Your Competitive Edge

Adrienne Langelier, M.A. is a Psychotherapist and Sport Psychology Consultant based in The Woodlands, TX; in addition, she is also a member of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology (AASP), USA Track and Field, and USA Swimming.

Services include Sport Psychology Consultation, general psychotherapy, various skills coaching for adults and students available both in-office and via web or telephone. Adrienne also regularly conducts workshops with athletes and coaches of all sports and levels; notably those at the collegiate and international levels.  She also is a competitive distance runner, regularly participating in distances from  5000 meters to the Marathon. Athletic accomplishments include Chevron Houston Marathon Local Elite status  and three-time qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

 Contact: 830-237-4822/281-528-4226; adrienne.langelier@gmail.com; Twitter @alangelier

Mental Recovery from a Stress Fracture

Stress fractures are some of the slowest-healing and most disruptive sports injuries around. These painful bone injuries are often seen in athletes who participate in endurace sports such as running or triathlon or other high-impact activities such as football or cheerleading. Typical medical protocol, depending on severity and placement of the fracture is a minimum of six weeks and sometimes longer. The layoff from activity can be quite difficult for the athlete; therefore I will propose some suggestions for mental management and recovery from stress fractures.

Note: The following is  recommended to be included alongside a medically supervised recovery and treatment plan. If you suspect a stress fracture, obtain proper medical advice. 

The Early Stages/Post Diagnosis:

• Take some time to be upset, angry, remorseful. Allowing yourself to go through the emotions; which can resemble the grief process is normal. What is not normal, however, is taking the emotions out on others. 
• Learn about your injury, healing time and techniques, and how to return to activity. Use this information to help objectify the experience. 
• Take a forward-looking approach. Avoid playing  the"whodunnit?" game that offers little concrete answers.
• Think of other positives in your life and other things to focus on while you heal.
• REST-take time to recharge and repair the mind and body.

2-6 Weeks Post-Diagnosis:

• After receiving medical clearance, begin crosstraining. This often relieves depression related to the injury and lowers stress levels. Athletes often have difficulty with cessation of activity and this provides active coping. 
• Visualize healing. An example is picturing your fracture becoming whole again (Porter, 2003). Imagery can be a powerful healing tool
• Set short term-goals. For example, getting the pain from a 6/10 to a 4/10 in 5 days.

After receiving medical clearance for activity:

• Acknowledge any anxiety you may be experiencing about re-injury-talk to a coach, teammate, or sports psychology professional if needed. 
• Continue to set short-term goals for returning to full participation
• For Runners: Run on assigned days, on non-running days-don't think about running and focus on other activities, including cross training. 
• Use positive self-talk when you have doubts. 
• Assess your progress at the end of each week and focus on how much you've accomplished vs. how far you have to go.

Throughout the healing process, try and get 8 hours of sleep and eat nutritious foods that are hight in protein, magnesium, and calcium. Examples include almonds, lean meats, chickpeas, and yogurt. 

While recovery is often far from perfect, staying mentally focused and strong during the healing process can make it much more bearable and get an athlete back on the field or track stronger and more focused. 

Porter, K. The Mental Athlete. Human Kinetics. 2003.

 

 

 

Olympic Observations from Week One

I greatly enjoy the Olympics: watching them, discussing them, sitting back and appreciating the talent and work that athletes of all sports and countries bring to the world's stage. It's awesome. Now that the 2012 London games have been a permanent fixture on my TV for a week, I thought I'd share some of my observations/musings/random thoughts that may or not make sense. 

First, expectations are just that-expectations. Often arbitrary and never certain, we have witnessed both triumphs and 'disappointments' (according to the media) and performances not live up to hype or speculation. For example, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte both finishing 4th in races in their lengthy programs. One who doesn't know better may expect top athletes to always finish on top. Not to be a downer, but it is basically impossible to win all the time. Athletes who understand this have less fear and tend to be more consistent performers. In my opinion, winning gold among a performance after a "sub-par"one perhaps more rewarding than a clean sweep in the grand scheme of things. Athletes, no matter how good they are, are still human.


Also, not finishing on top all the time or winning every game/match, etc. also builds mental toughness. Rising above setbacks even on the biggest of stages is where an athlete really learns about themselves. What would we learn if we won all the time? As a younger distance runner, I had to learn how to deal with placing lower in races where I expected more-this is still a work in progress. After the disappointment fades away, subsequent wins/good performances are met with a greater sense of accomplishment and appreciation.

