After reading your interview with Jeff Torborg, I was wondering … My coach is a very smart and nice man who never gets upset at anything any of our players do – like Torborg seems to be. We have had a losing record for the past two years. I am the star pitcher on the varsity team. It is frustrating. Some of my teammates need to be taken to task. As I was saying, I was wondering whether a manager needs to have a tougher side.

TO: XXXXXX@aol.com
FROM: questions@psychedonline.org
SUBJECT: RE: Managers
DATE: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 22:47 EST

ResponseIt is an interesting question. You must understand that I can only assume that your manager is as you have described him. I recall an episode of Star Trek where Captain Kirk is separated into two parts. One aspect is the kind, empathetic leader who is very thoughtful and appreciative of his staff. He is also very indecisive. He believes that kindness will conquer all troubles. The other part is very aggressive, insensitive, tyrannical, and tough. The theme of this episode was to get the two parts together in the same body. In fact, leaders need to be strong and show the way as well as kind and understand. One of the criticisms of Torborg as a manager was that he tends to over think, question and get too personally involved. Sometimes a team needs to be grabbed by the throat and led to the promised land. It’s very hard to find a manager who has both sides in balance and harmony. Managers have their strengths and weaknesses. Your manager seems to have too much of a good heart and not enough of no nonsense leader.

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.

Dear Psyched:

I am an Atom “AA” hockey player and I play left wing. I can normally skate very fast. However, when my team is involved in very important playoff games, my legs feel rubbery and I can’t achieve my usual speeds. What can I do to get rid of this feeling and get my speed back?

Signed,
Rubber Legs

TO: XXXXXX@sympatico.ca
FROM: questions@psychedonline.org
SUBJECT: Re: Rubber Legs
DATE: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 10:51:50 EST

Dear Rubber Legs:

I read your email and wanted to suggest some ideas to help you.

You may have already decided that “rubber legs” comes from anxiety. Try some of the following:

1. Here and Now exercises.
   1. Breathing – When anxious our breathing becomes quick and short. It only goes to our chest. You must breath deeply into your abdomine. Put your hand on your stomach and breathe into it. Do this repeatedly when practicing, before the start of the game and during it. Follow the breath with your consciousness. Our power comes from our breathing. From our stomach.
   2. Try to keep your mind clear of the outcome of the game. Stay in the moment. Everytime your mind wonders into the future, bring yourself back to what is going on now.
   3. It may sound weird, but if you can make sounds (even if it is just in your mind) like raaaaaaaa and hold the sound as long as possible, it will give you strength.
2. Creative Visualization: Pick an image that is the opposite of rubber legs. Something strong like steel or if you want flexibility a piston of a car. Whatever works for you. Imagine in your minds eye this material as what your legs are made of. Watch it pumping away. Tighten your leg muscles and release.

If you look back at past editions of Psyched, you will find articles on these subjects. There is also an article on anxiety that might be helpful.

Good luck,

Paul Schienberg, Ph.D.

Forty years ago, we were issued single bar facemasks. Even so, as a lineman, the line coach called me a “big baby” because I had one installed on my helmet. It was a relief not to have my nose and face hit every other play. No one wore a mouth-guard back then – one of the reasons I had my two front teeth knocked out. (This wasn’t because someone belted me in the mouth, but from gritting my teeth at the moment of impact.)

On hot summer two-a-days, we were issued salt tablets, the belief being you needed more salt to replenish what you lost from sweating. From our stance, we blocked against a tree, and if “the leaves don’t shake,” you were hollered at, you’d hit the tree again, and again, and again. The leaves “shook,” incidentally, when a breeze came through; if you happened to be blocking when this happened, the coach gestured you “did good.”

Linemen wore high-top cleats; running backs wore low quarters. All football shoes were black, so if your coach allowed it, you could put in white shoestrings. Very seldom did you see any team uniform with stripes. The real ‘good’ teams (meaning their budgets allowed for this) had competition stripes on their sleeves. Otherwise if your colors were green and gold, it was a green jersey and gold pants. Red and white was a red jersey and white pants. Blue and white was a blue jersey and white pants. (I think you get the picture.)

Injuries – all injuries – were treated with something called anogesic balm. When applied to the bare skin, there was an immediate sensation of heat. It was applied to swelling, which of course, induced further swelling. It was an unforgettable experience to accidentally get some of this stuff in your eye. Years later, when the Vietnam War was being reported, I could nearly equate anogesic with napalm. Other things: You blistered and reblistered until the skin either toughened up or the season ended. If you had a sprained ankle, pulled muscle, or hyperextension, you were told to “run it off.” Open bleeding was considered manly.

I could distinctly remember the smell of whiskey on one of our coaches. Other football players smelled it too. No one said anything about it.

