Welcome to my blog, in which I'll be sharing my thoughts and experiences of sport psychology, business psychology, change and organisational development. I intend to be fairly provocative, but not personal, and I hope to stimulate debate and discussion. Please comment, or share your thoughts with me by email
Sport Psychology Strategy Cards - Keep Performance Tips to Hand
Sport Psychologist Sam Kotadia, through his company Mindsport Ltd, has just released a range of ‘self-help’ cards that will help you to keep mental strategies to hand at all times.
We are delighted to be able to offer these through the iStadia Marketplace.
52 Ways to Improve Sporting Confidence
Sporting contests at all levels are often won and lost by the smallest
of margins, and confidence can make all of the difference to
performance.
This ‘self-help’ pack contains 52 power mental strategies to improve your confidence in sport.
The product also contains a unique symbol system suggesting the most
practical times to use the strategy. There are also “10 create your own
cards” that encourage you to write down your own personal confidence
triggers. The light-weight package allows use in almost any context,
strengthening its impact as a powerful confidence building tool.
The product also contains a unique symbol system suggesting the most
practical times to use the strategy. There are also “10 create your own
cards” that encourage you to write down your own personal focus and
motivation triggers. The light-weight package allows use in almost any
context, strengthening its impact as a powerful mental tool.
52 Ways to Improve Focus and Motivation in Sport
So much in sport revolves around key moments and turning points during
competitions. Losing focus and motivation at critical times always
damages performance.
This ‘self-help’ pack contains 52 power mental strategies to improve focus and motivation in sport.
The product also contains a unique symbol system suggesting the most
practical times to use the strategy. There are also “10 create your own
cards” that encourage you to write down your own personal focus and
motivation triggers. The light-weight package allows use in almost any
context, strengthening its impact as a powerful mental tool.
52 Ways to Mentally Prepare for Exams
Poor exam performance can be often traced back to a negative mindset,
usually in the form of stress, anxiety, and a lack of confidence.
The
pack contains 52 power mental strategies to help you prepare more
effectively for exams. The product also contains a unique symbol system
suggesting the most practical times to use the strategy. There are also
“10 create your own cards” that encourage you to write down your own
mental exam reminders. The light-weight package allows use in almost
any context, strengthening its impact as an effective exam preparation tool.
—
Rob Robson
Co-founder, iStadia.com
522 days ago | Sport-Psychology | Comment
How fast can a swimsuit be?
It is interesting to note the furore over the latest Speedo swimsuit, the LZR Racer bodysuit. It has been designed with the help of NASA and, get this, apparently “aids streamlining and reduces skin vibration and muscle oscillation”. It has welded, rather than stitched, seams, and is partly made from neoprene, so may increase buoyancy.
Of course people are going to say that it has been responsible for 36 world records so far since its release 2 months ago, but there’s another side to this story.
First of all, it is Olympic year. Athletes the world over are essentially ‘jockeying’ for position in the run-up to the games. Some of the major Nations have had their Olympic trials. The Aussies broke eight records at their trials. But even the best swimmers have to be at their best to qualify for the Australian team. LZR suit or no LZR suit. We’ve also had a European Championship, and a World short course championship. That’s a lot of fast swimming in a small amount of time.
And 18 of these records were set at the World short course champs. Now, I know that there were some real stars that didn’t turn up, but there were plenty of great swimmers there, in great shape after – or before – attempting to qualify for the Olympics and – perhaps importantly – treating it as a bit of fun. That makes for fast times. The Olympic finals will be a whole lot more serious, more about winning than anything else – including times.
Perhaps Speedo realised that the stage was set for them to release their new costume, and planned the release to coincide with this period of frenetic competition. No? Maybe the release date was an accident and not a clever piece of marketing at all?
We’ll never know what difference the suit can make until there are controlled tests and the results released. But that may now be impossible anyway, if the swimmers believe that it will make a difference. As Kirsty Coventry, one of the world record breakers said “Getting this suit on for me is a lot about mentality, having that extra edge and confidence, but it’s about the swimmer at the end of the day.”
687 days ago | Sport-Psychology | Comment
Anger In Tennis: Thoughts on the Mikhail Youzhny video
I’d imagine that it takes a lot of anger to hit yourself so hard that you draw blood (see the video below)!
