Section I: Foundational Factors

SPORT PSYCHOLOGYWelcome to our class….

Mr. Jim Bonfiglio

Coach “B”

[email protected]

405-520-1350

Sport Psychology is about how to give a WINNING performance!

mailto:[email protected]

SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

Hyperlink to Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lhY0XHlfvs

SPORT PSYCHOLOGYMr. Jim Bonfiglio

Coach “B”

[email protected]

405-520-1350

Things you will find VERY helpful• Access to Computer for Online Tests

• Email or Text to communicate• You can type!

Class Website

Class Syllabus

“One Should Treat Others As One Would Like Others to Treat Oneself”

mailto:[email protected]

https://sites.google.com/site/casadysportspsychologyclass/

SPORT PSYCHOLOGYAll of us are performing at home, school, or in our relationships every day.

Sport Psychology can be referred to as Performance Psychology for Sport. It is the study of mental processes and behaviors that affect performance.

Peak performers, in any endeavor:

Maintain a positive attitude

Maintain a high level of self motivation

Set high, realistic goals

Deal effectively with people

Use positive self-talk

Use positive mental imagery

Manage anxiety effectively

Manage their emotions effectively

Maintain concentration & focus (Ohio Center of Sport Psychology)

“Things will go wrong at times. You can’t always control circumstances. However, you can always control attitude, approach, and response. Your options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better”

- Tony Dungy (former Head Coach – Indianapolis Colts)

SPORT PSYCHOLOGYWhat do you think Sport Psychology is about?

Show the Class how you can “Sum it Up in Three Words”

Hyperlink to Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htrT9XrE5U0

SPORT PSYCHOLOGYWhat do you think Sport Psychology is about?

• Sum it up in THREE WORDS only….

CLOSING THE GAPSECTION 1: FOUNDATIONAL

FACTORS

Chapter 1: Intro to Sport Psychology

Chapter 2: The Seven Pillars of Mental Excellence

Chapter 3: Getting Physically Tough Part 1: Know Yourself and Get Fit

Chapter 4: Getting Physically Tough Part 2: Act Tough & Recover Before Battle

Chapter 5: Getting Mentally Tough

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO SPORT PSYCHOLOGY

What is sport?

Continuum of Sport

Play: Informal

Recreation: May have defined purpose (exercising? Relaxation? Social?

Games: Rules. Organized. Let’s Play H-O-R-S-E!

Sport: Competitive. Formal rules. Highly structured. More at risk? Perceived as being

“more important?”


Brief History of Sports

Pre-History: 30,000 years ago…carvings archery contests…foot races, wrestling.

Why? Is achievement innate?

Ancient Greece: Credited with “formalization”. Olympics. Wars would “pause” for competitions! Fitness and competitions were essential to human development.

“The education of the body must precede that of the intellect.”

Aristotle

Mind, Body, and Spirit?

Ancient Rome: Different than Greeks. Professionalism (not for everyone). Mainstream were spectators (Gladiators, coliseum)

In Modern Sports today:

Concept of “amateur” from Greek tradition.

Concept of “professional” from Romans.


What is Sport Psychology?

• Study of mental factors (behaviors & cognitive processes) that influence performance in sport.

• Application of this knowledge to improve performance.


First Experiment: 1898

Psychologist Norman Triplett (Indiana University): Cyclists performed better when competing vs. riding alone.

Coleman Roberts Griffith: Father of Sport Psychology, developed first scientific laboratory dedicated to studying sport in 1925.

Why is Sport Psychology popular?• People wanted an edge.

• Political pressure, national pride. Are there really any more amateurs?

• Big Business. Lots of $$$$. • Fitness interest increasing. (everyday person).

CHAPTER 2: SEVEN PILLARS OF MENTAL EXCELLENCE

Parthenon: Still standing when Greeks built in 5th Century BC.

Why?

Well designed, solid materials, firm foundation. Pillars.


Seven Pillars aim to Close the Gap

Where do you fall?

Very skilled student with mediocre work ethic?

Minimally skilled student with great work ethic?

