Bigger Than Me = Better Me

I go to church regularly.  I like my church (First Trinitarian Congo in Scituate, MA – you’re welcome to visit always and often) and I’m proud to be part of the UCC.  Furthermore, if you’ve read this blog in the past you may note that I’ve got a bit of a family history of religion (see Father, Son, Sport Psychology).  So it’s safe to say that I’m religious.

Considering this, you can imagine that Jonah Lehrer’s Does Thinking About God Improve Our Self Control caught my eye.  Beyond my genetic predisposition to religion, self control is kind of a big deal when thinking about successful athletes.  Furthermore, research makes it more and more clear that self-control can be depleted just like physical endurance.  Teaching athletes to gain self-control and also to be able to refresh their self-control is my business.  Lehrer reflects on the recent research of Rounding and his colleagues – Religion Replenishes Self-Control.  In essence a series of studies demonstrated that thoughts of faith and religion primed research participants to increased self-control.  It’s a nice piece of research and poses some good food for thought.  At risk of angering the gods (perhaps even my God), I have to wonder if these findings are a religion thing or something else.

Religious faith drives deep into our souls, has tremendous meaning, and shapes our daily actions.  It permeates society.  Even the non-religious are impacted and shaped by important faith values (this is displayed in the research of Rounding et al.).  Powerful stuff.

A sports team, running group, or exercise club is not a religious group (such comparisons strike me as being a bit profane).  Yet, clubs that create a depth of values and connectedness I suspect help individual athletes be truly bigger than themselves.  This is a challenging concept however in this day and age of self-centered striving and achievement.  The great values of play, sport, and team too often are minimized to jargon that all agree with, but don’t manage to strike deep down in the soul.  When and if they do, wouldn’t a bit of extra self-control follow?

Imagine what efforts on the playing field look like when the team logo and certain words used around the locker room and the field have meaning that is greater that the actions themselves.  We sacrifice for teammates not because it is the right thing to do, but rather because it is who we are.  Great efforts are given during great struggles not because it leads to victory, but rather because it is who we are.  We are optimistic and poised in the face of great odds not because it is urged by coaches and parents, but rather because it is who we are.  I suspect this is some of the reason religious ideas seem to cue self-control.  They are supportive, comforting, non-judgmental, and pervasive in one’s life.

Perhaps it is a tall task to ask a coach, athletic program, or team to deliver such a powerful culture, but it does happen – look close, the greatest successes on the playing field seem to have a bit of it.  The endeavor of sport is made much bigger than a team or individual, yielding implicit strength and support during the competitive struggle.  I’ve often been found saying about great teams, “they’ve drunk the Kool-Aid.”  There is little “trying”  and “thinking” to do the right thing.  Instead it is just part of the fabric of competitive life.  Beyond the thoughts and actions, there is an implicit belief in what they are doing allows them to focus rather getting caught up in the mumbo jumbo of sport.

I am not sure that Rounding’s research is just about religion.  It does highlight that religious doctrine is really tremendous (perhaps the best thing out there) at impacting human beings and creating self control.  Religion is cool; try it.  Whether you do or do not, there are some great lessons to be learned for creating powerful communities of excellence.  Believing is something a bit bigger than one’s self – it certainly helps in daily striving on and off the field.

10 Word Answers to the Mental Game

I’m a bit of a West Wing junkie – blessed to have called the shadow of the Washington Monument my home for a while and I simply enjoy the show’s wit and wisdom.  “10 Word Answers” is one of the many great pieces of worldly wisdom that can be found in its seven seasons.

“10 Word Answers” seem to abound in pseudo-sport psych.  Pithy statements, nice quotes that can be tacked to the wall of a locker room, and analogies that make an audience ewe and aw seem to be all around.  They are all part of the self-help industry that we all love for its concrete simplicity.  “Positive thoughts leads to positive actions” – wow, so simple.  Fortune cookie wisdom is good entertainment, a quick burst of good vibes, but not a real game changer at the end of the day.

The question one must consider is, “What are the actions, ideas, and cognitive development that follow the bulletin board material?”  In essence, what are the “next 10 words” in the mental game.  Player development and mental toughness is  a complex entity.  The mental game is shaped by opponents, coaches, families, peers, teammates, years of experiences, habits, weather,  future dreams and aspirations, and a handful of other factors.  A quick quote is nice, but depth of knowledge and development is key.  A reflective athlete, thoughtful coach, and competent sport psych professional do not run away from the complexity of sport, but rather embrace it – they can certainly sort through it all for most timely player development.  To do anything less would parochial.

