My weekly column

I'd like to invite everyone to read my new weekly column that will be appearing on http://gameface.ph

The name of my column is "The Playmaker" by Coach T.

I will be writing about Philippine amateur basketball, and my first article will be coming up on Tuesday, August 8, 2006.

Enjoy!

Flaming Out -- Understanding burnout

Burnout has been defined by New York psychologist Herbert J. Freudenberger, PhD., as “a state of fatigue or frustration brought about by a devotion to a cause, a way of life, or a relationship that failed to produce the expected reward (n.d.).” Typically, it “is a problem born of good intentions, because it happens when people try to reach unrealistic goals and end up depleting their energy and losing touch with themselves and others (n.d.).”

In an adaptation of Freudenberger’s definition, the Stress Management Website of Winona University in Minnesota defined “burnout” as “a debilitating psychological condition brought about by unrelieved work stress, resulting in:
- Depleted energy and emotional exhaustion
- Lowered resistance to illness
- Increased depersonalization in interpersonal relationships
- Increased dissatisfaction and pessimism
- Increased absenteeism and work inefficiency.” (n.d.)

Kristin Duare McKinnon has also defined burnout as “experiencing chronic stress over long periods of time…” that leads to “…mental, physical and emotional exhaustion (McKinnon, 1998).”

What are the symptoms of burnout? The symptoms include, “feeling of emotional and physical exhaustion; a sense of alienation, cynicism, impatience, negativism and feelings of detachment to the point that the individual begins to resent work involved and the people who are a part of that work..” (n.d.)

McKinnon (1998) mentions a list of burnout warning signs that the mind and body sends. According to her, the mind sends the following burnout warnings: “thinking that you are indispensable… negative thinking… extreme… exaggerated or misplaced emotional reactions… getting away physically but not mentally… giving up and giving in… agitation and loss of concentration,” while the body gives the following warnings: “Eating too little, too much, or poorly… sleeping too little, too much, or poorly… fatigue and lack of energy… you're out of shape… physical symptoms such as headaches and body aches… frequent or prolonged illness… developing or worsening bad habits... depression.”

Burnout carries a lot of risks and dangers with it. Aside from those mentioned above already, it is said that burnout “can lead to serious emotional or physical illness, disability or even death .” (1998)

But perhaps more seriously, burnout has been said to negatively affect not just the physical aspects as “it represents an erosion in values, dignity, spirit, and will -- an erosion of the human soul. (Maslach and Leiter, 1997, p. 24)
What then are we supposed to do in the event of burnout? Research suggests that introspection is an essential ingredient. It is important to check oneself with questions such as, “Were you always under such pressure to succeed? When did this one area of your life become disproportionately important? At what point did you lose your sense of humor and the personal side of your relationships with friends and co-workers? Are you identifying so closely with your responsibilities that you've come to believe that if this project falls apart you have failed?” (n.d.)

After a through process of introspection has been completed, the next step is to “make changes in your life.” (n.d.)

Some other practical solutions are listed below:
“Establish some long and short term goals that are realistic. Write them down.

If you have been neglecting your health, change your eating habits and begin to exercise more.

Set aside some time each day for relaxation exercises and allow yourself time to "just let it happen."

Renew your friendships with other people. Talk to them about your feelings. Don't keep your frustrations and anger bottled up.

Analyze how you spend your time. Try to incorporate some time management techniques into your life.

Learn to say no when you're asked to do more than you can handle.

Learn to delegate responsibility to others. You are not indispensable.

Find the sense of humor you've probably lost. Learn to laugh at yourself and at the situation.

Most of all, get in touch with yourself, your values and what you want out of life. Learn to recognize when you are driving yourself too hard and when you are depleting your inner resources.” (n.d.)

Personally, this topic reminds me of the story about the man with a goose that lays golden eggs. Hungry for profit, the man exhausts the goose’s egg-laying capabilities without regard to the goose’s health. In sports, this would be similar to the student athlete who plays two sports, studies until dawn to make the honor roll, sits on the student council, spends a lot of time with a girlfriend (or boyfriend), does a lot of housekeeping work at home, and does part-time work at the local fastfood joint.

