Sport Psychology | Athletic Performance | Athletes Audio

Athletes, what do you REALLY believe about yourself? [VIDEO]

Bob K — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:43:10 +0000

Sport Psychologist Adrienne Langelier (@alangelier) out of The Woodlands TX joins us in our mental training expert interview series, hot on the heels of the @HoustonMarathon with some thoughts about self belief, and self talk for athletes.

Your own self-belief is the key to successful life-change, achievement, contentment, and happiness. Adrienne and I open up a conversation about how to stack the deck in your favor by changing your beliefs.

She’s an elite runner herself, sponsored by Brooks and Powerbar, and her mental training chops will speak for themselves. She’s also just started writing for WomenTalkSports.com where a bunch of our friends (@SportPsycher, @Ingridium, and @AnnGaff) are already changing the world for women’s sports.

The doom-loop of poor communication in a team. [VIDEO]

Bob K — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:24:55 +0000

PhD Sport Psych Jared Wood joins us today to talk about the importance of communication with teammates, and the mental benefits of talking in practice, competition, even in the weight room.

Jared was a collegiate football player before earning his Phd, and has extensive experience with golfers, football players, and athletes of all stripes.

He’s @woodjared on twitter, and he’s writing a book called ‘It’s Only Cold on One Sideline”.

Set Goals, Not Resolutions

Bob K — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:36:21 +0000

This article originally posted on Active.com.

By Cindra Kamphoff (our Athlete’s Audio running psychology expert)

There are many benefits to setting goals. Goals direct your focus and attention. They help you remain persistent in the face of adversity. They increase your self-confidence and help you develop problem-solving strategies. They help you train smarter and harder. The bottom line is that when you set effective goals, they help you perform up to your potential.

Research conducted within sport psychology suggests that the world’s best athletes have clear, simple and targeted daily goals. They know what they want to accomplish each day and each workout. They know how their daily goals connect to their long-term goals, plans and dreams.

The start of the New Year is a good time to think about what you want to accomplish in the coming months. Perhaps you have already committed to a New Year’s resolution, which is a good start.

However, resolutions tend to be all or nothing. Black or white. We usually focus on what we don’t want to do rather than what we do want. And we don’t usually plan out how to sustain that resolution for a whole year. Perhaps that’s why only eight percent of people who make a New Year’s resolution actually keep it.

Instead of resolutions, set goals. Dedicate the time and effort toward setting and evaluating your goals and think of what you could accomplish.

Here are some tips to help you be all you can be:

1. Set specific, but challenging goals.

If your goals are detailed and measurable, they are more likely to improve your performance than vague or “do-your-best” goals. Also, to keep your motivation high, goals should be set that are just beyond your reach, but not far beyond your reach.

2. Set multiple goals.

An ideal number is three. More gives you too much to focus on, but only one can put too much pressure on you. A runner who only focuses on qualifying for the Boston Marathon, for example, may feel too much pressure before and during the competition.

3. Ink it, don’t just think it.

People are more successful if they write down their goals. A study of Harvard alumni suggests that the three percent of alumni who wrote down their goals at graduation made more money combined 30 years later than the 97 percent who did not.

4. Frame your goals positively instead of negatively.

Rather than saying what you don’t want to do, write what you do want. Changing “I will avoid eating sweets this year” to “I will eat one small piece of chocolate once a week” has a dramatic impact on your focus and motivation. It allows you to think about the chocolate you can enjoy, not chocolate you can’t have.

5. Plan out what you are going to do weekly or daily.

This is incredibly important and a step that most people miss. We tend to think about our goals, but don’t write a plan that includes short-term daily or weekly goals. Someone who is trying to lose a certain amount of weight this year should break that total into smaller monthly goals.

6. Include a plan to adjust your goals.

Many of us think that when you set a goal you can’t change it. But life sometimes gets in the way. You may get injured during training, and may have to readjust your goals.

7. Ask someone to sign your plan.

This person can help hold you accountable for your goals and support you in the process. Think carefully about who you choose. It should be someone who can be honest with you when the going gets tough.

Spend some time reflecting on what you want to accomplish today. Use this opportunity to reflect on what you accomplished last year and look toward the next. Then set goals instead of making resolutions. This increases your chance for success and keep you motivated and focused for the year to come.

Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., operates The Runner’s Edge, one of the only sport psychology practices focused on runners in the U.S. She teaches unique mental strategies to help runners transform their running and their lives. She does this through one-on-one sessions via Skype or the phone, workshops, and talks at marathons and other races. Follow her at yourrunnersedge.com and facebook.com/therunnersedge.

What if….I fail?? What if…I let my team down? Competitive Anxiety with Dr Haley Perlus. [VIDEO]

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:09:30 +0000

Competitive Ski racer, and bi-national Sport Psychology consultant Dr Haley Perlus joins the Athlete’s Audio Academy to discuss the idea of competitive anxiety….those nervous feelings that creep in at crunch time, or when you feel pressure.

We’re focusing that conversation on skiing (since that’s Dr. Perlus’ background), but the ideas that we discuss will be relevant to any athlete.

Haley is a doctor of sport and exercise psychology. She is an expert at empowering individuals to achieve peak performance. A former elite athlete, Whistler Cup Alpine Ski Racing Champion, Coach, group fitness instructor, and fitness trainer, Haley has devoted her life to sport and exercise and understands the difficulty of overcoming performance blocks so that people can consistently perform to the best of their ability.

She’s also the creator of the Ultimate Achievement Journal, Daily inspiration or Peak Fitness Results.

Coaches, you just want your team to play better, right?? [VIDEO]

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:11:43 +0000

I’ll admit it. I hated school. I could never understand how any of it was going to apply to my real life. But I wanted to learn new stuff. So my teachers had to figure out a way to serve up the new stuff in a way that I could see how it was going to be applicable.

I had to ‘eat my peas…without knowing I was eating my peas’

I’m sure that’s how a lot of athletic coaches feel about incorporating mental skills training into their work with individuals and teams. They’re interested in anything that will help their teams win, but are either not sure where to start, or don’t know how to incorporate the brain-work into their coaching.

Enter Larry Lauer, whose resume is as long as your arm:

Director of Coaching Education and Development – Institute for the Study of Youth Sports / Michigan State University
Mental Performance Consultant, USA Hockey National Team Development Program
An Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Certified Consultant and listed in the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry, 2008-2012,
Larry was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sport Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport.
Author of an article that every parent should read on ‘Who’s coaching our Kids‘.

He’s kind of a big deal, and his passion is helping Coaches understand the mental skills. If you coach kids of any age, and ability level, Larry is someone you should know. You can connect with Sport Psychology Pro Larry Lauer here and here, and read his blogs on Tennis, and Hockey.

He’s here today on the Athlete’s Audio Academy to talk about some of the language that Sport Psychology professionals can use to help coaches understand the mental skills.

TX Coaches – Mental Skills Coaching Workshop [VIDEO]

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:32:02 +0000

CALLING ALL COACHES!! High School. College. Youth. Amateur. Wouldn’t you love to learn the mental side of the game from the Pros? The Mental Coaches for multiple world champions? If it’s your passion to develop excellence in young people, you won’t have a better chance this year to learn how to incorporate mental skills into your work.

On December 4^th in Colleyville, TX, Coach Aaron Weintraub is bringing together the largest, and best collection of mental training talent in North America for a 1 day summit, The Mental Skills Coaching Workshop’.

He joins us on the Athlete’s Audio Academy to discuss the workshop, and the impact that coaches can have when they correctly apply mental skills with their teams.

Onto the event: How’s this for a ‘Murderers Row’ of knowledgeable speakers?

Brian Cain, Mental Training Expert and Coach

Trevor Moawad, Director of Mental Conditioning at IMG Academies

Bob Tewksbury, Mental Coach of the Boston Red Sox

Aaron Weintraub, College coach, Author, Mental Coach

The details are available at CoachTraub.com. The topics that will be covered include:

‘The language players don’t understand but coaches always use’

‘Self-Talk; the key to unleashing personal power’

‘Winning the mental game at practice’

‘Teaching the power of imagery’

‘Developing pre-performance routines for consistency’

And there will be a number of panel discussions where you, and other coaches will have a chance to ask these great mental conditioning experts about the issues affecting your team, and how to create a winning mind in your players.

If you’re not able to attend this great workshop, post-seminar materials will be available via DVD, contact Aaron for more information.

You can also RSVP via Facebook, or download the registration form.

See you there!

