THE 5-MINUTE MENTAL TAKE
COVID: how is it really impacting you?
Now that we have hit the 1 year mark of the Covid pandemic, take some time to assess the true impact it has had on your daily life, relationships, athletics, work, etc. I have had clients come to me looking for help with their motivation, how to adjust to seasons being cancelled or postponed, how to cope with changes so that athletic seasons can continue, and the list goes on. Many also feel lost, need guidance, and want to be in the present moment rather worrying about all the hypotheticals. Reading this, do you feel like I just described your experience with Covid? If so, MindEdge might be able to help.
We are not psychotherapists or clinical psychologists - so if you are experiencing depression or anxiety, we would refer you out, but if you were looking to get back into a routine adapted to the situation at hand, pick up your motivation, regain confidence, and such, you have come to the right place. Here at MindEdge, we are not just about helping the athlete; we are here to help the parent, coach, or workplace professional that might just be struggling with their performance in general.
We are here for YOU. Here is a quick tip: ever hear of mindfulness? Mindfulness is a great tool to keep you in the present and become more aware of yourself, how you react and how those reactions impact you. A great app to try is “Headspace”; you can also try mindfulness with one of our MPCs. Please reach out to us because we are all in this together. Remember - the key is how you adapt to the current situation thrown your way, just like in athletics (i.e. playing in the rain, getting put in to start varsity for the first time, getting switched to lead off hitter, going back into play after an excessive delay of game, etc).
Thoughts: Just how powerful are they?
I had this article sent to me by a friend (https://racerxonline.com/2018/06/27/between-the-motos-matt-bisceglia) and they asked, “what do you think happened here?”. It was such a simple and complex answer all at the same time; it was the thought. My friend did not even begin to understand how “the thought” was my answer, so I went into detail and explained…
Anyone that reads my blog posts know how much I mention the thought, feeling, behavior relationship. For those of you who are first time visitors, the thought, feeling, behavior relationship is a relationship between our thoughts, feelings and behaviors (there is more – I promise). This relationship is more so like a chain reaction where our thoughts directly impact our behaviors whether we realize it or not. Our thoughts create certain feelings that then create certain behaviors. For example, let’s think about a rainy day. You wake up and it’s raining. You HATE rainy days (there is your thought). Because it is raining and you don’t like the rain, you become slightly distracted and are now in a bad mood; at this point you are cranky, irritable and don’t think anything is going to go right for the rest of the day (there is a thought and a feeling or two that stemmed from the initial thought). You arrive at school (or work) and the day just drags on. The clock seems to be barely moving and you keep making mistakes as you write (there is your behavior created by the thoughts and feelings). A rainy day is just one example of many; some other examples could be “Mondays”, missing a free throw shot, writing a paper, performing in front of a crowd, and even riding your last lap of the day like Matt Bisceglia experienced. It is all about perception; perception influences your emotions, creates more thoughts, and also influences behavior. Perception is key because that dictates how you will be impacted and influences this relationship.
Let’s break down Bisceglia’s scenario. Like previously mentioned, it all starts with the thought, which was that it was his last lap. You should never know your last lap unless you are reflecting back (looking at times or performance once you are done to improve performance). Just by making this thought (the recognition it is the last lap), it may create an all or nothing response, especially in his case where it is likely he was excited and wanted to throw down a great final lap time to close out the day. Although he may have been focused on hitting his marks and wanting to finish strong, the “last lap” thought worked against him and became a distraction in a sense. When we are distracted, we lose focus and awareness on ourselves in the moment. He thought his foot was in the same spot that it was all day when he was hitting that jump, but the broken ankle and fibia provide a different account of mental events. This incident is extremely unfortunate and we are bummed this happened to him. The question now is, could this have been avoided? Having self-awareness, especially in regards to your perception and how that impacts you is key. If it was not his “last lap” this may not have happened. We wish Matt a speedy recovery and are excited to see him back on the bike soon.
Challenge: I challenge you to try build awareness of how powerful your perception is (it may be a rainy Monday morning, maybe you need to write a paper and dislike writing, or maybe you get to start your first high school varsity game); recognize what thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are associated with the perception. If they are negative, try to change your perception. If they are positive, are your energy levels helpful (facilitative) or unhelpful (debilitative) to the task at hand? Regardless of your experience with this challenge, MindEdge Performance can help. Contact us today to help build your self-awareness and get the most out of perception control to enhance your performance.
