Peak Performance: The Blog

Wemby's Mental Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 13:57:00 +0000

Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA with extraordinarily high expectations after being hyped as a generational prospect out of France. At 7'5" with a 8' wingspan, the skinny but skilled big man had the physical tools to dominate. However, translating his game to the highest level would require exceptional mental conditioning.

From the outset, Wembanyama displayed a keen understanding of the mental side of peak performance. In a preseason interview he stated, "The mental game is just as important, if not more, than the physical tools. I have to get my mind right every night."

He recognized that achieving an ideal performance state and being present-focused allowed him to maximize his abilities.

"I try to remove all distractions and external noise," Wembanyama explained. "When I'm on the court, it's just me, my teammates, the opponent, and the moment. Everything else fades away."

Teammates and coaches immediately took note of the rookie's legendary focus and composure. "He has this calming presence, even in the biggest moments," remarked teammate Keldon Johnson. "The bright lights don't faze him at all."

Head coach Gregg Popovich marveled at Wembanyama's mental toughness and evenness. "He doesn't get ruffled. After an amazing play, it's the same look as after a mistake. He's able to move on to the next moment."

That ability to maintain a next-play mentality and avoid the emotional highs and lows helped Wembanyama excel despite the immense pressure. He quickly established himself as a triple-double threat who impacted the game in every facet.

"You can't get caught up in the last play, good or bad," Wembanyama said, echoing Peak Performance's emphasis on having a 'no breath' mindset. "It's counterproductive. You have to let it go and focus on what's next."

Wembanyama’s rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs has been nothing short of phenomenal, showcasing not only his physical prowess but also his mental toughness and conditioning. His performances have drawn praise from teammates, coaches, and opponents alike, all acknowledging his significant impact on the league.

Mental Conditioning and Toughness: Wembanyama’s mental toughness was evident when he stated, "The only thing I can tell you is I love winning, and I hate losing. I want to build something that eventually is going to be remembered"¹. This reflects a mindset focused on growth and resilience, key components of the Peak Performance System². His ability to maintain high performance under pressure and his commitment to continuous improvement demonstrate his adherence to peak performance principles³.

Development Throughout the Season: Throughout his first year, Wembanyama has shown remarkable development. He remarked, "It’s a day-by-day thing. What’s for sure is I’m not even close to being at my best"⁴. This continuous pursuit of excellence aligns with the peak performance mindset of constant progression and dedication ².

Impact and Influence: Teammates have noted Wembanyama’s team-oriented approach, with one saying, "My teammates know I don’t care about the media attention, I’m here to make sacrifices for them, and they’re going to make sacrifices for me"⁵. This highlights his understanding of the collective effort required for success, a principle deeply rooted in sports psychology and peak performance strategies².

Recognition from Coaches and Opponents: Coaches and opponents have not been shy in their admiration. Nuggets coach Michael Malone called Wemby the “future of the NBA,” recognizing his potential to shape the sport⁶. Such accolades underscore the respect he commands across the league.

Here are some highlights from Victor Wembanyama’s memorable rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs:

These moments are just a few examples of how Wembanyama has captivated fans and analysts alike, demonstrating his mental toughness and peak performance throughout his first year in the league. His ability to deliver in high-pressure situations and continuously improve his game speaks volumes about his mental conditioning and dedication to the sport.

Yes, opponents have indeed taken note of Victor Wembanyama’s impact on their game plans. They’ve learned that challenging him, especially near the rim, is not advisable.As one source mentioned, “You really don’t want to go to the rim if he’s down there,” highlighting the strategic adjustments teams make to avoid his shot-blocking prowess¹. His ability to compile a mental scouting report on each team has also been a factor in his defensive success, leading to his consideration for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award¹.

Moreover, his presence on the floor commands attention from multiple defenders, which opens up opportunities for his teammates. This impact is significant on both ends of the court, making life easier for perimeter players and altering the offensive strategies of opponents ². Wembanyama’s extraordinary abilities have forced teams to adapt their game plans, reflecting his considerable influence on the league in just his rookie season.