There was no weight training or “lifting barbells.” The only people who weight-lifted were “muscle guys” (called bodybuilders today), and they were said to be “all muscle-bound,” meaning, well, that they were muscle-bound. There was no stretching whatsoever. What there was for exercise was calisthenics, which you did before practice – jumping jacks, burpies, sit-ups, and toe-touches. Afterward, you ran the length of the football field, around the goalposts, about three times. This didn’t get you “in shape.” Getting in shape came through 100-yard sprints – six to ten of them daily, everyday, during two weeks of two-a-days.

After two-a-days ended, calisthenics continued every day throughout the season, and the only time you ran was if the coach got angry about something – usually if you lost a game.

Football practices were brutal. Bull-in-the-ring had one player in a circle of a dozen to 15 other players, usually all linemen, each of whom was given a number from one to fifteen. When the coach called a number, a player fired out of the ring to hit the guy in the middle. If you were fast enough, you could hit the guy from behind. Sometimes the coach called three numbers at a time. I never figured out if this was a blocking drill or just a street fight. The only thing I got out of this was a sense of dread.

Murderer’s Row was another drill of sorts. It was used as a punishment if you were late for practice, missed a practice, or didn’t work as hard as a coach thought you should. You ran through 10 to 15 guys. Carrying a ball, Murderer’s Row was supposed to be a tackling drill. It wasn’t. It was a punishment.

You played both ways in high school football. If you were taken out of the game, you could not reenter until the next quarter began. For some strange reason, I do not recall anyone ever being carted off the field on a stretcher. EMTs (Emergency Medical Technician) didn’t exist. I do remember a First Aid kit on the sideline, but the only thing I remember it being used for was “smelling salts,” which I think was ammonia vials. (Me and a buddy took a whiff of one and I still remember how my head veered back. Wow!)

Helmets back then had canvas suspensions. Those were the heavy plastic shells guys wore. Ours were leather – just like Notre Dame’s and the kind Paul Hornung, (Heisman Trophy Winner (1956) and All-American), wore during the Terry Brennan era. I remember having a constant nosebleed and couldn’t figure out why, since no one had belted me in the nose or face. Likewise, we had no protective lineman gloves, or elbow pads.

There were no specialists in football then. Ends were blockers and the longest pass they went out for was 5 yards. There were no wide receivers. Kickers could be anyone, and these guys kicked the ball straight on (and the ball never hooked like sidewinder’s kicks today). No special teams, either – just kick off guys, punt guys, but never unit, team or anything with the connotation, “special.” Offenses were comprised of the Straight, Tight and Wide T formation, and defenses were the 5-3, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, 6-5, and a weird goal line defense called the 7-umbrella.

Coaches stayed apart from their players. I never knew the head coach’s first name, and I don’t think anyone on our team knew his first name, either. We heard he played for two professional teams, but that was about it. If he talked with you, it was generally to chew you out. On other occasions, however, he’d come up and simply say, “Good job.” The words psychology, sport psychology, development, understanding, bonding, connection, may have existed in the dictionary as single entities, but those words as they are used today didn’t exist 40 years ago.

I think players were tougher back then, but they were tougher because they didn’t know enough to expect anything different or more. I think players were tougher back then because times were tougher. You just took a lot more then because the thought never entered your mind that there was any other option. (Even the word option did not exist as we know it today.) So, I don’t get real excited about the “good ol’ days.” I don’t think they were all that good, nor do I think they were all that bad. I think that we progressed and found better ways of doing things… and that has made all the difference.

But, that was all yesterday. Times have changed… or, have they?

In Part I of this series, many benefits of girls participation in sports were described: greater sense of self develops when they can trust their bodies abilities; improve capacities for rolling with life’s ups and downs; intrinsic motivations are established; ability to make quick decisions and execute them; and higher thinking skills while in motion. Part II will round out the list of benefits of sports participation for girls as well as provide additional pointers for their parents and coaches.

Risk Taking and Mental Toughness

It has been said that new-born infants are brought into this world with only two fears. The first is the fear of falling. The second is the fear of loud noises. If that is so, then all other fears are taught. And if taught, it is important to be aware of what we say to children and how we say it. When a young child trips and looks up at the parent, the child is looking for a signal to know what to feel. If the parent remains calm and smiles, the child gets up and goes about life. “Hockey is too rough for girls.” “Skateboarding will break your legs and if that happens don’t come crying to me.” Sound familiar?