SPORT PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING: BENEFICIAL TO MORE THAN JUST ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Have you ever experienced low confidence? Or a lack of motivation? How about out of control nerves that arise before giving a presentation? Even a workout that just isn’t going as it should? Maybe you are also unable to focus in class or at work? Sport psychology training might be the answer for you if you are an athlete and have experienced anything just described outside of sport before.
Sport psychology training is something that many athletes, regardless of skill level, utilize to enhance their athletic performance. What many do not realize is this training can help individuals and teams not only in sport, but also just with life in general.
Sport psychology training builds mental toughness, which is a measure of resilience and confidence used to predict success. Mental toughness is the strived for “end result” of this training; it is what athletes strive for as it provides you with that competitive advantage. To build and maintain mental toughness, we may work in areas such as confidence, motivation, mindfulness, relaxation, energizing, communication, cohesion, visualization, self-talk, focus, stress management, and so on, which can all be directly applied to life.
What might this work look like when it is applied to life? Great question. In your session with Jamie, whether it is an individual, small group, or team session, there is always a portion of the session that focuses on specific application (if we don’t know how to apply it, what we learn will not be nearly as beneficial). In this application portion of the session, Jamie has the client brainstorm how they would like to specifically apply what they learned to sport. Once that is identified, there is a discussion around how the client can further benefit from this and apply it specifically to their life. Whether it is regarding time management, communication, focusing, confidence, stress management, and such, we always find some way to specifically apply what the client learns to their everyday life. When we take the time to apply the work, we really notice much more of a benefit and more accurate prediction of success through the built mental toughness. Whether it would be helping in school, at work, during social events, during presentations, at the gym, during injury rehab, or performances, there is always some instance where this training can be applied and offer aid.
Here at MindEdge Performance, it is part of our mission to help not only athletic performance, but to impact and help enhance clients’ lives as a whole; everything we teach is applicable to other areas and experiences throughout life, which is just one more reason why sport psychology training is an excellent idea.
To take advantage of sport psychology training and this double benefit, contact us today! Email Jamie@mindedgeperformance.com or call us at 860-398-9618.
Pre-workouts: What is really in them and do we really need them?
Do you take a pre-workout? If not, maybe you know someone who does. Do you know how they work or what is even in them? Many people take them or know someone that takes them (perhaps a son, daughter, or friend), but they do not understand what they do and how they work. Depending on the person they can prove to be beneficial, but not because of the reasons one may think.
Pre-workout supplements are something that people take in order to get focused and/or motivated enough before a workout or competition and are used by athletes of all skill levels. They are advertised to make you feel competition ready and focused enough to perform well, which sounds like a great idea, but the question is do you really need them? The answer is no, unless you think you need them. Our thoughts create feelings that influence behavior and if we believe taking them makes or breaks our performance than it wll. Basically what I am saying is you can create a mental block that could make or break how it does or does not affect you. What happens often times is the fact they are advertised to do something like motivate you, give you proper energy to have an optimal performance, or help you focus, people actually believe that is the result by drinking or taking them and it really just the power of your mind, not necessarily the supplement.
Are they actually helping you? Many of these can be jam packed with variations of sugar or caffeine and are not all that healthy to take, not to mention there are most likely ingredients on there that you cannot pronounce (which is never a good sign). They increase your heart rate making you feel “amped up”, but that is not necessarily what you need in order to perform at your best. In fact, in many cases you could actually need the exact opposite - a calm, regulated heart rate and energy that will last longer rather than short bursts. The other danger which is often unaccounted for would be hidden, unknown or disguised ingredients. We have seen instances in which pre-workout supplements could be tied to performance enhancement drugs (PED’s), which is never a good sign because not only are PED’s unethical, but they are also in most cases illegal.
What I am trying to say here is you do not need to take pre-workouts because you have other options. You can get involved with sport psychology training; it is a safer, natural, and a more beneficial alternative. In this training you can learn to focus and motivate without having to drink something; you can also enhance your overall performance and mental toughness. A simple pre-performance routine could get you that same “result” of a pre-workout supplement - in fact it can get you more. They set you up for consistency and flow, which is something a pre-workout supplement certainly cannot do.
Superstitions & Rituals: How Do They Really Work?
How many of you have a superstition or ritual that you use before or during performances that you swear by? You probably feel like this has to be done or you will not have a great performance, right?. We have all been guilty of this at some point at one time or another, but do we really know how these superstitions and rituals actually help us? Or even hurt us?