Victor Wembanyama has received guidance and mentorship during his rookie year. Notably, Rudy Gobert, a fellow Frenchman and NBA veteran, has been a mentor to Wembanyama. Gobert has offered advice and shared insights, which Wembanyama has found valuable¹. Additionally, the San Antonio Spurs have utilized video sessions to help educate Wembanyama, showing him footage of NBA greats like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant to enhance his understanding of the game ².

While the Spurs roster was thin on veteran big men to provide direct mentorship, the team made a concerted effort to surround Wembanyama with the right resources to aid his development, including considering the addition of veteran free agents to fulfill this role ³. This multifaceted approach to mentorship has helped Wembanyama adapt to the NBA and make a significant impact in his rookie season.

Conclusion: Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season is a testament to the power of mental conditioning and toughness in sports. His adherence to the Peak Performance System and other mental conditioning paradigms has not only contributed to his individual success but has also positively influenced his team and the league as a whole. His journey reflects the essence of peak performance—where mental and physical excellence converge to create an athlete who is not only a player but a phenomenon.

NOTE: This blogpost was written with the assistance of AI.

For more on about sports and performance psychology, go to the e-book, “Strengthening Your Mental Core”:

"You Don't Need Me!" - Optimizing Mental Fitness Without a Coach

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 22:11:00 +0000

In today's fast-paced world, the quest for better brain health and a healthy mindset is more important than ever. While many turn to mental conditioning coaches for guidance, there's a compelling case to be made for taking matters into your own hands. Let's face it, mental conditioning coaches can be amazing, but they can also come with a hefty price tag. While mental conditioning coaches offer valuable guidance, nurturing your brain and cultivating mental fitness are achievable goals you can pursue independently. Here's your toolkit for a DIY brain upgrade:

1. Neuroplasticity - Your Brain's Built-in Upgrade Button: Your brain is remarkably adaptable, a quality known as neuroplasticity. By consistently engaging in stimulating activities, you can strengthen neural connections and foster cognitive growth.

2. Meditation - Cultivating Calm and Clarity: Meditation practices like mindfulness meditation enhance focus, reduce stress, and improve emotional regulation. Even brief (anything under 5 minutes) daily sessions can yield significant benefits.

3. Boogie with Binaural Beats - Brainwave Entrainment: Techniques like binaural beats and brainwave synchronization can gently guide your brainwave patterns into desired states, promoting relaxation, focus, or creativity.

4. Sleep, Glorious Sleep: You knew this was coming, right? Prioritizing quality sleep is a non-negotiable for optimal brain function. Aim for 7-8 hours of shut-eye nightly, establish a regular sleep schedule, and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Quality sleep is fundamental for cognitive function and emotional well-being. Establish a regular sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and optimize your sleep environment.

5. Visualization - Programming Your Mind for Success: Visualization involves mentally rehearsing desired outcomes. This powerful technique can boost motivation, enhance performance, and cultivate a positive outlook.

6. Structure and Routines - The Pillars of Consistency: Feeling scattered? Routines and structure provide a sense of control and predictability, which can dramatically reduce stress and improve mental clarity. Creating daily routines and structure provides a sense of control and predictability, promoting mental clarity and reducing stress.

Remember, consistency is key. By incorporating these practices into your daily routine, you can embark on a transformative journey towards optimal brain health and a strong mental core, empowering yourself to thrive.

For more information about mental conditioning, go to: Strengthening Your Mental Core, to sign up for our basic, self-paced online course.

NOTE: This blogpost was assisted by AI.

Peak Performance Case Study: Inside the Boston Celtics' Strategic (and Mindful) Evolution

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:47:00 +0000

In the high-stakes world of professional basketball, success isn't just about talent; it's about strategy, teamwork, and mental fortitude. The Boston Celtics, led by head coach Joe Mazzulla, have exemplified this holistic approach throughout the current NBA season. With the best record in the NBA (currently 48-12) and the best offensive rating, the Celtics are favored by many to capture the NBA championship this season. As a mental conditioning coach, I've been watching closely and analyzing the Celtics' journey, uncovering valuable insights that can benefit athletes at all levels.

Team Profile

The Boston Celtics boast a roster brimming with talent, featuring standout players like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Jrue Holiday. Under Coach Mazzulla's guidance, they've embraced a more structured offensive approach, aiming to maximize their scoring options while maintaining precision and purpose on the court.