Se Ri Pak, the South Korean future hall of fame golfer, went into a long playing slump and a rash of injuries after literally living, eating, and breathing golf. She took time away from the golf course so she could be healthy and happy again. After two years of recharging and rediscovering her swing, she finally burst through this year with a thrilling comeback win at the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the women's second major championship of the year.

Burnout will always be a natural consequence of forgetting and overworking oneself. Those of you who have misconceived thoughts of invincibility, think again. Everyone needs a break, no matter how durable you are.



References:

Burnout. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14, 2005 from http://www.fmi.uni-passau.de/worterklaerungen/burnout.html.

Burnout. (n.d.). Retrieved from the Stress Management Website of Winona University, MN: http://www.winona.edu/stress/burnout.htm.

Maslach, C. & Leiter, M.P. (1997). The Truth About Burnout. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc. Publishers.

McKinnon, K.D. (July 6, 1998). Coping with caring --- the dangers of chronic stress and burnout. Retrieved January 14, 2005 from http://www.charityvillage.com/cv/research/rpersdv1.html.

Regaining focus in games

Picture this: your team is playing superbly for the first quarter of the game. Your players are moving the ball around smoothly, executing your offense flawlessly, clamping down on defense, and completely dominating your opponents. You even hit a basket at the buzzer ending the first quarter. Your team is cruising... until the second quarter starts.

For some unknown reason, your players start clanging their shots, throwing the ball away, and just flat-out playing poorly. What was a fifteen point lead for your team is now a one-point game. The cheering and jeering of the fans only compound matters. You quickly call timeout but have no idea what to tell your players. Especially since they've been following all your x's and o's sans the points.

Probably one of the greatest challenges coaches face is how to regain their team's collective focus when their team starts playing badly. In the ongoing NBA Finals, game 3 saw the Dallas Mavericks blowing a 13-point lead with 6:34 minutes left in the game to lose by 2. In the men's final of the French Open, world number one Roger Federer whipped Rafael Nadal 6-1 in the first set before getting buried in the clay the next three sets to keep the French Open title out of his hands... again.

This happens all the time in all levels of sports. So what can you do to avoid all these heartbreaking meltdowns? How do you plug that hole when the dam breaks? Below are some simple mental strategies that you can use with your team when things start going south:

1. Inhale and exhale.. deeply!
In one of our home games against our cross-town rivals, my players seemed tense and very nervous. Perhaps the pressure of beating our hated rivals in front of the home crowd was overwhelming for them. After ten minutes of listless play and a looming blowout, I huddled my players and did deep breathing exercises. I instructed the whole team to inhale together as far as they could. I then had them hold their breaths for 2 seconds, and then slowly exhale as deep as they could with another 2-count breath hold. I had them repeat this process four more times. When I saw that they had calmed down and were looking me in the eyes clearly, I started mapping out specific game instructions. What followed was a relaxed execution of plays and better play all-around.

Breathing is one of the most taken for granted natural abilities in sports. Diaphragmatic breathing, or deep (very deep!) breathing, is a crucial technique that coaches can use to relax their players quickly. How do you know your breathing the right way? Try this with your team: have them lie down on the floor with one hand on their chest and the other on their stomach (a few centimeters above the navel). Have them breathe naturally and ask them which hand is moving. If the hand on the chest is the moving hand, then that means the player is breathing through the chest-- not a good way to relax at all. It's the hand on the stomach (the diaphragm!) that should move to ensure that deep breathing is taking place. Once your players master this lying down, they can try it standing up. Incorporate this breathing exercise in when your players stretch and warm up so that deep breathing becomes second nature to them.

2. Chunk your coaching
There are times when your team starts faltering because of a strong charge from your opponents that leaves your players dumbfounded. This is the time when it would be good to "chunk your coaching" when giving instructions during timeouts. Instead of focusing on what your players "generally" have to do to win the game, have them focus on a specific chunk of instructions for a specific time period. Instead of saying, "Let's just tighten our defense and play harder," you can say, "Ok, for the next five minutes of the game, do not let them score a single field goal." This way, you make the task-at-hand more manageable and real for your players. This also makes them zero in on a singular aspect of the game thereby lessening the confusion caused by your opponent's onslaught.

