Dear Shirley:
What is sport psychology? Did the athletes who competed in the Olympics use sport psychology?
Open Mind
Dear Open Mind:
Sport psychology is a science that involves psychology, physiology, motor skills and counseling. Basically, it is the study of human behavior in the context of performance in sport. Its purpose is to understand and help athletes use their mental capacities to maximize their ability to perform.
Historically, it was the Greeks who first identified the ethic “strong body, strong mind”. Coleman Griffith, a professor at University of Illinois, was the first American to research personality, performance, and to test human motor skills in his lab. 1936 he was hired away from academia by the Wrigley family to work with the Chicago Cubs baseball team.
Fast forward to the 2010 Winter Olympics where each sport representing the United States had a Sport Psychologist working with the athletes. At the Olympic level sport psychology is regarded as a “normal” resource for any team that takes performance seriously [Shane Murphy, The Sport Psych Handbook, 2005]. Sport psychologists remain behind the scene.
Olympic contenders or athletes at any level can benefit from mental training for sport. Many coaches prefer to focus on the physical preparation for competition and refer out the mental aspect of the sport. None of the gold medalists got to the podium without total commitment, discipline, consistency, support and confidence in their ability to win. These attributes can be amplified by consulting with a sport psychologist.
A fundamental theme derived from sport psychology is that athletic success comes only when individuals balance all aspects of their lives not just their sport performance. Sarah Schleper, a U.S. Alpine Ski Racer, found that she is much happier and performs at a higher level; married with family.
Sport psychology is all about winning. It focuses on understanding how athletes succeed and assists athletes and coaches in achieving their best performance. It is about learning how good you are and discovering how far you can push your limits. It involves the joys of teamwork and striving for a team goal that is greater than an individual goal. It comes down to enjoying each moment because neither success nor failure is permanent, so if the journey is not worthwhile, the destination isn't worth reaching. It is all about the wonders of self discovery, learning to understand how you respond to pressure, how you can make yourself better every day by learning from your experience,” (Murphy, S., 2005).
The Canadian Men's Pursuit in Speed skating showed how learning to integrate mental skills with physical training, working cohesively and developing their confidence to exceed their individual capabilities to perform allowed them to win the gold medal. The Canadians, as a team, were in sync on each turn. The American's individually practiced prowess, but as a team they were not cohesive. They weren't all placing their energy in the same direction. Subsequently, they lost by .002 second, half the length of a skate blade, giving them silver instead of gold.
Athletes who are motivated to pursue excellence maximize all their mind and body capabilities. Seeing themselves as successful, doing the hard work and believing in their ability Steve Holcomb and his Night Train teammates representing U.S. Bobsled showed they were. After 62 years without victory, they came back to prove they deserved the gold. Training together and trusting that they could go 95 mph on the track and handle the 50/50 turn they accomplished their dream.
Most Olympians share this holistic passion, are willing to give it all and hold nothing back. The sport psychologist assists competitors to achieve this passion.
Ask Shirley questions can be focused on any topics involving life, health, fitness, mental training, competition, clinical issues or addictions. Please, email your questions to Askshirl@gmail.com or call (907) 382-6477. All questions will remain anonymous. Shirley K. Durtschi is an Applied Sport Psychology Certified Consultant (AASP-CC), a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Chemical Dependency Clinical Supervisor (CDCS) for the State of Alaska.