There is no such thing as MO (mentum)

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:11:33 +0000

Super-enthusiastic Brian Levenson, MA, Sport Psychology holds the theory that there is no such thing as momentum for great athletes. (Only for sportscasters, and armchair QB’s)

Great athletes, by contrast are present in the moment, and focused on things that they can control.
Brian has some tips for athletes to avoid the idea of momentum, and do the things that the pros do when they’re playing on this weeks edition of the Athlete’s Audio Academy.

Brian Levenson is a mental training consultant based in the Washington D.C. area. Born and raised in the D.C. suburbs, Brian moved to San Francisco to get his M.A. in Sport Psychology. Brian has worked with athletes in a wide range of sports, including basketball, tennis, and golf.

Asking for help in a tough sports environment

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:50:11 +0000

Robert Price of Elite Minds in DC visits with the Athlete’s Audio today to talk about the stigma that plagues athletes (and people in general) when it comes to asking for help.

Especially in the world of football, which may not be the most, shall I say, ‘sensitive’ environment…and one where the best skill players may not touch the ball but 4-7 times a game.

You’ve got to be ready, focused, calm, and confident to play your best, and Robert can help.

Robert’s consulting practice is Elite Minds

Elite Minds has worked with a wide variety of athletes in various settings. They have counseled collegiate and professional kickers, amateur tennis players, golfers of all levels, basketball players, gymnasts, hockey players, lacrosse, soccer, ice skating, field hockey, track, and many other recreational athletes. Their most recent work has been with the TEST Sports Clubs, TEST Football Academy, Athletes Edge, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, New Jersey Nets.

Robert Price has received Master’s degrees from both University of Maryland in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology and Johns Hopkins University in Clinical Community Counseling. Mr. Price also holds a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University, where he majored in Psychology and Learning Behavior Disorders. He played college football at the University of Pittsburgh prior to transferring to Hampton University. He is a trained teacher by trade and has worked with people in numerous capacities. He is a member of North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSA), Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and American Counseling Association (ACA). He is a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Maryland, Washington DC and is a National Certified Counselor granted by the National Board of Certified Counselors, Inc.

Psychology of Running (It’s more than one foot in front of the other…)

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:51:32 +0000

Sure, to run effectively in marathons, 5k’s, and fun runs requires great fitness, and efficient mechanics…but what of the mental demands of running? There are many mental training skills that come into play in these running events, and who better to help us understand them than a Sport Psychology professional who’s also an accomplished runner herself.

Welcome Cindra Kamphoff to the Athlete’s Audio Academy, where we improve the mental game of athletes across sports, disciplines, skill levels, and across the world.

Cindra is a professor at Minnesota State, Mankato, and has extensive experience running marathons. She’s also focused her entire Sport Psychology consulting practice specifically on runners, www.yourrunnersedge.com.

Cindra S. Kamphoff, Ph.D., is a Certified Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. She is also a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Psychology Registry which approves practitioners to work with Olympic athletes and national teams. She specializes in the psychology of running and marathoning. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her B.S. from the University of Northern Iowa. Her dissertation received the 2006 NASPE Sport and Exercise Psychology Academy Dissertation Award, and she recently received the Dorothy Harris Memorial Award through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Not just golf…EVERY SPORT is not a game of perfect…Dr Patrick Cohn

admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 05:05:45 +0000

If you search Sport Psychology on google, on YouTube, or just about anywhere, the first FEW entries that will come up in your search are the brainchildren of Dr. Patrick Cohn, our guest today on the Athlete’s Audio Academy.

Dr Cohn has been among the world’s most visible and celebrated Sport Psychology professionals in the world for over 20 years, and we discuss the topic of perfectionism in sports.

He blogs regularly, and hosts a website that’s a fantastic resource for athletes, parents, and coaches at peaksports.com, and his YouTube Channel, Mindset for Sports is also a fantastic resource for all athletes, parents, and coaches.

Dr. Cohn is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports in Orlando, Florida. Experts in the field of sports psychology consider him the leading authority on mental skills for entering the zone and pre-performance routines, largely based upon his extensive research. He is a mentor to many in the field of sports psychology and provides performance enhancement skills through mental game coaching for individual and team athletes.

He has consulted with high profile teams such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL Players, National Motocross Champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers.

Dr Cohn is a leading provider of electronic, online, and CD programs to help athletes coaches and parents, and he’s also frequently quoted in major publications, and you can read all of those here!