Not Just About Talent

While the Celtics possess undeniable talent, Brown emphasizes that "alone won't be enough." This group, he says, has come together at the right time, prioritizing winning above all else. "We all have had experiences that have all led us to this place where we're ready to get over the hump," he says. "Maybe early in our career we were more interested or just as interested in doing other things, but now is a great place in all of our lives."

Intentionality

"It's how basketball is supposed to be played. A more intentional version." - Jaylen Brown

Brown highlights the significance of attentiveness and adaptability in basketball. Mental conditioning fosters athletes' ability to stay present, analyze situations, and make split-second decisions under pressure.

This quote encapsulates the Celtics' mindset shift towards deliberate decision-making and strategic execution. In mental conditioning, intentionality is paramount, as athletes learn to focus their thoughts and actions towards specific goals.

"Playing with purpose, not just going out there and not thinking." - Jayson Tatum

Tatum underscores the shift from reactive to proactive play, aligning with mental conditioning goals of mindful engagement and purposeful action on the court.

From Free Flowing to Calculated

“More talent, more structure." - Joe Mazzulla
"I definitely think there was less structure last year. This year I think we're all understanding and really trying to buy into what Joe's telling us." - Al Horford

Gone are the days of a free-wheeling offense. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has implemented a more structured approach, recognizing the need to maximize a roster overflowing with scoring options. "Because we have so much talent it can be easy to just say, 'Hey, go,'" Mazzulla says, "And then you're not getting the best of everybody."

Coach Mazzulla emphasizes the importance of balancing individual talent with team structure. This resonates with mental conditioning principles, where athletes learn to harness their skills within a structured framework for optimal performance.

Attention to Detail

"Attention to detail...reading the different coverages...making the right read." - Jaylen Brown

This new system emphasizes attention to detail. Players are encouraged to "see everything that's going on" before making decisions, understanding matchups, coverages, and the best way to exploit them. Brown describes it as "the smallest details. If a big is up or if a big is back. If they're switching or if they're staying, maintaining. Just reading the different coverages on the fly and making the right read versus the right coverage."

Ego in Check

Implementing this structure hasn't been without its challenges. Players have had to sacrifice shots and touches, but Brown assures that "winning is most important: The ego of winning." He says, "We all know that we need each other. Especially during the course of a long year, different games, different matchups, it's all in preparation for playoff time."

Continuous Growth

This Celtics team is hungry for improvement. Brown, in his eighth season, feels he's playing the best basketball of his life due to his increased understanding of the game. He, along with Tatum and others, are constantly seeking ways to get better. This drive for improvement is a key ingredient in their championship aspirations.

Building for the Playoffs, Preparing for the Big Stage

"Maybe last year, we won a lot of these games that were big games or whatever, but I don't know how much that prepared us for later in the season." - Jaylen Brown

While the Celtics are excelling in clutch moments, the playoffs remain a looming test. However, Brown believes this team is better prepared than ever. This commitment to a smarter, more structured style is all about preparing for the postseason, where the Celtics have faltered in recent years. Brown highlights the various lineups and strategies they've experimented with, the new zone defense, and the focus on developing depth through players like Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard. He believes "all of this is like building towards trying to be ready for when it's game time."

Summary: Guiding Principles for Mental Conditioning

1. Mindfulness: Encourage players to stay present, focusing on the task at hand without dwelling on past mistakes or worrying about future outcomes.

2. Visualization: Guide athletes in visualizing successful plays, fostering confidence and mental rehearsal for game-time situations.

3. Self-Talk: Teach players to cultivate positive self-talk, building resilience and self-belief in challenging moments.

4. Goal Setting: Collaborate with athletes to set clear, actionable goals, both individually and as a team, fostering motivation and accountability.

5. Resilience: Instill strategies for bouncing back from setbacks, emphasizing the importance of learning from failures and maintaining a growth mindset.