Very skilled student with great work ethic?


Pillar 1: Excellence

Being the absolute best you can be. Achieving your potential by YOUR standards.• Few people “max out.”

• Nature vs. nurture affecting performance?• Must have desire.

Michael Jordan: Not satisfied with good enough; had to be excellent.

• Stay away from comparisons.• Focus of process, not results. (hit the marks.)

• Focus on controllable.Tiger Woods handling question about losing a tournament: “I actually played well. I hit my

marks, the putts just didn’t fall.”


Pillar 2: Understand the Real Value of Success.• Investment (hard work) gives real meaning to an

achievement.“The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Pillar 3: Competition• Competition between oneself and others.

• Competition because it brings out the best in people.• Embrace HEALTHY completion.

• No room for negative emotions like revenge, hurt, and hatred.

“The path to the dark side are these.”

Yoda


Pillar 4: Focus• Concentration and attention on the HERE and NOW!• Mentally Weak are worried about past and future.

• Mentally Tough is in the moment.

Pillar 5: Self Confidence• Trust yourself, perform with conviction.

Will you go for it or hesitate?

• Confidence does not equal arrogance or cockiness. Confidence: rooted in what you think. Internal focus.

Arrogance and Cockiness: rooted in what others think.


Pillar 6: Control

• Much stress and anxiety comes from things outside of our control. •Weather, opponent actions, officiating (judges).

• Understand things that you CAN control.•Emotions, perception/reaction, positive and negative thoughts.

Zone of Power: Focusing your energies on what you CAN control.

Pillar 7: Have Fun

• Not silly, but, achieving a sense of pride, satisfaction, and enjoyment.• This kind of fun positions the person to:

•Strive for excellence.•Value effort.•Focused on the here and now.•Compete without doubt or fear.•Make tough decisions.

CHAPTER 3: GETTING PHYSICALLY TOUGH PART 1: KNOW YOURSELF & GET FIT!

“Know your enemy and know yourself. In a hundred battles you will never be in peril.”

- General Sun Tzu

We must know the “task” (enemy)

We must know ourselves.

Strengths and weakness assessment.


Know Yourself

Rule 1: Divide and Conquer• What are the physical needs of your sport?

Strength, endurance, flexibility, timing?

Rule 2: Be Analytical, Not Judgmental• Don’t get angry, emotional, or hopeless. • Act like a scientist & be emotionless. Look at things objectively.

•”I need to work on my speed” versus this…”I’m slow and can’t keep up.”

• Negativity only hurts your progress….be objective, NON judgmental.


Training: Two kinds of training.

Inside-Out: train your beliefs, mindset…it enhances physical performance.

Outside-In: training your body enhances mind set…it enhances performance.

Body and Mind are not separate. Keeping both healthy will help improve performance.


Physical Toughness: Outside-In Training• Improve general fitness level.• Look and act confident on the outside (body language, eye contact)• Rest and nutrition are important!

Why is Fitness Important for “mind training?”• Greater ability to endure stress.• Confidence. (preparedness).

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

- Vince Lombardi


Categories of General Fitness

• Core: Abs, lower back.Central pillar (core) of body to generate power.

• Cardiovascular EnduranceHeart and Lung fitness.

Get in training zone for improved aerobic fitness.Max HR = 220-age

Train 60-80% of maxHR


• Muscular strengthAdaptation or Overload Principle

More weight, more reps, less rest are forms of overload.

• Flexibility: enhances functioning and power of muscles.

Two kinds: Dynamic and Static stretching.

Dynamic stretches are good before as a warm up before activity.

Static Stretches are good to improve flexibility and aid in recovery after the activity.

CHAPTER 4: GETTING PHYSICALLY TOUGH PART 2: ACT TOUGH & RECOVER FROM BATTLE

Look and act confident on the outside (body language, eye contact)

“Act the part and you will become the part.”