A sense of appreciation and gratitude for reaching the Olympic games is something I like seeing in athletes competing. When watching US sprinter Carmelita Jeter speak to the media last night, she kept mentioning how "glad she was to be there". She looked pleased just to experience her first Olympics. This appreciation helps one not be in the moment and may help performance. If you were to watch Jeter, swimmers Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt, you will see a lot of smiles amidst medal wins. A positive attitude and finding that sense of balance and enjoyment may be part of the key to victory for many athletes. 

I believe having fun competing is not just for youth and recreational sport but an essential component for athletic success. We may not always have that lights-out performance and we are tempted to skip that workout, but at the end of the day, you have to love what you do.

Some of my favorite moments so far include watching athletes I have encountered either through volunteering, racing or working with their respective teams enjoy their moments (and then some!), Oscar Pistorious' unprecedented 400m prelim this morning and an epic women's triathlon finish.

Running and Racing Podcast Interview

The following is a podcasted version from a radio interview with 91.9 KCBS out of Santa Barbara, CA on June 26, 2012. The content is running-oriented, but helpful tips are discussed for the mental games of all athletes.

Enjoy- Questions are welcome! http://leosbluesland.podomatic.com/entry/2012-06-28T11_40_25-07_00

Helpful Tips from USA Swimming

Given that I work with a lot of swimmers in my practice and the USA Olympic Swim Trials coming up at the end of the month in Omaha, I chose to repost this article on performance anxiety management. 

The original article can be found here.

There are a couple things to highlight in this piece: first being the differences between somatic and cognitive anxiety-anxiety presents itself in both our thoughts and our physical sensations. It's important to know the difference and develop skills for addressing both types. Second, some potential causes are discussed. One thing I always try to emphasize with athletes I work with is to work to identify what may be causing unproductive anxious feelings in the first place. Once the source(s) is identified, a plan of attack can be implemented. 

Controlling anxiety takes some practice, but is a skill that helps not only in sports but in any other stressful situation. 

Source: USA Swimming.

The NBA Playoffs: A Case Study in Team Dynamics

With Philadelphia and Boston all knotted up at 3-3, Miami one game away from advancing to the Eastern Conference finals, and let's not forget San Antonio and Oklahoma City already waiting in the wings for the Western Conference Championships to start. Let's not forget the ongoing tabloid and TV dissection of the Los Angeles Lakers: the aging Kobe and the controversial Andrew Bynum. 

The one thing these teams have in common is how differently they conduct themselves on the court. Just as each individual athlete has their style and personality, so does a sports team. Like individual athletes, teams have their strengths and they have their quirks. It is up to the leadership (coaches, administration, and the players themselves) to use what they have as a cohesive unit in order to be consistently successful. 

It is often in high-pressure situations where these characteristics are manifested the most. One thing that we can learn from high-stakes athletic competition is this: talent is often not enough. 

If talent is not enough to win championships, then what are the ingredients? In my opinion, here's the non-exhaustive list:

1. Strong leaders. Not just coaches, but the players themselves. These individuals know when to push and back off and how to utilize everyone's unique strengths. Examples: Coach Greg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs. 

2. A problem-solving approach to tough situations. Together, these teams figure out how to win. It may not be flashy or entertaining, but it gets the job done. Example: Indiana Pacers. 

3. Perhaps the most obvious: players putting one players needs aside for the good of the team-whatever it looks like for the player in question. This one invloves not just what they typically call "selfless play" but these players know their role on the team and are comfortable with their strengths. A team full of adaptive athletes is often a successful one.

Paul Pierce, perhaps one of the most talented members not just in the Boston Celtics organization but in the entire league, knows when to push and elevate his game in order to help the team win. Pierce is comfortable with his role as a team leader and takes it seriously, according to various interviews over the years.

4. Successful team dynamics often includes having common goals and a shared vision. Not only do these objectives exist but are commonly reviewed, analyzed, and adjusted as needed unanimously. 

Next playoff game you see, take note of what you see on the court and the sidelines. What examples of team dynamics and positive leadership behaviors do you see? 

What Makes a Good Coach?