Raising girls with courage is not an easy task. It takes parents’ and coaches’ willingness to face their own fears of getting hurt. By helping a child face the challenges and possibilities of getting hurt, the adult improves the skills in themselves. Running from risk is a habit. It can be overcome by changing the response in the present. We are not recommending recklessness. Evaluate the activity and make an objective assessment. Girls will model how to handle situations that you haven’t tried in a way that reduces chances of serious injury. An allied bad habit that responsible adults slip into is not letting the child try something on her own. The anticipation that something will go wrong causes the parent to leap in prematurely. The result can be a girl reaching a road block in developing a life/sport skill.

Coaches can help a girl live with and overcome or not learn any fears. Fear of failure can become one of the greatest fears of all. It is important to let girls know that failure is just a part of the learning curve – and that if we didn’t come up short sometimes we would never improve or find better ways of doing the same task. Unique to girls is something called fear of success. The consequences of winning can be to lose the identification of being daddy’s or mommy’s little girl. Parents need to show the girl that she is adored as she achieves goals in sports. Fear of criticism can be overcome by using player-friendly language. Coaches should consult with parents if it is noticed that there is a hyper-sensitivity to even softly spoken criticisms. Fear of what other players will think of them can cause paralysis. Girls will struggle with feelings of humiliation if they are not performing as well as others. A coach might help by letting her know that you have been there too. Give her an experience from your past! The girl will nod and smile which a sign of emotional mastery.

Help girls make the link between reaching goals and taking risks. Set up little goals with little risks. A pattern of attempting new behavior or new activities can be created. It is good to condition the girl to the positive connection between risk and reward. Efforts made by parents and coaches to manage emotional risks can pay off when they are sincere and unwavering.

Another area of risk-taking is developing communication skills. By letting your daughter try to handle problems that come up between her and her coach, you will be helping her express her thoughts and feelings. Taking into consideration the girl’s age, you might want to accompany her in a discussion with the adult in question. Even in that case, it is important not to rescue her too soon. Standing up for herself by voicing her concerns will have payoffs throughout her life. Have her practice with you a conversation she needs to have with a coach. Instruct her to write down the ideas she wants to get across. Of course, you should let her know that you support her goal. If you go with her to the discussion, open up the talk and then let her take the center stage.

One of the greatest challenges girls need to face is learning to deal with the fear of injury. By attempting controlled risks repeatedly, girls who take chances with their bodies learn to become mentally tough. The U.S. Naval Academy demands that females take boxing and wrestling every semester. Direct physical threat helps build confidence. Providing varying opportunities to take physical risks and succeed is critically important. Beginning girl athletes need almost a 90% chance for success; intermediates should get 50% chance of success; advanced female athletes will try even if there is almost no chance of success.

Here are a few more recommendations we offer to parents and coaches of girls: if you challenge girls with goals that are way beyond their capacities, they will develop fear instead of courage; embarrassing girls in front of significant others will create intimidation and embarrassment; should the girl express fear do not turn your back on her – instead talk with her about where the fear is coming from – most fear comes from feeling inadequately prepared; providing too much assistance is going to create a belief in her that she can’t handle the problem.

Self-Discipline

Developing the confidence to start and stick with an activity, and thereby achieve a goal, is a life-long journey which sports participation can promote. Athletics put girls in situations in which they must be disciplined – being self-disciplined creates productivity. Participation in sports is about self-mastery.

The way you talk to yourself is a major component of developing the nerve to believe you can do something. This optimistic approach is called “positive self-expectancy.” If the mind can picture going for the best, the body will move toward the best. If a girl is having a negative vision, redirect how she sees herself and find a goal she believes that she can achieve. If girls are put in sport situations where they can make positive self-talk, they are more likely to succeed and believe in the idea of positive self-communication.

All too often, girls get the message that they shouldn’t expect much of themselves. Society expects boys to be good at sports and girls not to be courageous and persistent. Coaches and parents must help girls overcome this barrier. They need a loud and clear communication from authorities that lets them know about higher expectations in sports. Girls need to be taught how to speak more positively to themselves – they need to evaluate themselves in a more positive, confidence-building style. Help girls erase negative self-talk and come up with more supportive communications. Let her know that how she speaks to herself will determine if she advances to the next level. When you evaluate girls make sure to keep self-defeating words out of your vocabulary.

Goal setting is a necessary technique that helps girls learn to discipline themselves. It is the moment-to-moment goal setting that makes the most impact. Repeat the word “goal” as often as possible. Work with short term goals. It is important with younger girls to make the goals as attainable as possible. Help girls to set the goals themselves – it will help them believe that they are ready for the next goal.

Organizing time effectively develops self-confidence. Parents and coaches need to demand that the homework must be done if they want to play sports. Let your daughter set up her own routine. By helping your daughter stick with the schedule, she will get a sense of teamwork.

