforts. He can work to increase the self-esteem of his 12-year-old Ace by reinforcing his value to the team, acknowledging that wanting to pitch under pressure is for many an acquired skill and helping him to master the relaxation and other skills that will help him feel better equipped to accept and overcome the challenges that sports, and life, often present.

The next article will discuss in greater detail how self-esteem can be increase.

Personalized Affirmations, and Subliminal Reinforcement of those Affirmations, are great tools for the building of Self-Esteem. You can get a sample set of Personalized affirmations by going clicking here. Please note that due to the great response to last months offer there will be an increase in the response time. Everyone who did, or will, respond will eventually receive a sample set of affirmations. Please accept my apology for the delay and thank you for your interest and patience.

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 6 - June 2002

Welcome to the forty-second issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Kumar Jaising.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Self Esteem and Athletic Success: Part III
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Self-Esteem is a critical characteristic that is needed for success in sports and in life. This is the third article in as series about the importance of self-esteem and how parents, coaches and athletes can work to increase it.

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 7 - July 2002

Welcome to the forty-third issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

If you wish to be removed from our mailing list please click here and complete and send the form that you will find there.

The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Alaniz Armando.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
A Critical View of Tennis Psychology
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

The following review of an article by Dr. Carlstedt should be of interest to anyone seeking to enhance their performance by the use of psychological techniques. Parts One and Two will be presented together as the July and August Newsletter. Subsequent pairs of Newsletters will offer all eight of the tennis psychology myths as Carlstedt has defined them. Note: The format of these, and future, articles has been changed in response to Dr. Carlstedt's request.

A Summary of The 8 Greatest Myths of Tennis Psychology as published by
Roland A. Carlstedt, Ph.D., ABSP

In his preface to the 8 greatest myths of Tennis Psychology Dr. Carlstedt asks "Do sport psychologists and coaches really know what is going on in the mind of a player? Is it really true that tennis is 90% mental? Does consciously changing one's body language really have an effect on performance?" His response to this question is the "we" do not know the answers to these questions. Carlstedt points out the answers to the questions that he poises are not only unknown but that many of the commonly accepted answers are false or half-truths. His apparent point is that there is a great deal wrong with Sport Psychology in general and Tennis Psychology specifically. He states his belief that not many athletes are using Sport Psychologist and that few Sport Psychologist can earn a living working exclusively in the field. Carlstedt concludes "So dear reader, remember, no matter who says what, regardless of how famous they are, how many times they have been on T.V., or who they have worked with, ONLY THE TRUTH MATTERS, (an elusive goal [the truth] in sport psychology), and finding the truth starts with dispelling myths and learning to approach your own mental game from a critical and even skeptical perspective."

Perhaps a measure of "truth" can be gleaned from the unsolicited comments, and unpaid endorsements, of those athletes who have been taught to use a specific set of psychological skills. You can see what some athletes, from a broad variety of sports, have had to say about these techniques by clicking here.

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 8 - August 2002

Welcome to the forty-fourth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Dennis Ripple.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Carlstedt's 8 Greatest Myths of Tennis Psychology:
Myth #1 and #2
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

While the outlook for Tennis Psychology that Dr. Carlstedt outlines may an accurate reflection of his experience, it is far from true in my own. For example, for the last ten years I have maintained a successful practice in Sport Psychology. Over the last eight years over eighty percent of my income has come from the "Virtual Private Practice" that I have maintained on the Internet. I believe that my success, across a broad range of athletes and sports, is in part a result of the effectiveness of the techniques that I have employed. Many Sport Psychologist, and many who claim to be Sport Psychologist, simply lack effective tools. If you look at all of the sites on the web that offer Sport Psychology interventions you will not currently find anyone else with more unsolicited and unpaid endorsements from so many athletes with so many significant achievement in so many different sports as you will find here.

Here are the first two myths as they are listed by Carlstedt.

1. "Tennis Is 90% Mental" - Carlstedt implies that when athletes like Boris Becker make this statement they mean that tennis is "mental 90% of the time." He points out that psychological factors rarely make up for more than 10% of the variation in tennis performance. Dr. Carlstedt concludes that "The bottom line though is that trivial statements such as "mental factors make up 90% of tennis performance" are just that, trivial statements that are rendered meaningless without scientific support. In other words, "so what!" What does it mean to know this? Should one even accept inaccurate and vague statements? Will knowing this help you reach the 90% level?"

2. The "16 Second Cure" - Dr. Carlstedt outlines the "16 second cure" advocated by James Loehr, a performance specialist who is best know for his association with Tennis Psychology, and he points out that "The 16 second cure has done little to advance our scientific knowledge of tennis performance." He suggests that Loehrs technique needs to be researched before it is accepted as fact.