The importance of a good coach and their respective attributes is a frequent topic in my professional, athletic, and personal life (which is perhaps most important). Personally, I have been very fortunate to have run with a coach since late 2008 and recently gaining some advice for swimming, as I am entering the sport of Triathlon.

 Both coaches are awesome guys; very knowledgeable and have somewhat different styles (as different sports obviously call for difference in approaches). And it is working for me so far. I think I'll continue to become a more physically and mentally tough athlete by experiencing multiple perspectives.

On the running side, I now have a few years experience and now know what kind of coach I work best with-open, innovative, and somebody I can collaborate with. In the water, however, I need that guidance, direction and being told "no" from time to time when I ask for more rest in between intervals. No pun intended, but I'm trying to be a "sponge" with what limited time I have in the water and learn as much as I can. I was once that 'sponge' when I received my first running schedule leading up to the 2009 Houston Marahon....


So, what makes a good coach? Definitely not a one-size-fits-all question. I’ll attempt here to unpack some of the tools I find helpful based on professional and personal experience; plus some principles from a recent article in the Journal of Sport Psychology in Action (2011).

When we think of a good coach, the following are often true of him or her….

• Possesses leadership qualities. Perhaps the most obvious trait-a good coach can utilize both transformational (i.e. ability to motivate and inspire) and task/skill-focused leadership. Even better ones know when and where to use exercise these facets.
• Fosters autonomy. Guides the athlete, but empowers them to think for themselves.
• Knows his or her athletes. As a sport psychology consultant, I am always advocating for coaches to be as athlete-centered as possible. Depending on the size of the team or group, this aspect varies, but coaches who are most in tuned with who their working with and know their tendencies elicit the most consistent success.
• Communicates clearly. Progress comes faster from those who best explain clearly the objectives at hand. 
• Educates the athlete. I find it highly valuable when I know the purpose of the workout I'm doing. For head cases like me, knowing the purpose of why I'm running x:xx pace helps me keep things in perspective.
• Knows when to push and when to dial an athlete back-and sticks to it (see communication). 
• Brings out the best in their athletes. This is one of the biggest intangibles, but I can think of a handful I have worked with who fit that mold.

 

What are your experiences coaching either coaching or being coached? What are some of the qualities you look for? Sometimes it’s all about the ‘fit” in the athletes’ journey.

Source: Watson, J., Cannole, I., & Kadushin, P. (2011). Developing young athletes: A sport psychology based approach to coaching youth sports. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 2, 113-122.

 

The Masters: Where anything can happen

Each April, the PGA's best congregates upon Augusta, GA's fabled greens for a shot at the Green Jacket and one of professional golf's most prestigious titles. This year's event promised more drama than a Shakespearean epic on Broadway, with Tiger Woods coming off his first win in several years and of course Phil Mickelson's relatively consistent play over the past few seasons. The interesting thing about golf is, however, is how anything can seemingly happen on any given day. Everyone at the tourney has the talent to be on that stage but it is up to the strongest mentally to close the deal. 

This year's tournament brought the "feel good story" of Bubba Watson. Watson- a relative unknown among the ranks of Woods, Mickelson, Scott, and McIlroy-won using his own unique style. A self-professed Christian, father, and owner of the General Lee (his claim to fame perhaps moreso than as a golfer) used the lack of expectation to his advantage. Watson in fact seemingly exceeded his own expectations. Perhaps there is a lesson any athlete can learn from Bubba Watson: whether you have won one or one-hundred tournaments, play for enjoyment, play like nobody is watching you, and play your own game. Every athlete I work with I emphasize enjoyment of their sport first and foremost, but more importantly-being themselves whatever their discipline. 

Next time you compete, remember who you are and where you are coming from. Your consistenttraining will take care of the rest. 

Who's pressure is it anyway?

So very often athletes come into my office telling me that they're feeling "pressure". After hearing the dreaded 'p' word, I usually promptly ask: "who and where is it coming from?". What I still find surprising is that they struggle to find origins of these negative feelings, at least at first. Typically, when an athlete seeks outside support, pressure to perform has been present for an extended period of time and regularly interferes with their performances and in some cases-their relationships and daily lives. 

The good news is, while there is some stress (often of more positve nature) associated with being an athlete, managing pressure feelings is a skill that can be learned. 

First, an athlete must search to identify what induces or 'triggers' feeling of pressure. Is it self-induced, from a coach, parent, significant other? Knowing the source is important.