Mental game changers lie in the graceful harnessing of everything that happens after the motivational speech.  Demand that your mental game soundbites have roots.  Ones that hold will hold you in place and give you consistence during that many opportunities of sport.

Complexity is not a vice… but rather the true answer to life’s most engaging challenges.

The Heart of the Matter

I’ve been sitting on the following quote much too long.  It was a bit of a rant and wise ramble from my dear friend and colleague Doug Gardner (known to the blog at juplimpton or the Twitterverse @thinksport).  A handful of years back we were in the midst of a back and forth via e-mail and this quote made a cross country journey into my inbox.  It really nails a big idea and I’ve been relentlessly sharing it in coaching workshops over the past few month.  At first, I thought it was just a twist to throw in to keep things fresh for me, but it turns out it has deeply resonated with coaches.

The bottom line is that motivation is at the core of everything in sport.  Most people do not understand motivation correctly.  This area is one of the best, in terms of one of the most researched and studied areas in psychology.  Theory and research do reflect the real world.  Most people are motivated through outcomes and many process oriented people think they are focused on the process, yet they use the process as another form of an outcome.  Motivation dictates avoidance behaviors, reveals the true intentions of athletes and provides a baseline of focus.  Motivation reveals how someone deals with failure, adversity and persistence.  Ultimately, motivation reveals one’s willingness to learn.  Instead of judging something as good or bad, can’t we just learn?

When sharing it with coaches, we break it down line by line and we really get at the guts of the matter.  Close examination leads to some real light bulb moments for coaching the mental game.  At this time, I’ll trust you’ll give such reflection a shot on your own (If you are up for getting after understanding this aspect of the mental game in full, invite Doug or myself out to your organization to share in person).

Doug and I have been friends and colleagues for over a decade and a half.  In this time, he has been a sport psych intern to the Cleveland Indians, worked for the Boston Red Sox for six years, and recently played a role in a NCAA national championship.  Spend a little time with him and you’re sure to be entertained, but all that aside, he knows something about sport psyching.  Motivation and learning lead to great achievements… do you “get” them?

One Foot In, One Foot Out

The micro-cultures of sport are strong. Norms, values, and common practices of coaches and athletes create athletic worlds that are truly different from the world that exists outside of their locker rooms and playing fields. Walk into many a boathouse and you will see the endurance pain and suffering at the hands of a ergometer praised (i.e. this is not hyperbole… we’re talking blood hands and lost lunches… passing out is praise-worthy not medically questionable). Consider bounty-gate. Within the confines of a NFL locker room encouraging career-threatening harm to fellow players is seen as a path to Super Bowl glory. Witness the hockey parent that seeks out the sport psychology professional because his child is afraid to “hit” other kids. Never mind that “check” is a term more beneficial and sensical, failure to “hit” others is seen as an obstacle to the Hockey East scholarship. The micro-cultures of sport have some strong beliefs.

The strong beliefs of sporting cultures are wise, they have been built on many decades of experience and from the mouths of many passionate coaches and teachers. The strong beliefs of sport are also caps on potential. They may lead to good play, but it is important to question if they truly lead to great play.

In rereading Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat, I was struck how his description of Berlin Wall falling created a new word-view that “unlock[ed] enormous pent-up energies” was a concept that benefits sport culture.  Friedman states, “The Berlin Wall was not only blocking our way; it was blocking our sight.”  So often the tried and true traditions of a sport’s micro-culture blocks our way and blocks our sight.

This failure to see beyond the walls of habit and comfort that we tend to create is a common theme when considering potential unrealized.  It’s a subtext to many of the thoughts, reflections, and examinations of neuroscience writer Jonah Lehrer.  In reading through many of his recent blogs and his new book Imagine, the willingness and ability to think about things “differently” is at the core of creativity and achievements of great renown.  Stepping a bit out of the context and culture in which one practices, competes, and coaches could be considered essential for great strides forward.

Finding the muse of high performance also requires the sport scientist to have one foot in the world of the sport at hand and one outside of it.  A great example of this mindset in coaching action was the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra’s off-season continuing education efforts.  He spent time with Oregon Duck football… rather than excessive hours on the hardwood.  Love or hate the Heat, I feel pretty good about the growth of a team whose coach grows in the sport by looking beyond the sport.  A wise coach asks, “What am I saying?  Is there a better way to say it… one that has greater resonance and meaning to my athletes?”  The excelling athlete wonders, “Just because a television commentator highlights it, is it a truly valuable concept to occupy my competitive thoughts with?”  Conventional wisdom in all sports can lead to good things, great things lie ahead for all athletes and coaches that put windows in their walls so they can look outward for other perspectives on daily practice and approaches to game day play.