In conclusion, the Boston Celtics' journey exemplifies the intersection of talent, strategy, and mental resilience in elite sports. As a mental conditioning coach, I draw ideas and inspiration from their evolution, utilizing key insights and guiding principles to empower athletes in unlocking their full potential on and off the court. By embracing intentionality, structure, and purpose, elite athletes can elevate their performance and achieve new heights of success in their athletic endeavors.

NOTE: This blogpost was assisted by AI.

The Mahomes Magic: Inside the Super Bowl Championship Quarterback's Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 20:28:00 +0000

Patrick Mahomes, the Kansas City Chiefs' championship quarterback, is more than just a highlight reel. He's a champion, leading his team to three Super Bowl victories in just five seasons. But what separates him from other talented signal-callers? It's the fire within, the unwavering belief, and the mental conditioning that fuels his success. Let's delve into the "Mahomes Magic" and unearth the secrets of his champion's mindset.

The Undying Belief:

Mahomes exudes confidence that borders on audacity. "I believe in myself," he simply states. This self-assuredness isn't arrogance; it's a conviction forged in preparation and fueled by a relentless pursuit of improvement. He famously declared, "I'm not going to apologize for my confidence," after a game-winning throw. This unwavering belief permeates the Chiefs' locker room, creating a culture of "we believe" that fuels comebacks and upsets.

Mastering the Moment:

Pressure? Mahomes thrives on it. He shines brightest when the stakes are high, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the frenetic energy of the game. "I try not to let the moment get too big," he says. "I just focus on what I can control, the next play, the next throw." This ability to stay present and composed under pressure is a hallmark of elite quarterbacks, and Mahomes possesses it in spades.

Building Mental Resilience:

Championships aren't won on positivity alone. Mahomes has faced setbacks, interceptions, and crushing defeats. But he bounces back, his mental resilience a cornerstone of his success. "You learn from every play," he emphasizes. "The good, the bad, the ugly. It's all about taking those experiences and using them to make yourself better." This growth mindset allows him to learn from mistakes and emerge stronger, a testament to his mental fortitude.

The Power of Preparation:

While Mahomes' talent is undeniable, his success is built on meticulous preparation. He meticulously studies film, dissects defensive schemes, and visualizes plays before they even happen. This dedication to preparation translates to confidence on the field, as he knows exactly what to expect and how to react. "The more prepared you are, the less pressure there is," he explains.

Beyond the Statistics:

Leadership is more than throwing touchdowns. Mahomes leads by example, his work ethic and positive attitude inspiring his teammates. He fosters a sense of camaraderie and trust, creating a locker room where everyone believes in each other. "He's not just a great player," says tight end Travis Kelce, "he's a great leader. He's got that fire in him, and he brings it every day."

The Quest Continues:

Patrick Mahomes' story seems far from over. His journey is a testament to the power of a champion's mindset, a unique blend of unwavering belief, mental resilience, and meticulous preparation. He is an inspiration to young athletes and a force to be reckoned with in the NFL. As he himself says, "I'm always striving to be better, to learn more, and to win more championships." And with his mental fortitude and relentless drive, one thing is certain: the magic of Mahomes may be just beginning.

Delving Deeper:

Mental Conditioning Routines:

Mindfulness: Mahomes uses meditation apps to quiet his mind and clear distractions before games and practices.
Visualization: He visualizes plays succeeding in every detail, from the snap to the completion.
Positive self-talk: He uses affirmations and positive self-talk to boost confidence and maintain focus.

Working with a Sports Psychologist:

Mahomes has reportedly worked with a sports psychologist to develop coping mechanisms for dealing with pressure and setbacks. He also uses relaxation techniques like deep breathing to control his emotions in high-pressure situations.

Pre-Game Rituals:

Listening to music: Mahomes has a specific pre-game playlist that gets him pumped up and focused.
Spending time with teammates: He avoids isolation and connects with his team to build camaraderie and a positive mindset.
Visualizing success: He takes a few minutes to visualize himself performing well and leading his team to victory.

Other Strategies:

Journaling: Mahomes reportedly uses journaling to reflect on his performance and set goals for improvement.
Seeking feedback: He actively seeks feedback from coaches and teammates to identify areas for improvement.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle: He prioritizes sleep, nutrition, and exercise to optimize both physical and mental performance.