Note too, the change when the other player comes over. Youzhny perhaps sees the silliness in the situation, and the players share a bit of a laugh. That looks like a ‘Reversal’ from the serious to the playful state that, anger being a product of the serious and rebellious states…
What’s also interesting is that Youzhny went on to win the match. Perhaps ‘acting out’ his anger helped him to reverse out of the states that contributed to it, to become more playful and focused on the here and now. Although this is speculative, a possible set of steps could have been..
He saw that he was close to losing the match (true)… ….invoking the serious state (and probably at that point conforming) … and the likely emotion experienced would be anxiety
His frustration built as he lost his advantage and goes went to deuce. This might either have caused a reversal to anger, or he realise that he needed to do something drastic, and he deliberately brought out his anger. This is something that McEnroe was said to do – his anger has been described as a strategy and not an uncontrolled state.
He then sat down and the other player came over and laughed. He realised the silliness of it all and reverses into the playful state, which would mean that his anger would subside but he would also no longer feel anxious.
Anyway, that’s pretty speculative, but hopefully shows how reversals can work, and how they contribute to extreme changes in emotional state in a short period of time.
Click for a brief overview of Reversal Theory and its motivational states.
702 days ago | Sport-Psychology | Comment
The Premier League run-in: What's the psychology?
This weekend Manchester United put themselves into pole position to retain their Premier League title after beating Liverpool 3-0. They are now five points ahead of Chelsea and six ahead of Arsenal, after Chelsea came back to defeat the Gunners.
What can we expect of the run-in? What is the psychology involved? Well, as anyone credible will tell you, we’re not in the business of mind reading, and the only way to know is to ask those involved, but here are my thoughts as an external observer.
Manchester United have players who have been there before, even among some of their younger players. Of course their manager, Alex Ferguson is also vastly experienced in handling these kind of situations, so it is hard to see them choking completely, particularly if they keep their minds firmly focused on the things that they need to do well to win their remaining games, and don’t look too far ahead. The fact that they still have to play their two closest rivals is what keeps this race most interesting.
Mind you, I would be surprised if they didn’t give their opponents even the smallest of opportunities to close the gap in the coming weeks. If they do, Chelsea should have confidence from great run of form and a squad that is back to full strength. It is often easier to chase than to be chased, and Chelsea might just relish being in this position. This weekend’s game, should put questions over the ability of Avram Grant to one side, even if temporarily. Chelsea don’t slip up much, and in this kind of tight situation, they will be well positioned to take advantage of any opportunities presented. Sometimes Chelsea seem to lack creativity and flair, but their solidity and strength wil count for a lot.
Arsenal looked well on course for the title just a couple of months ago, and (even if this is unfair on Man United) probably had the support of the football purists. However, a run of draws and defeat at Chelsea mean that they are now outside bets. Having arguably choked over recent weeks, Arsenal are back in a situation where the pressure is off. They are now the underdogs and might prefer it that way. It might just help them to remove the shackles and play as they did in the first half of the season – irresistably. Arsenal certainly shouldn’t be written of yet.
Of course, there’s so many variables still at play. All three teams are still involved in the Champions League. All still have to play against teams that are fighting for their own suvival, and that can create unpredictable results. And key players could stil pick up injuries.
Would I bet against Manchester United? Probably not, but I still think the season’s end could be a real cracker.
715 days ago | Sport-Psychology | Comment
Tiger Woods and Sport Psychology
This is a cracking article on Tiger Woods, specifically on the psychology of this great golfer.
The original source is from the New York Daily Times (author Hank Gola).
The full article is here:
Tiger Woods entering zone where few athletes have gone before
Splattered with quotes from sport psychologists and golfers, it also talks about his own use of a sport psychologist (yes he uses one), has some reference to research into the traits of pro golfers (personally, I like John Kenworthy’s playing styles better :). It talks about his focus, playing in the moment, balance and versatility (which I think is key to mental toughness), emotional control, confidence and even Buddhist principles and Zen.
What this demonstrates to me is just how much interpretation there is in sport psychology. We can’t just mechanically process “evidence” and all come out with the same conclusions (as anyone who has studied the philosophy of science will know).
Anyway, this should be a good resource for anyone running a course or module on sport psychology, training professionals, or simply to learn something about a great performer
I’ll end with a great Tiger quote from the article:
“It’s something you have to find from within. You have
to keep pushing yourself from within. It’s not about what other people
think and what other people say. It’s about what you want to accomplish
and do you want to go out there and be prepared to beat everyone you
play or face.”
Please share your thoughts and opinions with comments.
723 days ago | Sport-Psychology | Comment [1]
Resistance or Unresolved Ambivalence?