3. Imagine your play.
Imagery is always an effective strategy in performance enhancement. Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest player to ever play basketball, used a lot of imagery during his playing days. On recounting his visions before hitting the winning shot in the 1982 NCAA championship game, he said:
"I'm daydreaming about hitting a winning shot. I remember I was so calm, so relaxed... I envisioned being a hero in a game. I saw myself hitting the game-winning shot..."

While you may never have a player of his caliber on your team, you can take advantage of the same technique MJ used as a player.

During timeouts, calm your players with a few breathing exercises (see tip #1), and then have them close their eyes (don't worry, you're all huddled so your players won't feel so silly in front of the fans) and imagine that special quick-hitting play you've been practicing for a month. You can even guide them by describing the specific play you want while they imagine it quietly (of course this will work with a play that your players already know). For example, you can say, "On Jasmine's ball slap at the inbounds, Karen runs to the ball as a decoy. Cristina flashes to the elbow while Elena sets a screen on the block for Arianna who pops out of the baseline to catch and shoot the game-winner after Jasmine's pass."

This technique allows your players to map out predetermined bodily moves in their brain, thereby making the execution more efficient.

4. Laugh and zone in
Sometimes, all you need is a good laugh to break the tension and start playing well. In one of our district games against a team that was highly-touted as a surefire title-contender, I noticed how intimidated my players were and how this was causing them to make a lot of silly mistakes. Instead of ripping them in the ensuing timeout, I decided to make fun of their mistakes in a good-natured way. The unexpected ribbing from me led to laughter from the team. I saw them loosen up and get more settled. That's when I drew their attention back to what they had to do. Remember, the danger about breaking tension with laughter is that if you don't redirect it to what you want them to execute, it can backfire and lead to players just messing around with the game. So as soon as humor has served its purpose, redirect your players quickly to your game instructions so that you are able to take advantage of the relaxed atmosphere and renewed focus of your players.

All these techniques may sound like common sense. And they really are common sensical tips simply because we want to utilize the most common (and most powerful) resource our players have-- their minds. Next time, when things start going badly and you see your huge lead evaporate, let your players breathe deeply, listen to chunked coaching, imagine their success, and have a healthy laugh. Regaining your players' game-time focus has never been this easy and effective.

Relax, you'll be fine!

In my experience coaching basketball, I have observed that relaxation is perhaps the most taken for granted factor in game preparations and actual game situations. Porter (2003) says that, “the hardest task in athletics... is to know who or what helps them feel good about themselves and their world, that is, who or what promotes a state of relaxation and well-being.” In most of my practices and games, I would instruct players to, “go hard,” or show “intensity,” and “push, push, push.” While there is nothing absolutely wrong with that, I realize that I may have missed out in terms of trying to develop my players holistically by solely focusing on “intensity,” “getting pumped up,” and “hustling” without teaching my players the importance of relaxation. After all, in all the games where we performed poorly, they were at their least relaxed state (like playing in front of parents on Parents’ Night). One of my better shooters who rarely missed a free throw in practice would only shoot a miserable 20% from the free throw line during games. I could see how her shoulders were tensely hunched and how her arms were tight all throughout her shot.

In my experience playing golf (my handicap is another matter!), I have seen how my tense shoulders and tight arms have resulted in tons of balls splashing in the water hazards, and how my rare "relaxed everything" swing would launch the ball high, long, and straight with that perfect crisp sound. “Relaxation is the supreme nourishment for the body, mind, and soul” (2003).