- William James (Freud era psychologist)


Emotions and body are connected•Body chemistry changes linked to emotions• Excitement, depression, anxiety, adrenalin, cortisol

Behavioral experiment by psychologist•Faked the symptoms….became depressed.•Slept late, stayed up late, not getting dressed, not doing things he enjoyed, dwell on negatives, etc.•Reversed the symptoms….reversed depression.


What can you do to help your performance?

Fake it until you make it: Physically projecting confidence will make you feel better.

•Walking with head up.• Walk confidently.•Stand tall, back straight.•Make direct eye contact.

Body Language sends signals to the people around you.• Competitors, judges, audience.• Their Perception is their reality.


Rest is important!• Training should be cycled.• Work and Rest are both important.

• Sleep Cycles• 8-10 hours daily sleep. 4 stages that equals 90-120 minutes.

Stage 1: light sleep: drowsy

Stage 2: light sleep:

Stages 3 & 4: deep sleep, restorative physically.

REM, light sleep (dreaming),restorative mentally.

•Cycles: Stage 1,2,3,4,3,2, REM (can wake up and remember dreams)

Study: 8 hours of sleep, but, deprived deep sleep led to bodies not physically recovered. Deprived REM and mental power diminished.

Sleep cycles are creatures of habit….try to stay in same routine for best results.


Carbohydrates are the fuel.•Complex better than simple. • Sugar high is from simple carbs• Pasta, grains are complex and good carbs

Hydration•Essential. Thirst is not a good indicator of proper hydration.• How can you tell you are properly hydrated?

• Clear urine is a good indicator

CHAPTER 5: GETTING MENTALLY TOUGH

“Victory belongs to the most persevering”

~Napoleon Bonaparte

Saints are sinners who kept on going.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.

~Albert Einstein


Mental Toughness is not only for sport…It is important in many facets of life…example:

business…

Hyperlink to Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJsUt_XxIxo


What is Mental Toughness?

• Ability to bounce back from setback. Resilience.“I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

- Michael Jordan

• Still affected by setbacks.• Flexibility to adjust.• Never gives up. • Perseverance.• Ability to control emotions.• Able to perform in upper range of talent.• Not allowing fear of failure to keep us from reaching.


What is NOT Mental Toughness?

• Killer instinct• Playing mean & dirty• Poor sportsmanship, trash talking• Being defensive and won’t take “coaching” or criticism

•Should say “Thanks, coach”…I needed to hear that” and listen for the message. It will make you better.


How do you explain failure?

This is connected to mental toughness.

The Three “P”s

Permanence“It just didn’t happen today” vs. “I always mess up.”

Pervasiveness“This whole game stinks.” Vs. “We did some good things”

Personalization“I’m a total loser” vs. “It’s not who I am, I just made a bad play.”



Strategies to Improve Mental Toughness

• Take Control and Change the way you think.•Visualize….fighting back, having fun, feeling relaxed, etc.•Thought stoppage.

•Stop negative thinking by shouting “stop” out loud.•Practice saying positive words and thinking

•Words to avoid: “Can’t” or “hate”•Think and visualize good things everyday.

•I will never give up.•I put myself on the line everyday.•I will be prepared to compete every day.•I will show no weakness on the outside.•The crazier it gets, the more I love it.•I love competing more than winning.


Strategies to Improve Mental Toughness

• Use humor to stop negative emotions.• Think or speak energetically.

• I love it!• Is this great or what?• Yes!

• Keep focus to here and now during competition•Have a short memory…stay in the moment.

• Be analytical (not emotional) about mistakes you’ve made. •Find the lesson learned!

• Use adversity to make you stronger.• Love the battle.• Use “positive brainwashing”

•Say “I love <blank-something you’re struggling with>•Make yourself smile every time you are practicing a skill.


Class & Journal Activity(Can be found in Journal #2)

Permanence

Pervasiveness

Personalization

Can you paint the picture and come up with a statement for each “P”, each pair has both the mentally tough and the mentally weak perspective.


Class & Journal ActivitySeparating Identity from Results

In each circle, put down a “role” that you play (ex. Daughter, friend) or a describe yourself in different areas.

Education

Section I: Foundational Factors