Learning to cooperate with others to develop a cohesive unit and achieve goals is acquired in team sports. This skill is harder to come by when there is less than two parents in a household. If a girl grows up with siblings, she will learn to share space, responsibilities and time with their parents. Family dynamics affect how girls respond to pressure and compromise; how they support their teammates, and whether they rebel, confront or remain silent when they are upset about something. When girls enjoy and respect each other, you will have cohesiveness unlike any association you’ve ever had with boys. It is important to offer support when you see a girl doing something for the team. Never put a player down in front of other teammates.

Some behaviors are not in the interest of the team and must be pointed out quickly. Even though this may require some negative communication, it is in this case unavoidable. The primary focus of the group or team must be to achieve its goals. Horseplay (making jokes, fooling around at inappropriate times) distracts the team. Name calling is very undermining to cohesiveness. The girls involved should be taken aside individually. If you don’t know who is involved, the coach could try a team meeting – put the responsibility on the girls by saying “this behavior is causing us to lose points.” If the coach sees a girl becoming withdrawn or depressed, it is usually caused by feeling like she doesn’t fit in or is having significant difficulty learning the sport’s skills. Before deciding to go to the parents, try to draw her out. A player, who constantly objects to directions from the coach, undermines the flow of a practice or training session. One approach is to ask the player if the issue can be addressed after the session. If she insists that it be dealt with immediately, ask the other players for input about how to handle it. Dominating behavior sometimes needs to be taken care of in a one-on-one meeting with the coach. When a number of players are not giving 100%, the rest of the team has to pick up the slack. Resentments can grow in this atmosphere. The coach has to address this dynamic with the entire team before frustrations get out of hand.

Tolerating others’ attitudes, beliefs and feelings is a concern on the sports field and off. One negative characteristic of girls is that they tend to talk behind each others’ back and gossip more about other people than boys do. Coaches can try these steps to improve tolerance: point out common ground, have issues discussed in the open, quickly, by the teammates, let them come up with the solution, impose one if they don’t, encourage quiet girls to speak their minds.

There are few characteristics as important as persistence – it creates more stories of success than any other trait. One of the mechanisms used by coaches to improve persistence in girls is to provide small goals where they can see their improvement. Using numbers is very effective. How many practice swings will it take to learn how to hit a shot out of the sand-trap? Number of baskets needed to be shot to hit the foul shot 80% of the time? The girls will learn that if they just keep going they will be successful. Another way to improve persistence is to use visualization of success. When the image of the goal is kept alive, its pull to keep going is improved. The coach can also remind the player how far she has already come since she hit her first foul shot. A girl’s level of persistence can be evaluated by the coach asking the following questions: Does she enjoy the sport only if she has a particular coach or group of teammates? If injured, does she stop going to all practices or keep practicing those skills she can attend to? If the she loses, can she put it behind her and keep trying to improve her skills? When faced with additional challenges does she become excited or worried? If a teammate is better, does the girl stop trying?

Summary

Participation in sports provides girls the opportunity to develop personal skills that will last her a lifetime. A girl can learn to be decisive after weighing her options, feel confident in her problem solving skills, be a team player, communicate effectively, take risks and be persistent. Put together she will be prepared to move into her adult life with confidence and self-reliance. Regardless of whether she becomes a professional or a serious amateur athlete, she will have learned how to be a part of communities, handle authorities, live with people who have different points of view and maintain a sense of herself. All of these skills will assure her a healthy advantage in the game of life.

The general public often thinks of skydiving as a “stunt” performed by “dare devils” in Hollywood films. If a movie scene did not call for characters to jump out of a plane, they would be falling off the balcony after being shot, or having a fiery crash into the wall of a speedway. It appears as if the only skill required is their willingness to put life and limb on the line. Since the general public is not knowledgeable about the sport, most do not have a sense of the skills and discipline required to do it well. So, this article will begin by filling in the blanks about this high-risk sport.

Sport Skydiving Background Information

The United States Parachute Association (USPA) statistics reveal interesting numbers about the popularity of skydiving in the United States. There are more than 34,000 members of the Association. This does not indicate the number of competitive jumpers because you do not have to join to jump. Of greater significance is that there are 3.2 million jumps made in the US since 1998, 268,000 student jumps per year and 107,000 people have earned parachute licenses. There are 200 skydiving centers in the US and thousands of small and medium sized businesses serving the needs of skydivers.

Skydiving involves various disciplines, levels of ability and competitive venues. Formation Freefall, Traditional Style, Freestyle, Accuracy and Canopy Formation Flying are competitive aspects of skydiving that require dedication, training and commitment that other sports do. Modern skydiving is much more than simply jumping from an aircraft and descending under a parachute.