While relaxation is typically associated with lazy or leisurely activities such as going to the beach or reading a book, it is nevertheless an important part of competitive sports if athletes learn when and how to utilize it during competitions. Consider this: “A hiker encountering a 1500-pound grizzly might live if she is calm enough to recall her plan to slowly retreat and act unaggressively, and a quarterback reacting to a linebacker blitz may successfully find the outlet receiver if he remains relatively calm and poised” (Andersen, 2000). Of course, this is not to discount the fact that arousal or stress is also needed to facilitate performance, as seen in weightlifting contests or arm wrestling matches. The key aspect is in learning when to manage the arousal when it reaches a level that hampers performance, because “... there is a countermeasure to hardwired (and learned) stress responsivity that facilitates the reduction of the stress response, and it is called relaxation” (2000).

People have generally experienced relaxation at numerous instances in their lives. Benson (1975), in fact, claimed that everyone has a protective mechanism- a relaxation response- that protects us from our stress response, our other inborn mechanism. Why don’t people then just activate the relaxation response in anxious or stressful moments? “Although the relaxation response is innate, eliciting it in times of stress often needs to be learned and practiced” (2000). Any mental skills training plan that seeks to teach relaxation effectively would best be served by providing athletes with various relaxation techniques that they can rehearse and utilize during training sessions and actual competitions because “relaxation is a skill that improves with training; but as with physical training, once the athlete no longer practices relaxation training, his or her ability level decreases rapidly” (Murphy, 2005).

It may seem like a stretch to allocate actual training time for something as “simple” as relaxation, but at the same time, it would be very prudent to note that “there is good evidence that learning to relax can enhance performance or is part of an effective performance enhancement routine” (2000).

Of course, it is always easier said than done. But hey, relax. We'll be fine.



References:


Andersen, M. (2000). Doing Sport Psychology. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics

Benson, H. (1975). The relaxation response. New York: William Morrow

Murphy, S. (2005). The Sport Psych Handbook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.

Porter, K. (2003). The Mental Athlete. Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.

Getting the Psyched Edge

(This article also appears on www.blogkadahan.com, a Filipino blog that features various topics of interest.)

I first encountered sport psychology as a senior in college. I was wrapping up my undergraduate studies in psychology that time and was hoping that the school would offer a sport-related class so I could use my last elective on a topic that I was truly interested in. When a friend of mine told me that the psychology department was going to offer an introductory class in sport psychology, I pounced on the opportunity and signed up. I have since fallen for this relatively new field and have taken it upon myself to be one of its staunch advocates. In that vein then, let me write about sport psychology in terms of how it is defined, how it can be practiced, and what role I think it should play in Philippine sports.

Murphy (2005) says: “The central theme of sport psychology over the past 80 years has been the search for the truth about how the mind and body interact to produce a skilled sport performance.” While this “central theme” has never changed, coming up with a universal definition has been impossible primarily because sport psychology may be defined in different ways, depending on the perspective one takes. Sport scientists may define it in terms of “...the brain and central nervous system and their influence on sports’ performance” (Lavallee et. al., 2004). Health psychologists may define it as “the psychology of physical activity in general” (2004) while clinical psychologists may focus on “particular therapeutic interventions associated with physical activity” (2004). For me, sport psychology is about developing and applying psychological skills (mental skills) toward the enhancement of one’s athletic performance and personal life. Simply put, it’s using psychological concepts such as goal setting, imagery, relaxation, and positive self-talk among others, to improve, say, one’s golf game and personal life through the proper development of mental skills.

Generally, sport psychology can be practiced in a number of ways, depending on the emphasis. Cox (1998) mentions three distinct roles of a sport psychologist: as a research sport psychologist, as an educational sport psychologist, and as a clinical/counseling psychologist. The research sport psychologist would be considered a “scientist and scholar” (1998) and typically conduct research and teach courses in sport psychology at the university level. The educational sport psychologist would be someone who “use[s] the medium of education to teach correct principles of sport psychology to athletes and coaches... develop[s] psychological skills for performance enhancement [and] help[s] athletes... to enjoy sport and use it as a vehicle for improving their quality of life” (1998), and would generally be called a sport psychology specialist, sport psychology consultant, performance enhancement consultant, or something similar. The clinical/counseling psychologist would be someone who is “prepared to deal with emotional and personality disorder problems that affect some athletes” (1998). The three roles may inevitably overlap (like someone who teaches a sport psychology class and helps the school’s track team) but one would generally put more premium on one over the others. Of the three roles mentioned, I would consider myself an educational sport psychologist since my interest and work are focused on teaching psychological concepts and mental skills that will help improve athletes’ “games” and personal lives.