By implementing these strategies, Patrick Mahomes has cultivated a champion's mindset that sets him apart.

NOTE: This blogpost was produced with the assistance of AI.

Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop/Rap Influences on Mental Conditioning

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:47:00 +0000

In 2023, on its 50th anniversary, hip-hop and rap music was thoroughly analyzed, dissected and celebrated. It is clear that hip hop and rap are two genres of music that have been around for decades and have had a profound impact on popular culture. However, I have found nothing in popular media this past year that discusses the psychology of rap and hip-hop. Did you know that this music can also be valuable tools for sports and performance psychology as well as mental conditioning and fitness?

In recent years, there has been a growing body of research that suggests that hip hop and rap can be used to help athletes and performers improve their mental game. For example, a study published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that listening to rap music before a competition can help to increase athletes' confidence and focus. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology found that rap music can be used to help athletes cope with stress and anxiety.

There are a few reasons why hip hop and rap can be so effective in improving mental toughness. First, these genres of music often deal with themes of overcoming adversity and achieving success. This can be empowering for athletes and performers, and it can help them to develop a positive mindset. Second, hip hop and rap music can be very motivating. The fast-paced beats and catchy lyrics can help to get athletes and performers pumped up and ready to perform at their best. Finally, hip hop and rap music can be a form of self-expression. Athletes and performers can use this music to express their emotions and to connect with their inner strength.

If you are an athlete or performer who is looking to improve your mental game, I encourage you to listen closely to hip hop or rap music before your next competition or performance. You may be surprised at how much of a difference it can make.

Here are a few specific examples of how hip hop and rap can be used to improve mental conditioning:

Motivation: Listening to rap music can help to get you pumped up and ready to perform at your best. The fast-paced beats and catchy lyrics can help you to focus and to block out distractions.
Confidence: Rap music often deals with themes of overcoming adversity and achieving success. This can be empowering for athletes and performers, and it can help them to develop a positive mindset.
Coping with stress and anxiety: Rap music can be a form of therapy. The lyrics can help you to express your emotions and to connect with your inner strength. This can be helpful for coping with stress and anxiety before a competition or performance.
Creativity: Rap music is a form of self-expression. Athletes and performers can use this music to express their emotions and to connect with their inner strength. This can be helpful for improving creativity and problem-solving skills.

Here are some hip hop and rap songs that athletes recommend for motivation and getting in the zone:

"Alright" by Kendrick Lamar: "We gon' be alright.”

This lyric is a powerful reminder that even when we're facing challenges, we can overcome them.

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem: "You can do anything you set your mind to, man."

This song is about determination and perseverance. It is a great choice for athletes who are facing a tough challenge.

"Love Yourz" by J. Cole: "Love yourz, even when they hate you back."

This lyric encourages listeners to accept themselves for who they are, even when others don't.

"1-800-273-8255" by Logic:

"You're not alone, you're not the only one going through this"

This lyric reminds listeners that they're not alone in their struggles, and that there is help available.

"Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis: This song is about believing in yourself and never giving up. It is a great choice for athletes who need a boost of confidence.
"Stronger" by Kanye West: This song is about overcoming obstacles and becoming stronger. It is a great choice for athletes who are looking to improve their mental toughness.
"Till I Collapse" by Eminem: This song is about pushing yourself to the limit and never giving up. It is a great choice for athletes who are looking to give their all.
"Work" by Rihanna: This song is about confidence and determination. It is a great choice for athletes who need to feel like they can take on the world.
"No Sleep Till Brooklyn" by Beastie Boys: This song is about energy and excitement. It is a great choice for athletes who need to get pumped up before a competition.
"Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic: This song is about getting the party started. It is a great choice for athletes who need to get motivated and in the zone.
"The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre: This song is about being the best and never giving up. It is a great choice for athletes who are looking to dominate their competition.
“I Can” by Nas: This song is all about self-empowerment and believing in yourself.
“Umi Says” by Mos Def: This song is all about staying true to yourself and finding inner peace.
“The Light” by Common: This song is all about finding the light within yourself and staying positive. “The World Is Yours” by Nas: This song is all about taking control of your life and making the most of it.
“I Used to Love H.E.R.” by Common: This song is all about the ups and downs of life and how to stay positive through it all.
“The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: This song is all about the struggles of life and how to overcome them.
“Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G.: This song is all about overcoming adversity and achieving your dreams.
“One Mic” by Nas: This song is all about the power of words and how they can change the world.
“Changes” by Tupac: This song is all about the struggles of life and how to overcome them.
“Keep Ya Head Up” by Tupac: This song is all about staying positive and keeping your head up, even when times are tough.
“The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco: This song is all about overcoming adversity and staying positive.
“All of the Lights” by Kanye West: This song is all about the power of positivity and how it can change your life.
“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z: This song is all about the power of positivity and how it can change your life.
“Can’t Tell Me Nothing” by Kanye West: This song is all about staying true to yourself and not letting anyone bring you down.
“The Power” by Snap!: This song is all about the power of positivity and how it can change your life.
"Stressed Out" by A Tribe Called Quest.
"Mind Playing Tricks" on Me by Geto Boys.

