How Coaches Can Optimize Athletes’ Mental Performance

Coaches strive to understand their athletes. They aim to understand how they learn and how they think in order to motivate and mold them into the athletes they want them to become. While coaches often act with the athlete’s best interest in mind by training and conditioning them physically for competition, coaches often miss crucial pieces of an athlete’s psychological experience. The psychological needs of an athlete can stem from performance situations, such as motivation or difficulty focusing during competition, or clinical situations, such as anxiety or depression.

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Understanding and talking about the athlete’s psychological needs might help coaches understand what truly motivates each athlete and how they can better overcome the non-physical challenges they face throughout a season. No matter the number of hours spent training and conditioning, pre-competition anxiety can overwhelm even the most talented athlete. An athlete can diligently practice a new play, but the presence of an opponent or the pressure of the game may alter their ability to execute what they have practiced. Pressure situations can crack even the most prepared athletes who struggle with performance anxiety. By implementing psychological training components (i.e. sport psychology) coaches can assist athletes and teams in their quest to get better.

Why Sport Psychology Works
Sport psychology is the connection between the mind and the body and how the mind and body impact performance. Think of a race car. No matter how fast or powerful the car is, if the driver does not have the knowledge and control to operate the vehicle, the specifically built race car is no better than any other vehicle. Through the use of sport psychology concepts, the coach can aim to train athletes’ minds to effectively run their “race car,” through pressure and regular performances. Sport psychology concepts include topics like goal setting and self-talk to more complex theories of imagery and relaxation. Using these different sport psychology concepts, coaches can help athletes gain awareness of how their mind and body react during practice and competition, to better optimize performance. Having this awareness allows athletes and coaches to practice overcoming the innate internal obstacles that arise while they aim to achieve peak performance.

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Movement and Mindful Hallways: Creating a Culture of Movement

I have been teaching for about 18 years now and have observed many students struggle with focus and inattentiveness. In addition, my own son struggles with ADHD and motor tics, (there are times when he appears to want to dance out of his own skin). To assist him, my husband and I purchased a mini-trampoline, spinning chair, ninja line, door swing, and more. Our intent was to give him breaks to move during homework and studying to help him focus and attend.

There are many students like my son in our classrooms. I’m convinced that we do not provide our students sufficient opportunities to move throughout the day due to increased academic demands, testing, etc. Our society is becoming more sedentary with the increase of technology and video games. Students are not getting the daily Physical Education they need. And too many teachers pull students out of PE classes to catch up on work they have not completed.

It especially frustrates me when recess time is taken away to do “bonus work” in the classroom. Our children are already not being given enough opportunities to gain the sensory input they need for learning! We urgently need to address this. When a child’s need to move goes unfilled, it can translate into inattentiveness, lack of drive, and impulsivity. We need to provide them with many varied opportunities to succeed and to move.

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It’s Not What You Teach – But How You Teach It

Jason, 16, a gifted athlete and an accomplished youth basketball player scans the court.  Three blue practice jerseys highlight his teammates. They are spaced about the half-court with the letters USA in white across their chests.  Each talented.  Each player is elite.  Jason is playing with the best young basketball talent in the United States as a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.

The basketball, moist with perspiration, rests – held captive in Jason’s hands. Tanner, one of four defenders inches closer – crowding Jason.  Tanner’s teammates, decked in white jerseys with USA letters in blue, align themselves to protect the basket. Sweat drips off Tanner onto Jason.  Jason is unfazed, his body already covered by a stream of salty liquid.  The air dampened by perspiration and exerted breathing, emits a stench unique to the arena of sport.

Image courtesy of Keith Johnston from Pixabay

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HANDS-ONLY CPR Training for Elementary Students

This is the 2ndyear I have been training my K-5 students, at Lincoln Avenue elementary school, in Hands-Only CPR. I am on the Executive Board of Suffolk Zone AHPERD and in the last couple of years we have been running an equipment share program for all our members. Suffolk Zone purchases equipment that our PE teachers have deemed needed but may not have the funds to purchase. We then have our members sign up to borrow the equipment.

Some of the first equipment we purchased for our share were CPR Manikins. Having spent over 20 years as a Lifeguard, Water Safety Instructor and Swimming/ Diving coach, I understand the importance of CPR training. CPR helps to keep blood and oxygen flowing and dramatically increases the chances of survival in those who suffer a cardiac arrest. According to the CDC, “heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.” According to the American Heart Association, “88% of people who suffer from a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die. However, when properly and promptly performed, CPR can dramatically improve a person’s chance of survival.”

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Opportunities for 50 Million Strong by 2029: Time to Get on the Bus to Legitimacy and Credibility

(Publisher’s Note: This article is based on a presentation made by the author as part of the 50 Million Strong by 2029 Forum held at the 2017 SHAPE America National Convention.)

In 2015, SHAPE America unveiled something new entitled 50 Million Strong by 2029 (50MS) at its Seattle National Convention.  Immediately, people asked, “What exactly is this 50MS?” I’ve heard it described differently:  A program, a curriculum, an initiative.  Some disparagingly described it as just another one of SHAPE America’s gimmicks, or the dumbing down of physical education to just getting kids active.  In fact, 50MS is defined as a commitment to ensuring that by the year 2029 all children who started school in 2015 will, by the time they graduate from high school in 2029, have the skills, knowledge and disposition to lead healthy and physically active lives.  Admittedly, following its unveiling, SHAPE America perhaps fell short in how 50MS was presented, described, and operationalized.  However, at its core 50MS is a tangible goal, or target for the profession to shoot for over the next 12 years.  And whether or not 50MS succeeds depends on what the field as a whole (i.e. teachers, teacher education programs, and our state, district and national association), opts to do to achieve that goal.

Fundamentally, 50MS has its roots in two key trends.  First, there is the well-documented rise in overweight and obesity levels among children and youth (among others) that gave rise to health-oriented physical education (e.g., Metzler, McKenzie, van der Mars, Williams, & Ellis, 2013a, 2013b; Sallis & McKenzie, 1991; Sallis, McKenzie, Beets,  Beighle, Erwin, & Lee, 2012).  The Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) model was introduced principally in response to the concerns surrounding overweight and obesity (NASPE, 2008).  But to be clear, the CSPAP framework emphasizes quality physical education as its centerpiece component!

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The Many Challenges Facing 50 Million Strong by 2029

(Publisher’s Note: This article is based on a presentation made by the author as part of the 50 Million Strong by 2029 Forum held at the 2017 SHAPE America National Convention.)

 The physical education profession has faced numerous challenges in recent decades. A few of these challenges include declining contact days and hours in K-12 health and physical education, declining membership within the national and state organizations, and a declining professional reputation due to inappropriate teaching.  Given the current state of our profession, what needs to occur in order to repair and improve our professional reputation?

The announcement of 50 Million Strong by 2029 at the 2015 National PETE & HETE Conference appeared to place a wedge in our professional organization.  This initial rollout was heavily centered around physical activity with little to no reference to physical education.  Significantly however, recent discussion about 50 Million Strong has focused on physical education assuming a more prominent role.  Let’s be honest, physical education must be the main focus of 50 Million Strong.  Are we to believe 50 Million Strong has a flexible definition?  Will 50 Million Strong morph as new SHAPE America Presidents assume their elected posts?  A unified and consistent vision is essential if this new professional commitment is to succeed.

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