Next, what does being "under pressure" look and feel like? This response is different depending on who you ask. Does the athlete fret over mistakes? Are there exchanges of heightened or unrealistic expectations with others? Are the athlete or coach's standards unrealistic? How does the stress manifest: inhibited concentration, somatic (bodily), or in general enjoyment of the sport? How do the feelings of pressure affect mood? 

Also, what does the athlete say to themselves that perpetuates this negative cycle? "Don't mess up", "I don't know if I can do this", or "coach/mom/dad will be mad if I don't succeed" are common negative internalized messages that hinder performance.

Once some possible triggers and awareness have been identified and sorted out, the athlete can start to counter these negative thinking patterns. A simple exercise is to "check in" with their thought patterns during a game or practice with what their thinking of, and insert a positive message when they usually are   and negative.  Use of deep breathing and a few minutes of relaxation is also recommended, especially before competition and when the athlete begins to feel most stressed. 

Over time and with practice, these techniques help a great deal with athlete perspective and creates a greater sense of control of a situation. 

Enjoy the process!

Wave-Making

In brainstorming what topic to explore for today's post. A conversation with a colleague and my own personal athletic musings brought up Jim Loehr's classical recovery principle of wave-making. What exactly is making waves, you might ask?? I'll provide a brief definition here and go into some ways you can incorporate it into your training. 

As many of you are aware, I work with several and am myself an endurance athlete. We're a driven bunch by nature; often driven to push hard all the time, no matter what. We tend to expect improvement for our hard, relentless efforts day in day out, but when we don't see progress, we often find ourselves frustrated. Why? Because recovery is oftentimes neglected. Not just chocolate milk after a run or swim, but by practicing systematic rest and psychological recovery. 

Solid training is designed to ebb and flow. Wave making encompasses the principles of working in hard, high volume training and mental focus with a period of lighter intensity and demand-as the wave crests, a period of relaxed energy follows, collecting energy for the next crest. Notice how the energy cycles nicely in the concept of a wave and rest period. Loehr provides a nice description of how we can maximize our gains in sport by applying this analogy. Being one inclined to constantly press by nature, I am always reminding myself to release a bit, relax and refocus for my next effort. Riding the wave....

Everyone is different in their respective sport training and fitness levels, but the principle of recovery is as important for the mental aspect of the game as it is physical. We can train our brains and focus intensely for a while, but our minds need rest and recovery just as our bodies do. I encourage all athletes I work with to train their minds in a periodization format, just as they do for sport. For example, an athlete visualizing intensely for an upcoming meet gets a built-in "mental break" day, where they merely do their affirmations or don't think about sport at all! Coaches often incorporate a "fun" day after a big competition to help the athletes mentally refresh-for example swim teams getting to play water polo or soccer players getting an afternoon of kickball.

By practicing both physical and mental recovery on a regular basis, athletes find themselves energized and focused in competition on a more consistent basis and enjoy more stable energy levels. Train hard, focus, and learn, but take time to absorb the process as well. Ride the wave! 

Source: Loehr 2003

Perfectionism: Indicators in Sport Performance

This morning I was going over a brief article written by Dr. Patrick Cohn of Peak Sports in Orlando. Dr. Cohn is an expert in perfectionism in youth sport especially, but these factors I've seen in all ages and levels. Theses characteristics occur in different levels depending on the athlete in question, however the pattern appears farily common. 

According to Cohn, perfectionistic athletes often do the following:

* Generally perform better in practice than game situations.

* Want to excel badly, which makes them anxious and afraid of
failing.

* Are afraid of making mistakes.

* Worry too much about what other people think about them.

* Try too hard to ensure their performance is "perfect."

* View performance as either good or bad, with no middle ground.

* Harbor unrealistic or very strict expectations about their
performance. Everyone messes up sometimes. Period.

* Are fearful of letting others down if they make mistakes; including coaches/teammates, family, significant others, etc.

It's not the perfectionism itself that is negative, but the product of over-focus on getting things absolutely right and the resulting fear of failure.

Fear of failure can cause them to fold under pressure; this is likely related to focusing on "what not to do" instead of what 'to do'-the skills they've been practically perfecting in practice !

For those perfectionistic athletes out there, here's a challenge: try to perfectly accept a mistake in your next practice or competition! You'll be surprised how good it feels to let go of a mistake.

For more, visit www.youthsportspsychology.com.