Now that I am based in the Philippines, I wonder how sport psychology fits into Philippine sports. I would say the timing is perfect. The Philippines is currently in the midst of a sporting renaissance, reliving those glory years of the 30’s up to the 60’s when the country was a perennial force in Asian athletic competition. The future seems bright especially after the country took the overall championship at the 2005 Southeast Asian Games after years of mediocrity. There seems to be a booming interest in other sports other than basketball, still considered the national pastime of Filipinos. Boxing has exploded (thanks to the explosive fists of Manny Pacquiao and Brian Viloria), billiards has racked up a huge following (through the international exploits of Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, and other Pinoy cue artists), golf is finding greener pastures (through the booming Asian Tour and the successes of Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin in the LPGA), badminton is fast becoming the national form of exercise (try counting the ever-sprouting badminton courts in Manila alone), and soccer is finally stoking more local interest through the various weekend leagues. This tells me that the country and the Filipino athletes are ready to get back in the mix of international competition and even take the lead in the region within the next few years.

I think that the winning edge will not be in physical preparations anymore because countries have practically caught up with each other in terms of scientific training regimens, advances in nutrition, and strength and conditioning exercises. I believe the winning edge will be found in the arena of mental preparation. As it is, the country has no comprehensive sport psychology program in place at any level to speak of. There may be pockets of sport psychology in some sports (basketball, boxing and track, to my knowledge) but no full sport psychology programs like the other countries, that have modern sport programs in which “... sport psychology has become well integrated into athletic preparation as has strength and conditioning, sports medicine, and sport nutrition” (2005). The research will show that sport psychology is integral to excellence in sports. It is a present reality and I am worried that the country will be missing out on a golden opportunity to leap forward in international sports.

I am now laying the groundwork for Champion’s Edge, my own sport psychology and counseling services company. I do not want the Philippines to be left behind again in sports, not with the rich history of success in international competition it has, not with the momentum it is now seeing in the rise of various sports, and not with the bright sporting future that could never be imagined a few years back.

Now is the time to get the psyched edge.





References:

Cox, R.H. (1998). Sport Psychology: Concepts and applications (4th ed.). Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown, Inc.

Lavallee, D., Kremer, J., Moran, A., & Williams, M. (2004).  Sport Psychology Contemporary Themes.  New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan

Murphy, S. (2005). The Sport Psych Handbook. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.

Win your game, win your life.

This weblog is the first phase of sport psychology advocacy efforts by Champion's Edge.

Champion's Edge is a sports counseling and consultancy firm that specializes in performance enhancement through mental skills training and counseling. Founded by Coach Lee Tajonera, Champion’s Edge utilizes the principles of sport psychology in helping athletes develop the mental skills necessary for enhancing athletic performance and quality of life.

Coach Tajonera (or Coach T as his players call him) is a sports psychology specialist based in Manila, Philippines. He has extensive coaching experience in the Philippines and the United States in basketball and volleyball where he applied his expertise in mental skills training and counseling.

Coach T has a Certificate in Sport Psychology from San Diego University for Integrative studies and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Ateneo de Manila University. He had the opportunity to learn from prominent sport psychology practitioners such as David Lavallee, Robert Nideffer, and Cristina Versari. He is a certified Double-Goal Coach of the Positive Coaching Alliance (www.positivecoach.org), a Stanford-based organization that focuses on positive coaching for youth sports.

He is a member of the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP) and the United States Golf Association (USGA).

This site will feature research-based articles on various topics of psychology but will focus mainly on sport psychology and coaching. Comments and feedback are most welcome.

Discover the power of sport psychology in your game and develop the mental skills that will give you the winning edge in life with the Champion’s Edge.


Contact information:
Lee Tajonera
leetajonera@gmail.com
Mobile: +63917-5008256