Pro Parenting

19 year old Jessica Korda won the LPGA title at the Women’s Australian Open last week.  Her father Petra won the Australian Open of tennis in 1998.  Two pretty good family accomplishments.  Jessica’s breakthrough win is well documented in “Jessica Korda still on a high after breakthrough LPGA win.”  Perhaps the most insightful parts of the article come from Petra.

Having been a wildly successful pro tennis player he certainly has wisdom to share with his daughter, right?  As a retired athlete he is certainly itching to get his competitive juices flowing somehow, someway, right?  He made plenty of money playing tennis so he can spend his days folowing his daughter to the golf course, right?

Well, this is what he has to say:

I want to be dad.  Same with my other kids. I don’t want to be coach. I don’t want to be caddie.

Seems like a pretty keen insight.  It’s pretty awesome to be a dad.  Why haze the focus on this joy by taking on other roles that others can probably handle… better than a blood relative.  Pro athletes succeed by executing their most important roles to a fault.  Seems like a good way to play ”dad.” 

A Novel Concept

Over the past few weeks, I heard a novel concept over and over again.  A top NHL draft pick reflected… a Ivy league lacrosse player mused… an ACC tennis player said… a world class rower thought… “enjoying playing could be a good idea for me.”  All are extraordinary athletes, but suspect their may be greater potential waiting to be tapped.

Obviously my tongue is firmly in check when I suggest that this is a novel concept.  Nonetheless, one that seems a bit too far from the immediate reality of elite athletes.  Seems like things are a bit askew… fun replaced by fear… imagination smothered by intensity… enthusiasm hidden by ego… delight overshadowed by discipline.  “Fun” has become a dirty word and lost its ability to resonate with competitive coaches and athletes.

You can decide if it is sad or encouraging that young men and women competing in sport have to stumble back to fun in their collegiate and young professional years.  I do know however that it is immensely valuable that this reconnection with “play” is made.  I am optimistic that there’s a Stanley Cup, National Championship, Ivy League title, head race victory, or some other form of great athletic accomplishment in the future of the above athletes.  Enthusiasm and “fun” will be essential on the competitive journey, without them dearths of potential will remain untapped and the greatest achievements left undiscovered.

“Play” isn’t just for child’s sports… it’s for high performance.

Coach Like a Marine

The United States armed forces do a tremendous job teaching men and women a variety of performance and life skills. I had the opportunity to sit down with university Marine ROTC commanders and cadets to discuss the development of high performance programming. The meeting struck me with a tremendous lesson in leadership for sports coaches.

You may have seen many tough as nails, drill sargents glamorized in the movies… have all kinds of wild images about hell week at Quantico dancing in your head… but do you have a good sense of coaching done Marine-style? I sat at a conference table with two commanders and three cadets. There was definitely a rank and order to the room, but strength and leadership emanated from all corners. The commanders had some ideas, checked to see if their ideas meet the cadet realities, asked the cadets for their ideas, made decisions together, and made it clear that the cadets will lead battalion actions and performance.

Marines are tough and are built to battle. They are not abusive in their coaching style, but rather collaborative and empowering. There’s nothing soft about a leader that recruits strength and leadership from within the team… one can argue it’s the coaching style that creates the bravest competitors to walk the planet.

No Sails on a Crew Shell

Yesterday I spoke at the What Works Summit at the Institute for Rowing Leadership at Community Rowing Inc.  I shared ideas on creating a culture and language that is build for success in competition.  As things concluded I was asked how I felt about coaches using the quote, “Do or do not… there is no try.”  Did a coach preaching and speaking this idea help rowers?

I had to take a moment before answering.  I have enormous respect for coaches and strive to see the benefit in even the most questionable tactics.  Yet, all do respect to Yoda, the quote above seems like a lot of hot air coming from a coach.

Not so bad I suppose if you boat has sails and could use an extra gust of wind, but not so helpful if you’re looking to motivate or focus athletes.  Perhaps the coach sounds cool and sounds coach-like, but it really requires a bit more thought.  As far as I can figure, at best it it allows athletes to know that there is a Star Wars fan in their midst.  At worst, it confuses an athlete and minimizes the value of a genuine effort.

Cool quotes are too often hot air.  If your team’s not sailing… question the wisdom of all the bluster.