Superstitions and rituals are beliefs made by association; they can come in all different shapes and sizes. Some examples of these could include wearing a certain number on your jersey, wearing a certain pair of game day socks, not washing your uniform because you have only won in it and you don’t want to jinx it (ew), having a certain pre-competition warm up routine, maybe a certain song you listen to before you perform every time, carrying that good luck charm, having a certain movement or saying something to yourself right before that high pressure moment like a free throw or the start of your race, eating certain foods, and the list goes on.
Now that we know what they are, why do they give us that good or bad luck and determine how our day plays out? Well, first we go by association. In the simplest of terms, if we have a great performance we want to replicate that, right? Right. So we will look back to what we did prior to that and remember that so we can do it again. Due to the fact we did well and did that certain ritual prior to that performance, we associate them together (i.e. if I do this, I will set myself up to perform like this). Same thing goes for a poor performance - if you performed poorly you will associate what you did prior to performance with that performance result and most likely never attempt that exact sequence of events again because of that association.
Once the association is formed, it quickly turns into an established belief. How? Well, if we do this, we will perform like this and we truly believe that because we have the stats to back that up (at least for the first time). For example, say you don’t have your lucky socks on and you doubt your ability because of those socks not being on your feet, you will have a poor performance, right?. (Wrong. And we will get to that in a moment). You’ll end up blaming the performance on the missing lucky socks and nothing else.
At the end of the day, socks are socks, and numbers are numbers, but if we have the belief that they can impact how we perform then they absolutely will and that is due to the power of the mind and the thought-feeling-behavior relationship. All that means is it starts with the thought - (associations and beliefs are forms of thoughts - i.e I have my lucky socks on); these thoughts influence our emotions (i.e. I feel great, ready to play, and will have a great day), which then impact our behavior/performance (i.e I played great - couldn’t have done it without my lucky socks). Keep in mind that if you change the thought, it follows the sequence and impacts you the rest of the way through your emotions and behaviors.
Superstitions and rituals are natural associations and beliefs that we form. These are not bad “beliefs” to have, but most do not know how they actually work and impact performance. I’m not saying to get rid of your superstitions or rituals, but I am saying they only have as much power as you give them. Like mentioned earlier, socks are socks - what makes them lucky is the association and belief you have regarding them. My challenge for you is to challenge your belief, change your thought and experiment with how this works. So, if you forget your lucky socks, don’t sweat it - make each pair you put on for game day a lucky pair, but remember - you need to make yourself actually believe it or it won’t work.
Have questions? Interested in sorting through your current superstitions, beliefs, or pre-performance routines? Interested in learning more? Email Jamie@mindedgeperformance.com or set up your FREE 30-minute Consultation here: https://www.mindedgeperformance.com/take-action/
Student-Athletes: How to Find Balance Between Studies and Athletics
A week or two ago I was watching AMA Supercross and they did a feature before the main event on Josh Cartwright. He is currently a professional supercross rider and full-time student at Florida State University (FSU), (yes, you read that correctly – full-time student and professional athlete). As a professional rider in this sport, it involves a lot of travel and practice time on and off the bike; it takes the utmost dedication and preparation week in and week out to be on top of your game for the races each weekend. As a full-time student, he of course has assignments, classes, projects, presentations and other similar requirements that need to be met just like any other college student. Unlike other collegiate athletes, Cartwright is an athlete that does not get study halls put into his course schedule or tutors assigned to him to make up for time out of the classroom that would be missed due to various athletic obligations (this is because his sport is not associated with the athletic department of the college like you might see with football, volleyball, baseball, etc.). He goes to class and gets his work done; he also trains 4-5 days a week (on and off the bike), travels on Fridays, and races on Saturdays.
How in the heck does he find the balance between the two? First, let’s applaud him; the fact that he is even attempting these two very demanding commitments – let alone succeeding at them – is hands down impressive. (Fun fact: Cartwright is one of the only, if not the only, professional rider to my knowledge that has gone to college; he does this to have something to fall back on when his moto career comes to an end. This is a rarity for these riders because they are often taken out of school as adolescents to be home-schooled so they can focus on their future in the sport all with the same goal of going pro. Like mentioned earlier, this sport is very demanding with practice and travel so in order to have potential to go pro, moto often times becomes first priority and education is second – leaving no time for even thinking about a college degree (unless you are Cartwright, of course)).
