The Confidence Coach's Sports Psychology Articles
On The Couch With Dr. Martin
The Confidence Coach's monthly Sports Psychology Article in 442 magazine. This article was written after Bill Beswick, the Middlesborough sports psychologist was appointed to Steve McClaren's backroom team. The article examines the role of the modern sports psychologist in the psychology of sport.
The Sports Psychologist
One of the fascinating features of the 2006 World Cup was that, for the first time, the mentally tough Germans had a sports psychologist, Dr. Hans-Dieter Hermann, in their camp.
Can we correlate their success with this fact alone? Maybe not, but the innovative and, initially, castigated, Klinssman knew that his own sense of purpose would not be enough for this testing journey.
The presence of an eminent sports psychologist would allow him to liberate his natural leadership skills and help reinforce positive principles.
When Steve McClaren appointed sports psychologist Bill Beswick to the England football coaching team, comparisons with Hoddle's guru, Eileen Drewery, were raised on the phone-ins. But any such comparisons are invidious and frivolous.
In the 21st century no serious sporting organisation can afford to be without the services of someone steeped in the psychology of sport.
What Does A Sports Psychologist Do?...
So what does a sports psychologist do? Well, he doesn't, as one commentator assumed, hypnotise players. It is fairly common knowledge that the sports psychologist will assist individual players and the team with a variety of issues arising from lost confidence to improving team-spirit; from helping them assimilate into a new culture, to offering a sense of purpose.
But their brief can be more far reaching. There are seven key areas where the sports psychologist can add value:
1) Creating Values
Football clubs must be driven by an intrinsic set of values. Commentators suggest, simplistically, 'it's all about winning', but winning is an outcome of many processes. These values provide the foundation for the winning mentality, generating clarity of purpose and a sense of community. The sports psychologist will help the key influencers at the club shape these values, so that they run through the arteries of the whole sporting organisation. In other words, the actions and attitudes of the club match the agreed values. But we are not just talking here about measurable outcomes.
As Kevin Keegan discovered, those who fly by wire, without safety net, can fall most painfully. So, values may be the DNA of success but other, life enhancing, components must be added.
2) The Vision
Visionaries shape their chosen field. They embrace a new and better future. They are bold and daring and have no fear of failure.21st century football demands that the Manager and the Board create and embody a clear vision. That vision needs to grab at the heartstrings of the football club, providing a clear and inspiring path. The first man to break the four minute mile, Roger Bannister, had a vision. He made others believe the impossible was possible. Now thousands flood through the gate he opened. He intimately understood the psychology of sport.
3) Creating The Cause
If the vision inspires direction, a cause provides meaning. A well articulated cause adds significance to people's work. However, the cause must be greater than the ambition of any individual. Everything must be subsumed within the cause. A cause gives the fans reason to support. Players are inspired by knowing that they are making a contribution to something that everyone can believe in. This is the team ethic so espoused by Jose Mourinho.
The sports psychologist, with as many members of staff as possible, will help shape the cause. When Clive Woodward took control of English Rugby he appreciated this. And lead England to the ultimate prize. Creating a cause is classic sports psychology tool.
4) The Rules Of Success
What are the rules that will facilitate the growth of a success culture? What barriers need to be in place to create immunity from negativity? What are the positive behaviours that support the cause? How is success celebrated? Is each individual made aware of the part they play in every success? Are new ideas encouraged and nurtured or smothered and dismissed?
Many of the most successful golfers in the world take someone steeped in sports psychology on tour with them. For them the rules of success are daily reinforced, and fear of failure is eliminated. They are taught to 'trust their swing', a metaphor for sustainable success at the mental level.
5) The Confidence Cycle
Once a successful pattern is established, an affirmative, virtuous cycle of confidence is essential for sustained success. Thus, the Board's belief in the project impacts on the Management, whose embracing of it impacts upon the players, which transmits to the fans, and then reflects back to the team, a mirror reflecting sustainable belief. Confidence begets confidence.
Confidence is the oil that lubricates the wheels of the success machine. The sports psychologist, will be sensitive to any diminution of confidence. Tennis great, Jimmy Connors, has said that winning is at least 90% mental. His work with Andy Roddick shows he understands how to tap into that mental reservoir. A good sports psychologist will do the same.
6) The Culture
Cultivating and spreading a winning attitude may mean revisiting many facets of the culture. Laissez-faire attitudes and policies will, for too long, have been ingrained. So, is the public face of the club made visible through logos, PR, sponsorship, community activity etc aligned with the new, positive values? Do all the support systems serve to support The Cause? Not many clubs could afford to accept sponsorship from UNICEF as Barcelona has done, but all could look sensitively at brand image and its impact.
7) Motivating the Motivator
Maintaining the levels of motivation necessary to lead a football club requires deep reservoirs of energy. The daily demands can lead to a dilution of the core vision and a dispersion of focus. Having an expert in sports psychology to provide a listening ear, maintain the focus and offer tools for fresh inspiration will ensure the motivator stays on top of his game.
The Sports Psychology Summary...
None of these aspects by themselves will directly win football matches. But in adversity, when the team needs to dig deeper, the resources that these seven features provides can turn defeat into victory.
Finally, good managers, like Ian Dowie, will appreciate that human frailties have to be accepted, and, with the help of sports psychologists, turn them into strengths.
Contact Martin Perry: Confidence Coach & Sports Psychologist - 0044(0) 77897 56425