The Big Break

I’ve sat court-side for much tennis racket abuse. Rackets smashed, stepped on, bitten, and thrown clear from the courts (in my mis-spent tennis youth I may have even participated once or twice). On the golf course I have witnessed a three-wood broken in two and then thrown into a nearby lake. In the squash box I’ve done my best to avoid flying graphite as a racket met its untimely demise upon the wall again and again and again (@thinksport may have been involved..). On the ice I’ve been moderately amused by the poor wisdom of slashing and high sticking the goal’s crossbar. I have worked with a ball player who’s bat had an affinity for meeting water jugs on a regular basis.

Baghdatis put on a formidable display of racket abuse to the amusement of Chris Fowler and onlooking Australian Open fans. I can hardly believe I’m commenting on such nonsense, but ESPN’s Aussie Open notes titled Players Rationalize Racket Rampages have me opening my big blog-mouth.  Sure it is somewhat cathartic, but is smashing a tennis racket really a bright idea for a player (bank account implications aside)?  I guess I have a few quick thoughts for consideration on the matter:

1. Does breaking a tennis racket improve you game? For every ten times you smash a tennis racket, how many times does it improve your play? If your answer is north of 50% of the time, perhaps it’s a bright idea. Honest reflection likely leaves you with odds of improved play not being one’s you would take to a casino.

2. Does misshaping your racket help your focus? When you step in to return the next serve is your focus filled with the yellow ball that is about to be fired at you or is it filled with thoughts like, “Wow, I’m a real $@#*&!%.”?

3. Along these same lines, do you feel good about yourself after a few good cracks of graphite? Are you sacrificing short term release for later shame (cue Slapshot: “All bad. You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame, you know.”)

Djokovic: “I’m not doing it as often, which is good for my coach, good news. But when I have a smash of the racket, smack of the racket, I usually feel relieved afterwards. I feel that the pressure is out. But a bit embarrassed, as well. So I try to hold my composure.”

4. It’s not easy to show racket wrecking restraint. Yet, each time you show restraint, it will be easier to maintain composure and focus during play in the future. A bit more restraint… see 1-3… yields better feelings, better focus, higher performance.

Jo-Willie’s dad has it right, “”My father told me all the time, if you broke the racket, I broke you. So I go easy with the racket.” Breaking a racket breaks you. The ESPN article had a lousy title. Read the player’s quotes closely there is little to suggest it is a bright idea. Athletic anger mismanagement is a momentary feel good release, good for the fans, good for ridiculing friends… lousy for good play and high performance. Take #4 as a challenge… energy and focus towards playing the game is a bright idea.

How’s The House Tonight?

How’s the house tonight?

After I had wandered through club entrance, past the bar, across the dance floor, around the stage, through labyrinthine hallways, and into the dressing room, one of the first words out of Rob’s mouth were, “How’s the house tonight?”  He knew my journey had taken me past whatever freaks, geeks, fans, and college-kids that had show up for the show.  Rob Fried was a gifted percussionist, filled with creativity, love, and passion for tying songs together by whatever musical means possible.  After he had completed his sound check and his pre-show warm-up, he would sit backstage amongst the sundry and silly of the rock and roll lifestyle sipping a bottle water anticipating the show.

How’s the house tonight?

In performance psychology one is so often encouraged to focus on themselves and let that which surrounds them fall as it may (i.e. decent advise when tryouts are on or scouts are in the stands).  A focus on the audience at a concert seems to contradict such a tenet.  Yet, perhaps the tenet is a bit wrong or at very least short-sighted.  In her book The Shelter of Each Other,  Mary Pipher alludes to the potentially misguided wisdom of focusing on one’s self during the therapy process… when considered, it’s a bit narcissistic.  High performance psychology leads to narcissism… that seems a bit depressing.

How’s the house tonight?

Concern and care about “the house” may highlight a core aspect to motivation at its deepest levels.  Self-determination theory is widely accepted as a good guide to understanding motivation for high achievement and a fulfilling life.  A quick look at the theory leads one to notice that intrinsic motivation is the preferred form of motivation.  The novice eye stops there… “Be internally motivated if you want to perform well.”  It seems straight forward enough, but motivation, like much in life, is more nuanced than that.  Dig a bit deeper into the theory and notice the concept of “relatedness.”  The feeling of a deep, genuine connection to others – feeling part of something greater than one’s self alone.  This is an incredibly valuable motivator and supporter during the challenges and opportunities that arise during the journey of life.

How’s the house tonight?

I never got the slightest sense that Rob asked this question from any place of ego.  It was not out of a need to have a full room  to play to or a “hey look at me” desire.  It was a question that came from a thirst for connectedness and community.  A passion to share the joy he felt with every cymbal clash and drum beat.  Truly a great performer because he stepped on the stage to share.  Not to beat, but to share the energy of performance and play.