I have heard or read about many athletes, including American Olympic Champion Phil Mahre, who have made a similar statement as that attributed to Boris Becker. I was never clear as to what they meant and I find Dr. Carlstedt interpretation to be rather dubious. I find it hard to believe that any reasonably intelligent athlete who has worked hard physically, controlled their nutrition and has the skills, talent and discipline to raise to the top of their sport would believe, or honestly state, that "mental factors make up 90%..." of their performance. Could it be that what Becker and others were expressing is the idea that given two athletes of equal skills, talent and ability the one who is better prepared mentally will most often be the victor? Could Becker and others be attempting to express the idea that at the highest levels of competition the difference between winning and second place is often attributed to psychological factors?

With regard to the "16 Second Cure" I would agree with Dr. Carlstedt that even if the methodology is sound, and I doubt that it is, every athlete would be well advised to seek their own parameters. I firmly believe that "one-size-fits-all" strategies are at best hit and miss propositions. I firmly believe that individualized training is the most effective and far more desirable. Every program in Sport Psychology should be individually tailored to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the athlete who is the focus of the training. You can gain some insight into how the process of individualization is begun by reviewing the initial information-gathering instrument that you will find by clicking here.

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FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 9 - September 2002

Welcome to the forty-fifth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Taylor Wilson.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Carlstedt's 8 Greatest Myths of Tennis Psychology:
Myth #3 and #4
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

In his presentation of Myths #3 and #4, Dr. Carlstedt addresses what he sees as common misconceptions associated with heart rate reduction and visualization as performance enhancing tools. Heart

Here is a summary of what Dr. Carlstedt has to say about the relationship between performing better and the use of visualization and pulse rate reduction.

3. "A Reduced Pulse Or Heart Rate Is Associated With Better Performance" Dr. Carlstedt claims that it is a common belief among persons involved in tennis and golf, including Martina Navratilova, that lowering your heart rate between points contributes to enhanced performance. He suggests that this concept is false and that there is no scientific data to support it. Dr. Carlstedt considers the reduced heart rate idea a trivial statement that should not be accepted with validation. Carlstedt also suggests that "heart rate deceleration" between points may be more helpful because it is associated with increased concentration.

4. "Visualization Will Help Everyone Improve" - Dr. Carlstedt acknowledges that "visualization can be a powerful intervention" but goes on to state that "it is not a cure all, and in fact may be a mental training modality that over 90% of athletes and tennis players cannot even properly access or utilize." He seems to base his conclusion in part on his own dissertation research. He concludes, "Sport psychologists should assess athletes on certain traits associated with imagery ability first and not routinely administer this form of mental training irrespective of individual differences in the ability to visualize."

I tend to agree with Dr. Carlstedt that heart rate and heart rate manipulation, by itself, is not a key to better performance. There is, however, a well-defined and documented relationship between relative levels of relaxation and performance. One of the physiological measures of relaxation level is heart rate. The "Inverted-U Hypothesis" suggests that optimal performance in many sports tends to occur when there is a balance of relaxation and arousal. This hypothesis seems to suggest that learning to define the arousal level that works best for you is a key to better performance. To take advantage of this knowledge an athlete must also learn how to induce and maintain her or his own best balance of relaxation and arousal. Heart rate is a reliable benchmark for both defining and monitoring relative levels of arousal. In my work with athletes I have found that Self-hypnosis, which is taught with the aid of Guided Images, is an ideal way of teaching arousal control. Click here if you would like more information about this method and how you might use it to improve your athletic performance.

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 10 - October 2002

Welcome to the forty-sixth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Deborah Trusty.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Carlstedt's 8 Greatest Myths of Tennis Psychology:
Myth #5 and #6
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

In his presentation of Myths #5 and #6, Dr. Carlstedt addresses the concept of and ideal tennis personality type and body language as a predictor of success.

5. "There Is An Ideal Tennis Personality Or Champions Profile" - Dr. Carlstedt reports that Vic Braden and someone called "Mr. Niednagel (the "Brain Doctor") claim that they are about to define the personality characteristics of ideal tennis champion. Carlstedt dismisses this as a good deal of bunk that is completely without merit and urges athletes to "Feel free to pursue your tennis goals whether you're a Goran Ivanisevic or Todd Martin type, or a Jennifer Capriati...".

4. "Watch Your Body Language" - Dr. Carlstedt suggests that some sport psychologist in Tennis urge their clients to be aware of their body language and attempt to control it. Carlstedt points out that this is impossible and states that "...there is little if any evidence to suggest that body language charades will somehow lead to better performance or cause your opponent to play worse."

I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Carlstedt on each of these two points and suggest further that if any coach or sport psychologist tells you that there is an ideal championship personality type or that you should control your body language you should immediately seek advice from someone else. If you would like some good advice, or if you have a question that you want answered, about the psychological aspects of peak athletic performance click here.