These are just a few examples of the many hip hop and rap songs that athletes recommend for motivation and getting in the zone. The best songs for you will depend on your personal preferences and what you need to get pumped up. So experiment and find a few songs that work for you! Yes, there are a number of specific lyrics in the songs identified that speak directly to positive outlook and a resilience mindset.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by your mental health, please reach out for help. There are many resources available to you, including mental health hotlines, support groups, and therapy. Remember, you are not alone. There are people who care about you and want to help.

If you have a playlist that you want to share, please send it to me via comments or via email and I will pass them along in a future blogpost.

If you are experiencing a crisis or an emergency, please dial 911, 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to your nearest emergency room. You may also call the Georgia Crisis and Access Line at 1-800-715-4225 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).*

NOTE: This blogpost was assisted by AI.

Do You Suffer from Eco-Anxiety?

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 18:45:00 +0000

Are you experiencing eco-anxiety?

Eco-anxiety (short for ecological anxiety and also known as eco-distress or climate-anxiety) has been defined as "a chronic fear of environmental doom". Studies have been done on ecological anxiety since 2007, and various definitions remain in use. Another widely cited definition is: "the generalized sense that the ecological foundations of existence are in the process of collapse."

Below you will find a questionnaire to help you determine the severity of your eco-anxiety and burnout.

Instructions: Please rate each of the following items on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being "strongly disagree" and 5 being "strongly agree."

Eco-Anxiety

I am worried about the future of the planet.
I feel anxious about the effects of climate change.
I feel guilty about my own impact on the environment.
I feel overwhelmed by the environmental crisis.
I have trouble sleeping because of my worries about the environment.
I have difficulty concentrating on my work or studies because of my worries about the environment.
I avoid thinking about the environment because it makes me too anxious.
I feel like I can't do anything to make a difference.
I feel that my livelihood or way of living will be severely threatened by climate change.
I feel hopeless that anything can be done about the future of the planet.

Burnout

11. I feel emotionally exhausted.

12. I feel physically drained.

13. I feel like I'm running on empty.

14. I have difficulty concentrating.

15. I feel detached from my work or studies.

16. I feel cynical about my work or studies.

17. I have difficulty making decisions.

18. I feel irritable and impatient.

19. I have difficulty sleeping.

20. I am overwhelmed by the images and stories on social media and the news.

Scoring:

To score the eco-anxiety section, add up your responses to all 10 items. A higher score indicates higher levels of eco-anxiety.

To score the burnout section, add up your responses to all 10 items. A higher score indicates higher levels of burnout.

Interpretation:

A score of 3 or higher on any individual item in either section may indicate that the individual is experiencing eco-anxiety and/or burnout. A score of 30 or higher on the eco-anxiety section or 39 or higher on the burnout section indicates that the individual is experiencing significant levels of eco-anxiety and/or burnout.

Additional Questions

These additional questions will give you a better understanding of your individual experience of eco-anxiety and burnout, such as:

What are your biggest concerns about the environment?
How does your eco-anxiety or burnout affect your daily life?
What coping strategies do you use to manage your eco-anxiety or burnout?
What would be helpful to you in addressing your eco-anxiety or burnout?