Now back to the question – how does he do it? Well, the truth is what works for one won’t necessarily work for all (so keep that in mind when reading), but here is how Cartwright seems to maintain this balance from what I have seen and read. He seems to be good at several things, which make him successful at this balance. For example: putting what needs to get done first at the top of the list (which is school) and putting what comes second (moto) in-between is key. Organization, planning, and time management come into play once that prioritization takes place to decipher what happens during each and every day and when. Another very important ability is to switch on and off; I don’t know to what extent Cartwright can do this, but he definitely is able to due to the fact that he is still dedicated to both these commitments. Switching on and off deals with your attention. When he is in class, he is concentrating on class; when he is on the bike, he is focusing on riding (it would not end well if his mind was on a project he has due next week while riding – just saying – especially with how dangerous this sport is). Essentially, it is knowing what to attend to, what not to attend to, when to do this and sticking to that. Lastly, Cartwright’s work ethic and self-motivation are on point. You’ve got to want it – whatever you decide to do – or it won’t happen. Period. Hard work, persistence and dedication pay off; the combination of those three instill a work ethic that is hard to top. In the big picture, this all falls under the “goal setting” umbrella. How you break down your larger goals into smaller goals is key combined with other factors specific to each individual athlete. These then in return are simultaneously helping us with our motivation (increasing factors that make that strong work ethic happen), which is a very helpful and beneficial cycle to have.
Like I mentioned earlier, Cartwright deserves our applause. He should be someone that not only motocross athletes look up to, but all student-athletes. Keep it up, Josh!
Are you a student-athlete (of any age and level) that hasn’t been able to successfully find that balance that Cartwright has? Contact us today at Jamie@mindedgeperformance.com or visit the “Training – Get Started” tab to schedule your FREE 30-minute consultation to work towards achieving the balance you need between athletics and studies to achieve your goals.
I was unable to find the video I saw televised about Cartwright (if I find it I will be sure to let you know), but for the meantime here is an article from 2016 that discusses his student-athlete balance: http://racerxonline.com/2016/03/23/unsung-hero-josh-cartwright
Meet The consultant - q&A with Jamie Venuti, Ma, MPC
Jamie is our Mental Performance Consultant (MPC) here at MindEdge Performance. Read below to get to know her a little better. If you have any additional questions for her, feel free to ask today by sending an email to jamie@mindedgeperformance.com.
What led you to choosing a career in sport psychology?
I always seemed to be interested in finding out what made athletes “tick” without knowing anything like sport psychology even existed. From a young age, I found myself asking myself, “what motivated them, what made champions “champions”, what kept them going when obstacles got in the way, how they might get out of their current slump and rebound,” and so on whether I was watching the sport or personally participating in them. It was not until I took a job in the racing industry (as an office worker with my B.S Management of Sport Management degree) that I realized the mental side of sports is really where I wanted to be and belonged in the sporting industry and not on the office side. During that time, I began to search the mental side of sports and found out about sport psychology. (I was honestly amazed it existed; I was immediately excited that I could now answer those questions I had been asking myself all this time and help athletes improve their performance. I am the type of person who loves to help people and help them reach their fullest potential. The decision to pursue this at that time was a no brainer and it is the best career decision of my life thus far.
What kind of educational requirements do sport psychology professionals need?
To begin you need a bachelor’s degree (in psychology is preferred, but not mandatory for all programs) and a master’s degree in sport psychology or equivalent mental performance major. To be a "sport psychologist" you need a specific PsyD (psychology doctorate) in sport psychology; I do not have my PsyD so I am not a "sport psychologist" – that is why I am a Mental Performance Consultant (MPC) (some may use other equivalent titles).
TIP #1: If someone says they are a sport psychologist (even if they have a PsyD in psychology) it is more than likely false. Why? Well, there are only a handful of actual “sport psychologists” in the world due to a few matters: the number of sport psychology specific programs to earn this title and the governing bodies’ requirements to hold that title legitimately. So, if you see a psychologist (this could be a clinician, therapist, psychotherapist, etc.) offering sport psychology and/or saying they are a sport psychologist, I recommend looking at their education and credentials combined. As a client, you should see expertise in the sport side of psychology, not just a course here or there or a certification that is often earned through their hours as a psychotherapist not working with any sort of athletic population. When you see this, you are more likely seeing a psychologist that is just adding sports to their practice to expand their client population and practice offerings. With that said, please make sure you are truly choosing someone completely qualified to work with in this industry to get best results. Also, please note this is not true for every single individual you may come across. There are actual sport psychologists out there, but just be cautious of the true ones and the ones just using the title illegitimately.