Last spring, I was in South Carolina, doing some research on why people don’t wear their seatbelts, and why they drink drive. It was fascinating – not just in terms of people’s stories, but because a significant number of interviewees ended by saying something along the lines of “I’d never thought about it like that. I’m going to change”.
The funny thing is that we weren’t there to change anybody. What we did was get people to open up, using some fairly interesting methods (like storytelling, emotional cue cards, or methapor) and really try to understand where they were coming from.
That experience was hugely insightful for me, and it prompted me to pick up a book on Motivational Interviewing (put it down again and pick it up about 9 months later – last night). It’s an interesting approach to personal change, that its authors describe as a “client-centred, directive method for enhancing intrinsic motivation to change by exploring and resolving ambivalence”.
Say what?
Essentially, what it is saying is that people don’t really resist change, but appear to be resistant when they have some level of unresolved ambivalence or conflict about a particular change. That conflict may not be something that the ‘client’ is particularly aware of at the time.
For example:
“I’ve got a gammy knee, but I really don’t want to bother anyone about it so I’ll live with it”, or;
“I know that 23 cans of Pepsi Max a day is bad for me, but Ooh, I just love the feel of that blue can” is another wink, or;
“This initiative could make work much more interesting, but my mates are in the Union and they’d be pissed off with me if I supported it”.
The idea of Motivational Interviewing is to explore these sources of ambivalence with a client and get them to articulate the arguments for change. Through questioning you can help them to resolve their ambivalence and see the need to change.
Why is this different?
Well, most of us try to persuade people to change, based on our perception of their situation, and that’s what creates resistance.
To get people to change your really have to understand what motivates them, what are their values and beliefs? If you can direct them towards “change talk”, that is articulating the case for change themselves, then you are likely to see some movement. After that, the approach says, it is about supporting their confidence in their ability to make the change.
Reversal Theory and Motivational Interviewing
Reversal Theory provides an ideal structure for better understanding the motivations of a client, through the process of Motivational Interviewing. It states that people are inherently inconsistent, and that at different times and in different situations – even in the same situation at different times – people will respond differently as their motivational states change. By understanding these states, and whether they are being satisfied or frustrated, we may be better placed to help people to change.
So What?
By combining a solid and insightful theoretical framework with the right kind of process, we can effectively remove the word “resistance” from our vocabulary. Indeed, I’d go as far as saying that the majority of people have it all wrong. People don’t dislike change and it certainly isn’t a close relative of death (which people who use Kubler-Ross will have you believe). That doesn’t mean that it is easy, but as soon as you label someone as resistant, you might as well give up on them, and you don’t have to.
iStadia are running a 2 Day Motivational Interviewing training course on 8/9 May, 2008 at the University of East London. Link: http://www.istadia.com/event.php?eid=60
730 days ago | Business-Psychology | Comment [2]
Who supports the head coach?
I write this after meeting my second head sports coach or team manager this week, and hearing about the pressure that they are under, the responsibility that they take on to deliver results and to support a team of paid or volunteer coaches, and having to deal with committees, governing bodies and parents.
Head coaches of sports teams of all shapes and sizes will recognise many of these. They’ll also recognised the unsociable nature of the job – often working when peers are not, and not when their peers are (or just working all of the time). It can be quite isolating, as it can being in charge of any organisation.
Not surprisingly, being a sports coach can be something of a love/hate affair. Most are in it because they are passionate about the sport, but that passion can be hard to maintain when work is stressful.
In sport, the athletes get the most attention, and rightly so. But coaches often lack opportunities to refresh or develop their knowledge and skills, and the head coach arguably gets the least. They are expected to be the ones that know what to do. But we all need to learn and improve.
Many senior managers in the business world have an executive coach, because they don’t have the support of colleagues or a line manager that lower level employees do. This tells us that no matter how good we are, most of us need help sometimes.
A sport psychologist with the right kind of experience, or perhaps a peer – a head coach from another sport, or other senior practitioner can provide that kind of support. Someone that can listen, support and, importantly challenge your ideas, perceptions, beliefs and actions. Someone that will call it like it is, hold a mirror up to you, however you want to express it.
All high performance clubs or programmes should incorporate some form of support for their head coach or performance manager/director. Nationally funded programmes can offer this, but what about the rest?
Don’t try and do everything on your own. Whether you seek an external professional, or simply develop mutually supportive relationships outside of your own sport is up to you. Just do it…
734 days ago | Sport-Psychology |
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Rob Robson, Sport Psychologist and Management Consultant