Skydiving centers build their training programs around the minimum requirements established by the USPA for an “A” license (Basic Skydiver). The requirements to acquire this license indicate very little except that the jumper can intentionally fall out of an airplane without supervision, pull his or her ripcord, and land without incident.

Challenges Facing The Teacher And Learner

A few serious studies have shown a tendency towards task goal orientation. Skydivers tend to view their activity in a sport not as competition against others, but rather as competition against their own past performances. This probably includes challenging their own perception of what they are capable of accomplishing. It explains skydiving as a way to explore personal limits.

The very things that attract people to make their first jump – the visceral exhilaration and excitement – creates challenges for those who attempt to learn or teach new skills. The reinforcing aspects of high arousal and novel sensory stimulation is enough to motivate inexperienced jumpers to repeatedly fling themselves from airplanes with little or no interest in learning new skills or achieving any specific sport goal. In other words, the intrinsic rewards of skydiving are so strong that it encourages a lack of structure, goals and planning essential to learning more sophisticated aspects of the sport. This challenges the learning of skills needed to excel as a skydiver. Once skydivers become acclimated to jumping and the anxiety is thereby reduced, they begin to look for another activity for excitement.

Efforts to involve jumpers at this level of experience in training programs often meet with resistance. This is because internal “locus of causality”, is highly valued by skydivers, and training interventions are often perceived as threats to self-determination. Combined with the influence of skydivers tendency towards task goals orientation (competition against own past performance), it’s easy to see how low time jumpers would view skydiving as a sport with little structure, goals, or planning.

Goal Setting For Skydivers

Motivation has been defined as the “direction and intensity of one’s effort”. The problem faced by teachers of skydiving is not lack of intensity – the problem is often lack of direction and ambivalence about getting any. Goal setting is a requirement to getting that intensity headed somewhere positive.

Cognitive Evaluation Theory states that events that influence perceptions of competence and self-determination also affect intrinsic motivation. If a participant infers criticism or covert attempts to influence behavior from another person, intrinsic motivation will decrease. One of the implications of powerful intrinsic motivations is the perception of the controlling aspect of extrinsic rewards. It’s logical to assume that intrinsic motivations and the need for control are positively related. The more intrinsically rewarding the sport, the more volatile becomes the issue of control for the participant. In order for structured learning programs to be effective with skydivers, organizers and teachers will need to make sure that the participants have control over as many aspects of the program as possible. This includes not just goal setting, but also technical aspects of the skydivers and simulated skydives.

Practical Suggestion For Goal Setting

There are a number of advantages to setting goals. Goals keep attention and effort focused on the elements that make up skills. Goals automatically provide motivation. Goal setting encourages creativity in identifying effective learning strategies.

Goals should be stated in behavioral terms with operational definitions, objective measurement criteria, and specific outcome definitions. Long-term goals should be broken down into short-term goals, and short-term goals should further be broken down into their specific constituent behavioral skills that can be observed and measured. Performance goals (relative work skills) should be separate from outcome goals (points on the dive). Similarly, practice and competition goals should be separate from each other. This is to ensure that participants do not make attribution errors when analyzing their performance. Skydivers often blame individuals for outcome failures when team performance is really at fault.

All goals should be recorded and attended to frequently. Strategies aimed at learning or improving specific skills should be overtly identified and developed. Evaluation and feedback relevant to goals should be ongoing. This is where comprehensive post dives, analysis and recording become important.

Summary

There is a rising popularity to alternative sports (i.e. skydiving) both as a participant as well as a fan. The setting of goals and training of participants in high-risk sports is complicated by the fact that the motivations operating are often in opposition to more accepted sports training methods. High intrinsic motivations and need for control need to be taken into account in attempts by teachers to improve skills. External rewards backfire in that these athletes will experience them as attempts to control. Therefore, it is important in designing programs to give them opportunities for input into various aspects of the training. Having the high-risk athlete evaluate their progress is, also, helpful.

INTRODUCTION: The first article in this series (Techniques to Reduce Stress I), we reviewed Diaphragmatic Breathing and Imagery techniques in reducing stress. It was noted that both can improve the positive impact on lowering stress and anxiety in an athletic situation that is being or will be encountered. This article will introduce more cognitive and physical techniques aimed at the same purposes. Again, remember that not all techniques work equally well for everyone. So, try them out, give them a chance, and keep those that seem to work for you and throw away those that prove to be of no benefit.

COGNITIVE TECHNIQUES: Change your attitude in order to perceive negative events in a positive way! For example, instead of believing that it is going to be difficult to return a fast serving tennis opponent, think about how you can use the pace of his serve to your benefit.