Unfortunately, “sport psychology” is a term that is just tossed around and utilized way too often, when in reality it is a protected term that should be used scarcely and should never describe un unqualified individual’s practice offerings or job title. For this reason, you will see on my marketing materials that I conduct sport psychology training and I am a Mental Performance Consultant (MPC). My degree is in sport psychology, which is fine to state or mention, but by no means does it make myself a “sport psychologist” or allow me to offer “sport psychology” as a service. Also, there is not much difference in what I can offer from a sport psychologist. The differences lie in the degree, the use of a certain title, and I only work with athletes on performance issues - not clinical psychology (depression, eating disorders, etc.).
Something not mandatory, but is certainly an excellent addition to the degree in this field is being an Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) certified consultant, which changes would change the title to Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). This certification is becoming much more difficult to get and requires an exam, mentorship hours, experiential hours, and an application approved by the review board to obtain.
TIP #2: Like mentioned previously there are some psychologists out there that have the hour requirements and have taken minimal training courses who obtained this certification prior to the difficulty increasing, so please do your research so you get the best sport psychology training as possible and by the right individual. It is not required to have this to practice sport psychology training and should not go against any individual that does not have it.
I am happy to announce to my current and future clients that my application has just been approved and I will be in the exam process for the CMPC title within the next six months. Once earning that certified title, consultants earn international recognition and opportunities in this field like the potential to work with the USOC.
What is something that you wish everyone knew about sport psychology?
First, that it is the best kept secret in sports, which is why you may be unfamiliar with it and often when people do work with a SP professional, they do not share that info due to the stigma (negative connotation) associated with the word “psychology”. I am not a clinical psychologist or psychotherapist – there is no need to be quiet about working with me, however, I choose to abide by the same ethical standards of practicing including confidentiality like a psychologist or therapist would. It is the best kept secret because it gives you an advantage over your competitors. Come get the competitive (mental) edge from MindEdge!
Second, all the work I do is applied to areas outside of sport (everything is applicable to life), so what I teach you for sport you can also apply to life and you walk away with a double benefit. How can you beat that?
What is your absolute favorite part of your job?
Of course, seeing an athlete improve to any extent is excited and rewarding not only for myself, but the athlete too. However, my favorite part is those “ah-ha” moments in our sessions that the athlete has, which lead to the improvements. Those moments where the lightbulb goes off mean that the client has realized something, which is what I like to refer to as successfully building awareness. I can teach you everything I know about performance enhancement, but if you do not have any awareness of your current self, ability, limits, etc., you will not see improvements like you should with good training nor will you recognize when you fall back into past habits that created the situation to begin with and this work no longer works, has your effort, or your belief behind it. Awareness is a combination of learning and recognition; when this is combined with actual performance techniques it can be a very powerful and beneficial thing. When I have a client, and see one of these “ah-ha” moments occur, I cannot help but smile because I know at that very moment they understand, they have recognized, and they are ready to go deeper.
What is your favorite thing to teach clients?
I really enjoy teaching my clients about the TFB relationship, which is basically the relationship between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. These three things are directly related and are the foundation of my work. Just about every mental skill or technique encompasses this in some way, shape or form and just recognizing this relationship can do so much for a client alone by itself (combined with awareness, of course).
What is your favorite population to work with?
Tough question. I honestly cannot pick an age group or sport that I really hold above the others and prefer, but I can tell you that I especially enjoy working with competitive athletes. I have nothing against recreational athletes, I have just experienced more passion with competitive athletes and have seen the extra effort and appreciation put into this work due to that passion. At the end of the day, I do love to try to help any and all in any way I can; I truly love what I do and put the same time and effort into every client population that comes my way.
What is your favorite motivational quote?
“She believed she could, so she did”. This is the quote that I have lived by for a while. It all starts in here (I’m currently pointing to the brain). It starts with the thought; it starts with that self-belief that you can get the job done. It lays the foundation for accomplishment and sets you up for the rest to follow.
What sets you apart from other sport psychology professionals?
Aside from educational specifics I meet the client where they are at and put their needs first. I go into a session with a game plan and if that plan needs to change based on what the client “brings” to the session that day I will adjust accordingly. I also have a very personable, trusting, fun style that clients tend to be very pleased and comfortable with.