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 11 - November 2002

Welcome to the forty-seventh issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Ken Hill.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Carlstedt's 8 Greatest Myths of Tennis Psychology:
Myth #7 and #8
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

In his presentation of Dr. Carlstedt's last two "myths" the concept of "...just do it!" and the "Zone" are examined.

7. "Don't Think It Just Do It (Nike And Others)" - Dr. Carlstedt calls this statement "Another meaningless psycho-platitude" and points out the thinking goes on constantly at both the conscious and subconscious level. He suggests that many top athletes report lots of thinking when they compete and that "Without a cognitive (or thinking) template you would be helpless..." when you compete. Dr. Carlstedt also suggests that the key to top performance may not be in stopping conscious thought but rather making it more positive.

8. "You've Got To Get In The "Zone" Or Find Your "Ideal Performance State" (Hanin/Loehr)" - Dr. Carlstedt states that most practitioners talk about the zone or peak performance state but few attempt to document it. He thinks that the achievement of the ideal performance state is hard to identify and difficult to consistently achieve. He seems to believe that without the assistance of competent practitioners using biofeedback to establish the exact characteristics for each individual athlete the zone is nearly impossible to define or achieve. Dr. Carlstedt concludes his review of Tennis Psychology Myths by offering the advice "don't believe everything you hear or read".

With regard to the "Just Do It" slogan, I agree with Dr. Carlstedt that this is a meaningless concept. However, it may be an effective advertising hook. I also believe that one of the keys to enhanced performance is positive thinking. You can find a great tool that will help you establish this most productive habit by going here and beginning to implement the process of Thought-Stopping ASAP.

On the topic of the Zone or ideal performance state I take a slightly different approach. I think that most, if not all, serious athletes experience something that they call the "Zone" at some point in their careers. I find that it is relatively easy to help these athletes recreate the feelings that they associate with being in the zone. It is also relatively easy to teach them how to induce or orchestrate those feelings and by so doing return to what they identify as the zone. For those athletes who have not experienced the zone it is possible to show them how to bring on a range of feelings, such as calm, focused relaxation, and help them to determine which, for lack of a better word, emotional/physical states seem to help them perform at their best. If you have been in the zone and would like to learn how to return or if you have never been there and would just like to learn how to make the trip click here.

For those of you who would like to read more about the zone just click on the links below.

FROM BRAIN TO MUSCLE WITHOUT ANY TUSSLE
The On-Line E-Zine of the Sierra Center for Peak Performance
Volume VI, Number 12 - December 2002

Welcome to the forty-eighth issue of the free Newsletter of Applied Sport Psychology.

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The winner of the drawing for the free Personalized Subliminal CD for this time period is Donna Marshall.

PLAYING MIND GAMES THAT HELP YOU WIN:
Functional vs. Dysfunctional Thinking
by Gary A. Beale, Ph.D.

Sport Psychologist Dr. Don Greene has suggested that the last thought a competitor has prior to the competition will be reflected in the performance. A more fundamental way of approaching this truism is to say that negative or dysfunctional thinking tends to produce negative or dysfunctional results while functional or positive thinking tends to produce positive results. Dr. Greene has suggested that there are three styles of thinking that competitors can experience in stressful situations:

Negative Outcome Thinking - Focusing your thoughts on avoiding mistakes, making mistakes, or other negative outcomes. Allowing your self-talk to center on poor results and their consequences before the competition begins. In general the greater the stress on outcome or the importance of the event, the easier it is to go into negative outcome thinking: When negative outcome thoughts predominate your self-talk the results can easily become catastrophic.

Outcome Thinking - Allowing your self-talk to center on winning or other desirable results. Putting pressure on your self by thinking such thoughts as "I've got to make this free throw," or "We have to stop them from making a first down." When you allow your thoughts to focus on outcome you create a barrier to thinking about the immediate task at hand and put even greater pressure on yourself.

Process Thinking - Thinking about the functional process or technique and strategy of what you need to do in order to perform well. Process thinking is placing your focus on and filling your self-talk with powerful words or brief phrases about how to play well. You should fill your head with affirmations that outline the process of playing well such as "I take a deep, belly breath and visualize my perfect free throw before I take it," or "I explode into action at the snap of the ball and 'swim' to the ball carrier."

Process thinking and self-talk allow you to focus on the task at hand in functional ways that reduce stress, anxiety and tension rather than increase it. Process thinking is the most appropriate and functional form of self-talk because it significantly increases your potential for performing at your best. While you can't control the outcome you can control your thinking. Establish functional patterns of process thinking and self-talk with Mental Rehearsal, Affirmations and Thought-Stopping. Think "Process" and allow more positive outcomes to take care of themselves.

Process Thinking is a skill. You can master Process Thinking and enhance your potential for more consistent performance at the top of your game. Learn more about how you can do this by clicking here.

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