• Talk to yourself in a positive way! If your team has reached the semi-finals of the basketball tournament for the first time, tell yourself it is do to the improvement in team cohesion, abilities and effort over the course of the season.
• Visualize positive results instead of imagining failure! An example would be to see yourself getting a great jump on the pitcher, sliding around the shortstop’s tag and hitting second base with your outstretched hand.
• Be flexible enough to change! If an approach to hitting your golf drive is not working due to deteriorating weather conditions, it is important to be able to consider other clubs that would encounter less problems in keeping the ball in the fairway. Also, if a club just doesn’t seem to be working for you today, leave it in the bag and turn your attention to those that are effective.
• Never try to be perfect! Perfect is never enough! Since it is impossible to play any athletic event perfectly, you are going to be under constant stress regardless of success or failure. If the only thing that is emotional acceptable is getting a 300 score in bowling, yes, you may get there once, twice, etc, but to expect it every time is debilitating.
• Take time out from practice! All too often you hear about young great athletes who have burned themselves out by the time they might be reaching their peak. Very often the explanation is the relentless pressure on young minds and bodies.
• Find the best time for you to work and the best environment! Sometimes athletes find that early morning runs are better than late in the afternoon. Obviously, it might be better to practice during the times and under the conditions that the competition will occur. This will leave you with less stress at the time of the real event.
• Don’t dwell on the past! Focus on present and future! Most anxiety and stress is caused by obsessing about events of the past and anticipation of problems in the future. Often, the calmest state can be found in the present because there is usually nothing go on that is troubling.
• Change or avoid negative situations! If you are having struggles communicating with a coach, try to shift the interpersonal dynamics or change coaches. Stress between people is intensified by trying the same old thing with the same people. Try to communicate clearly without hidden agendas.
• Talk to a fellow athlete or a professional! Sometimes we are too close to the problems we are having in our sport to see what the problem is. We keep trying and think it should be coming out differently. We need someone with objectivity to spot the difficult and offer a solution.

BASIC RELAXATION TECHNIQUES: These techniques can be practice before any athletic event – sitting on the bench, during the national anthem, waiting turn to hit a golf ball, in-between shift changes in hockey, etc. Tense each of the following muscle groups and hold for ten seconds.

1. Relaxation of arms: Clinch right hand (make a fist) and tense forearm; clinch left hand and tense left forearm. Clinch both right and left hands and forearms; tense right biceps (front of upper arm) by bending right arm at elbow. Tense left biceps by bending left arm at elbow. Tense right triceps (back muscle, upper arm) by stiffening right arm. Tense left biceps by stiffening left arm.
2. Relaxation of head area: Wrinkle forehead; frown and crease brows. Close eyelids. Close eyelids tightly and keep them closed throughout the remaining exercises. Rotate eyes in clockwise circles – return to center; rotate eyes in counterclockwise circles – return to center. Rotate eyes to the far right. Rotate eyes to the far left. Rotate eyes to the top of the sockets. Wrinkle nose and cheeks. Press lips together tightly (or purse them). Clinch jaws. Press chin against the chest. Press tongue against the roof of the mouth. Begin to swallow, and hold. Tense throat. Tense throat and larynx muscles by humming a high note without making any sounds. Then hum down the scale to a low note.
3. Relaxation of trunk: First, tense shoulder muscles by bringing shoulders up to your ears. Then, pull the shoulders back and the upper back muscles. Arch lower back and tighten lower back muscles. Then reverse and pull shoulder muscles inward to the front and tighten the chest muscles. Next, tighten your stomach muscles by pulling inward and downward. Tighten pelvic muscles in groin area – like stopping urination in the middle of urinating. Last, tighten your buttocks by pulling them together.
4. Relaxation of legs: In the following order, tighten right upper leg, left upper leg, both upper legs (pull legs together at knees and straighten legs), tense right calf and shin (raise foot as though to touch leg), left calf and shin, tense right foot and toes followed by left foot and toes.
5. Intensifying the relaxed state throughout the body.
   1. Take a deep breath in through your nose. Hold it to the count of four and exhale to the count of four.
   2. Repeat this several times. Notice the tension in your chest. As you exhale, notice what happens throughout the body. Let your muscles go further and relax very deeply; go on and deep breathe many times and notice the tension. Notice it go throughout your body.
   3. Breathe deeply and evenly, and enjoy the sensations of warmth, full relaxation. Remember these feelings.

Self-hypnosis is a technique that is often used by athletes for the purposes of pain management, anxiety reduction, or maximizing exertion. Hypnosis is a temporary, trance-like state, which is characterized by the individual being exceedingly suggestible. If a hypnotized individual is told that he/she can not move his arm, then he/she will act as if that limb has been paralyzed. Typically, people enter this state with the help of another individual (the hypnotist) but some people can hypnotize themselves (self-hypnosis).