My goal is to get the client in and out as quickly as possible – didn’t expect that, did you? I recommend a time frame to work with clients that reflects what the client initially came to me for and an estimated amount of time it will take for the client to fully grasp what they are being taught. I strive to get the client to the point where they are full self-sufficient regarding what they came to me for and when I do that I successfully do my job. I do whatever I can in my power for the client to gain benefit from our work together rather than just filling up an hour of your time with content that may or may not have an impact. I truly am working in the best interest of the client, always.
What advice do you have for current and future clients?
This is a service that can have impressive benefits, but only if the client is willing to put in the time, practice, and effort as they would for physical aspects of their sport. The client must also recognize the need and want to participate in this type of training (if the client does not see the value, there will not be value); you’ve got to want to be here and not be forced to be here by a coach, parent, friend, or such. Make sure you want to be here and are willing to put in the work this training entails – otherwise, I can guarantee you will not reap as nearly as much benefit as you should.
Athletes & Drug Addiction: Can Sport Psychology Training Help Avoid Deadly Consequences?
Note: By no means am I a substance or drug counselor and have no specific training in addiction counseling; this piece is written as a hypothesis with the assumption that sports opened the doors to the usage of these addictive substances through teammate influence or ultra-competitive environments and the athletes were not using prior to injury or performance setback they experienced. Please read the whole piece to hear how sport psychology training may be able to help this epidemic, making this service even more valuable to athletes of all ages and their parents.
This post was inspired by the passing of a family friend we lost to an opioid overdose five years ago. This post is dedicated to this individual’s mother (and family), who is crusading her way to the top to fight this epidemic; she has done a remarkable job locally and I am proud to say she has now taken this to the national level. This might not be the answer for all, but it may be the answer for some and it takes a different approach on the current fight. We love you and we are so very proud of you.
It all started when he was in high school and was nervous before a hockey game. A teammate approached him with a pill and said, “here, take this and all your nerves will go away”. All it took was one pill to calm the performance anxiety he had and all it took was for that one time to want that same pill again before he played game after game after game. When that pill was no longer enough, he turned to other substances and eventually went to an out-of-state rehab facility for a short time. Upon returning from rehab he seemed to be doing great; checking in with his counselor, never missing a meeting with her, and never missing a ritualistic phone call with his mother. Out of the blue, alarm bells began going off; he missed a meeting and had not called his mother. The search was on for a short time; he was found and pronounced dead.
This was not only devastating because it was another life lost, but personally for me it was because of how it started and how it potentially could have been avoided. That one pill was taken because of his nerves; he was just experiencing performance anxiety, that’s it, and he ends up getting addicted, moving up the ladder to even more harmful substances and now we are no longer blessed with his physical presence. What if these individuals knew about sport psychology training? What if they worked with a sport psychology professional regarding calming nerves or even recovering from injury rather than taking pills? If that were the case they would be able to control their nerves with confidence rather than having their nerves so out of control they need to take a pill to get a handle on it. (Sport psychology professionals can help in numerous additional areas as well like building confidence, enhancing motivation, having the proper amount of energy, enhancing focus, enhancing positivity, etc.). What if sport psychology training can get even just one young athlete to say “no, I’m all set; I already have it handled” and pass on taking that pill? Think about it.
Please note this is just one case of many we experience way too often whether we hear about it or it personally hits home; everyone’s story is going to be different, but I know for a fact there have been other stories all too similar to this one ending in the same manner (and beginning from the very same hockey team). All it takes is for individual to present to another some sort of addictive substance that claims to cure it all whether that is to calm nerves or help recover from injury more rapidly or decrease pain so they can still play. Sport psychology training might not prevent all cases because there are certainly many factors that contribute to drug use and addictive personalities, however, this training as an indirect preventative measure may save some lives and I would say that is certainly a start, what do you think?
Questions, comments and inquiries are always welcome. If you or someone you know may be interested in sport psychology training please contact us today at 860-398-9618 (call or text) or at Jamie@mindedgeperformance.com.