This article is the second of a two part series focusing on the topic of hypnosis. The first article focused on some of the misconceptions and uses of hypnosis and this one will provide instruction for individuals who want to use this often misunderstood technique. You should be aware that not everybody will benefit from it. In some instances it may be necessary to consult a specialist in this area.

Pick A Goal

First and foremost, it is important to pick the goal of using self-hypnosis. That is to say, will you be using the technique in order to reduce anxiety that you have prior to a competition or for pain management? This decision is critical since it will impact the post-hypnotic suggestions that are used. Without having a goal, this exercise amounts to little more then guided imagery (which can have beneficial impacts as well but is clearly not self-hypnosis).

Entering the “Trance”

In order to enter a self-hypnotic state, it is important to create an environment that is conducive to it. This means that you should find a quiet, comfortable place where you will not be disturbed. Ideally, you will find a comfortable chair where you can sit without having to cross your arms and legs. Pick a spot on the wall in front of you and count backwards from ten. As you do this, slowly close your eyes so that they are wide open when you start the countdown and close just as you end it. You are now ready to use the imagery portion of the technique.

Imagine yourself standing at the top of a darkened staircase looking down towards a door that is open with a light coming from the room just behind it at the bottom of the steps. Begin walking down the stairs towards with the light at the bottom of the steps progressively getting brighter as you get closer. When you reach the door, push it open. Inside, there is a plain white room with a black leather reclining chair that is facing away from the door. You walk over to the chair and sit in it. As you sit down, you are aware of the pleasant leathery smell of the chair. You are surprised by how cushiony yet supportive the chair is. It is the most comfortable chair that you have ever sat in. You begin to feel relaxed and are amazed at how this room is the perfect temperature, not too hot or cold. You should make positive self statements such as “I feel calm. I feel relaxed. I feel at peace.” Repeat these several times pausing between repetitions and taking a cleansing breath in through the nose and out through the mouth until you feel completely relaxed. Once you do this, you should go on to the post-hypnotic suggestion of the technique.

Post-hypnotic Suggestion

The suggestion that you use is what is at the core of the technique. Make sure that it is not something that is overly complicated. The simpler the goal, the more likely that you will reap the rewards of self-hypnosis. If the goal of entering the hypnotic state is improving focus through out a golf match then you would make a statement such as:

“I will focus on the task at hand. All distractions can wait until after my match has ended. The only thing that matters to me is the upcoming competition. I will remain focused until the last putt has been sunk on the eighteenth green.”

It is important that you repeat the suggestion at least two to three times so that it is ingrained in your memory. In addition, it is important to try and repeat the suggestion verbatim. Other post self-hypnotic suggestions can be made as well. For example, if the goal is pain management for a sore arm then you would make a statement like the following: “My arm feels good. It is light and powerful. It is healthy and strong.” Again, repeat the statement several times in order to maximize the benefit of the suggestion. You are now ready to exit the self-hypnotic state.

Exiting the “Trance”

It is important to leave the room that you have imagined for yourself in order for the suggestion to become part of your sub-conscious memory. In order to do this, imagine yourself getting out of the leather chair. You should try to be aware of the absence of the leathery smell. Walk towards the door and turn to look at the room one last time. Imagine the how the back of the chair looks and be aware of the approximate dimensions of the room. You might even want to try shutting the door behind you. Slowly begin to climb the stairs. As you do this, slowly begin to open your eyes (it should take you a ten count just like when you closed them to begin the exercise).

Suggestions

Self-hypnosis often takes a great deal of practice in order to achieve maximum benefit. It is important that the post-hypnotic suggestions are always framed positively. That is to say, never make a statement such as “I feel no pain” or “I will not loose my focus.” You may want to try and write out exactly what you want your post-hypnotic suggestion will be. This has a two fold effect in that it will allow you the time to make up positive self-statements as well as improve the likelihood that you will repeat it verbatim. Finally, if you would like to further explore the benefits of hypnosis on your athletic performance, we strongly suggest that you consult an expert. If you would like a referral to a qualified professional in your area feel free to contact us using the link at the bottom of this page.

One characteristic that connects us humans is the desire to assign meaning and causality to events that occur in our lives. These are called attributions. Only those who have reached some extreme level of spiritual development have “given up these quests.” Let me save you some time! We are not one of them. We, mere mortals, keep creating stories (attributions). I do not use this word (stories) critically. The word is meant to imply that we have no way of being completely assured that our stories represent the truth. Regardless, the stories are very powerful and effect what we do and how well we do it. This is as true in sports as in any other area.