Connecting Articles:
https://nypost.com/2017/10/09/how-a-generation-of-young-athletes-became-addicted-to-heroin/
eagles' jake elliott uses visualization in preparation for game day - why you should too
Eagles' kicker Jake Elliott actually began his 2017 season on a practice squad and ended up getting signed with the Eagles as the replacement kicker for Caleb Sturgis. Sturgis would become injured and after only two weeks of being off the practice squad to replace the starter, Elliott sprinted up to the special teams coordinator and gave the pitch of a lifetime - he wanted to take a crack at the chance to kick the game winning 61-yarder against the Giants. To make a long story short, Elliott now holds a franchise record for the Eagles with the longest game winning boot. This franchise record moment ended up igniting a nine-game win streak, an eventual record of 13-3, and NFC's No. 1 playoff seed. To say the least, that kick did a decent amount for the team as it helped establish a rhythm and a belief like nothing before. The question still out there is - how did a player two weeks off the practice squad come out and not only kick the game winning field goal, but also kick a new franchise record? The answer is visualization.
Visualization is when we create or recreate a scenario or experience and envision that in our minds; this can be used for practice, learning new skills, mastering skill execution, building confidence, enhancing focus, successfully coping with high pressure situations, strategizing, planning ahead, recovering from injury, helping you get the most out of training, managing energy, speeding up progress, and so on. It is essentially a training method for every minor action you take to those high pressure result deciding moments and everything in between. It is something Elliott uses to make sure he is prepared for not only every kick he takes, but the game-winning, record-breaking ones, as well.
How does visualization work? Well, the thoughts and images in our brain are directly related to our feelings, behaviors and performance. When we envision something in our minds the brain sends messages to through the body just as if we were physically doing the skill except there is not always movement. With that said, it makes complete sense to use visualization for the many reasons listed above, especially because it is essentially the same as physically doing the skill. Just like our physical skills, visualization should be practiced systematically (meaning on a regular and planned basis) in order to be effective, see improvements in ability and see results. With a big playoff game this Saturday against the Falcons, it is safe to say that Elliott has been practicing visualizing the perfect kick from multiple distances, especially with applied pressure.
Ready to start visualizing? Contact us here: jamie@mindedgeperformance.com or call us at 860-398-9618 to get started.
Original article: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/jake-elliott-knows-it-could-down-to-him-saturday-and-hes-ready-20180107.html#loaded
BUCK FEVER? We got you covered.
Archery season has been going on since mid September and some people may or may not have gotten their first harvest of the hunting season. Whether you are hunting with your bow, rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or revolver, it is safe to say that we have all been there before - and by there I mean experiencing buck fever. Whether it has been our 30th harvest or first harvest of our life, there is always a bit of buck fever there whether we recognize it or not.
Does your heart begin to pick its pace up at the sound of leaves crunching? How about at the sound of your hunting buddies shot in the close distance? Did you need to invest in a tripod because you shake too much to hold a steady shot? Have you missed with your bow or gun and swore you were on mark? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have experienced buck fever. Buck fever is simply letting the adrenaline in our bodies take over. This adrenaline take over includes a change in focus, loss of control in thoughts, increase in heart rate, unwanted muscle tension, shakiness, and more. When the adrenaline takes over it can result in a decrease in accuracy, which includes completely missing your target.
Now you might be recognizing how often these symptoms occur when you are hunting - and no worries, it happens to all of us. You are probably wondering if there is a way for you to eventually control these symptoms and the good news is that there is; you can learn to control these symptoms with sport psychology training like we do here at MindEdge Performance.
To give you a sneak peak of how together we could learn to control your buck fever, check out the brief action plan below:
Breathing & Muscle Relaxation - Build awareness of how you currently breathe in normal situations and compare to how you breathe under pressure. Learn breathing and muscle relaxation techniques to control your heart rate and muscle tension in the moment.
Self-Talk & Confidence - We are always talking to ourselves even though we do not always recognize it; this talk can be negative, neutral or positive. When these thoughts occur, they have an impact on our confidence and cause certain reactions (physiologically and emotionally). Build awareness on your current thoughts, how they impact you, and learn how to control them to keep your confidence up.
Focus - Build awareness of your current focus ability and train you to enhance that ability. Additionally, teach you how to center, which is a combined technique to make you enhance focus, feel calm, feel in control, feel confident and ready. Centering also involves breathing so it will help lower that heart rate and also help control muscle tension.
Imagery - Build awareness of your current imagery ability. Learn to imagine this scenario and continue to recreate it in your mind as practice so when the moment that big buck comes out, you are comfortable and confident because you have done this before.
Interested in controlling your buck fever? Want to learn more about how MindEdge can help? Contact here: jamie@mindedgeperformance.com or visit www.mindedgeperformance.com/contact.