Turn on the WFAN radio station anytime of day or night (except when Don Imus is on). For those of you who are not living in the New York City area, this is an all sports call-in radio station. Almost twenty-four seven hosts of the programs get stories from their listeners. The goal is to explain what happened to their favorite sports teams and athletes the day before. This is often followed by predictions of what will happen and why. The hosts, in an authoritarian tone, will either confirm what they are hearing or tell the caller how incredibly wrong headed they are. Each side is very convinced of their stories. The side that wins the argument is not the one who owns the truth but the one who is most wedded to their truth and shouts louder. The ultimate weapon is the hang up. Whoever clicks the other off first seems to think his truth is best.

As athletes, we rely upon stories to make sense of our performance. Those stories that athletes tell themselves and others have dramatic impact on future performances. Coaches and players are remarkable storytellers. It is good for us to know how to create stories that help improve performance. It is important for coaches to ask their players what internal stories are being used to make sense of a performance. Many coaches would be shocked to hear them sometimes.

All attributions are attempts to answer a question or explain a fact. Here’s a list of “facts”. Each item will need a story to explain it.

• I hit so badly last night at Fenway Park.
• I have never won a tiebreaker against her.
• Our team always collapses in the last two minutes.
• I play better on the road.
• I lost tonight with Jorge Pasada behind the plate.
• I am now 2 hits for 21 appearances against Pedro Martinez.

You get the idea. For each one of these items, many stories could be told. Take a few minutes and, as an exercise, let your imaginations go. Create a few stories for each. Let your imagination run wild. It is fun. Share them with a friend or athlete that you know. It’s like a party game. Depending on the story, imagine how it might effect future athletic performance!

I’ll take one of the questions and you will get a sense of the impact these stories have on our behavior and performance outcome. After throwing the options in a hat, I pulled “I hit so badly at Fenway last night.” Possible stories include:

1. Being a left handed hitter the Park was designed to bring out the worst in me. If I was only right handed
2. The crowd is so close to the field that I could hear the crowd yelling the food orders to the attendants.
3. I was a Boston Red Sox fan as a child and I don’t have it in me to make them lose in front of their fans again.
4. My ex-girl friend still lives in the Boston area and loves coming out to a night game. I agined her sitting with her new boyfriend and becoming excited if I hit a home run. So, maybe I was over swinging.
5. There is something about the Boston hotel we stay at. I just can’t get a good nights sleep there.
6. I am not a good enough hit Pedro Martinez.

What, as a coach, do I want to say to my player who comes up with any of these stories? “See a shrink, take medication, go to the wacko ward and your fired!” These stories have different characteristics requiring different interventions.

In the first story, the athlete is employing an external explanation. He feels out of control and powerless to effect his performance. I would want to know what it is about the structure of Fenway that gives him problems. Then, I would think about ways in which we can work to change his mental and physical approach and use the Park to play into his strengths.

The second story also has an external approach. As a coach, you must be careful about putting down your athlete’s problems regardless of how absurd the story sounds. If the athlete can chuckle at the story, it would provide some mental distance from what is bothering him/her and improve focus. Try to teach some techniques for getting into the here and now. Try to foster a sense of personal power!

The third story is an example of taking too much responsibility for his performance. He is thinking too deeply. It has become a “thing” in itself. Not to sound too off color – but if you obsess about a failed sexual performance; it will become a problem that will effect future events. Bad games happen to all of us. Let the athlete know “that the pitcher was really on his game. It happens.” These kinds of ideas will empty his mind and allow him to focus on the here and now when he hits again.

The fourth indicates that the player needs to be a hero. As a coach, you want to take the pressure off. The team doesn’t need one player to save the day – let him know that you want him to just do his job. Trying to impress others results in tightening the muscles and changing his swing. Stay within yourself!

The fifth story may hide other facts. He is concerned about his job security. Let him know that he is not expected to do everything well now. “He is here to learn.” Or, he feels like he ought to be staying at his mother’s house when he is in town. These kinds of stories may not be unconscious. All he needs to do is know you are available as a caring and trust-worthy listener. Something is on your player’s mind and it is always better to talk about it.

The sixth story is a skill-related explanation for events. Pedro Martinez does throw all his pitches with the same motion. Your hitter cannot rely on that information to help his performance. Teach him some other approaches that may help him improve his attitude towards hitting Pedro. Emphasize the ideas of just making contact, trying to keep his feet planted, cut down his stride, learn the pitches he tends to throw in various situations, etc. These may give the athlete a little edge and some hope of doing well. If he is one of your better hitters, remind him of that. It is always helpful to get accurate praise.

Attributions are the means by which we make sense of the world. Most attributions are learned approaches to explaining events in our life. If they are learned, they can be unlearned and new ones put in their place. It is important to be conscious of the attributions being employed. This is especially true when they negatively impact our results. Once we are conscious, we can alter them and substitute others that are more productive and create better performance.