Talking with a trained mental health practitioner can be helpful. With their help, you can use this information to develop a treatment plan to help manage your eco-anxiety and burnout and improve your overall well-being. More specifically, working on developing your resilience, your recovery skills and strengthening your mental core may be advisable.

For more information about resilience and recovery skills, and your mental core, enroll in our online course: "Strengthening Your Mental Core."

NOTE: This article was AI-assisted.

Peak Performance Case Study: Gil Brandt (1932-2023), A Pioneer in NFL Player Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 17:45:00 +0000

Gil Brandt was a pro football executive who spent 50 years in the NFL, most notably as the vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys. He was a pioneer in the field of player evaluation, and he is credited with popularizing the use of the Wonderlic intelligence test to assess NFL prospects.

Brandt believed that football intelligence was just as important as physical talent, and he used the Wonderlic test to help him identify players who had the ability to learn and adapt to the NFL game. He also looked for players who had good character and work ethic. The Wonderlic test is a 50-question, 12-minute multiple-choice test that measures verbal reasoning, numerical ability, and abstract reasoning.

Brandt's methods were not always popular, but he had a long track record of success. He helped the Cowboys build one of the most dominant dynasties in NFL history, and he is credited with drafting some of the greatest players in the game, including Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, and Emmitt Smith.

Brandt's legacy is still felt today. The Wonderlic test is still used by NFL teams to assess player intelligence, and many of Brandt's other methods of player evaluation are still in use. He was a true pioneer in the field of NFL player evaluation, and his contributions helped to shape the modern game.

Here are some of the specific ways in which Gil Brandt used the Wonderlic test to evaluate NFL players:

He believed that a high Wonderlic score was a good indicator of a player's ability to learn and adapt to the NFL game.
He looked for players who scored at least a 20 on the Wonderlic test.
He believed that players who scored lower than 15 on the Wonderlic test were unlikely to be successful in the NFL.

Here are some of the other methods of player evaluation that Gil Brandt used:

He met with players in person to get a sense of their character and work ethic.
He watched films of players to assess their skills and abilities.
He talked to coaches and scouts who had seen players play.

Gil Brandt's legacy is one of innovation and success. He was a pioneer in the field of NFL player evaluation, and his methods are still used by NFL teams today. He helped to shape the modern game, and his contributions will be remembered for years to come.

Here are some of the NFL players who have scored the highest on the Wonderlic test:

Ryan Fitzpatrick: 48
Benjamin Watson: 45
Byron "Whizzer" White: 43
Alan Page: 42
Pat Haden: 42

It is important to note that the Wonderlic test is not a perfect predictor of NFL success. There are many players who have scored high on the Wonderlic test and failed to live up to their potential. However, the Wonderlic test can be a useful tool for NFL teams, and it is one of the many factors that they consider when evaluating players.

For more regarding mental conditioning, enroll in our new online course: "Strengthening Your Mental Core."

NOTE: This blogpost was assisted by AI.

Peak Performance Case Study: Greg Maddux and Systems Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Sat, 26 Aug 2023 17:36:00 +0000

Greg Maddux was one of the most dominant pitchers in Major League Baseball history. He won 355 games, 4 Cy Young Awards, 18 Golden Glove awards, and a World Series championship in 1995. He was also known for his unique mental approach to pitching.

Maddux was a systems thinker. He understood that the game of baseball is a complex system of interconnected parts. He paid attention to the way that different factors interacted with each other, such as the batter's tendencies, the umpire's strike zone, and the wind conditions.

Maddux used this understanding of the system to his advantage. He would often pitch to the batter's weaknesses, and he would use the umpire's strike zone to his advantage. He was also very good at reading the wind conditions and adjusting his pitches accordingly.

Maddux's mental approach was also characterized by his focus on the present moment. He didn't worry about the past or the future. He simply focused on the pitch that he was about to throw. This allowed him to stay calm and in control, even in the most pressure-packed situations.

Maddux's mental approach was a key factor in his success. It allowed him to see the game as a complex system and to use his understanding of the system to his advantage. It also allowed him to stay calm and focused in pressure-packed situations.

How We Can Learn From Greg Maddux

We can all learn from Greg Maddux's mental approach to pitching. By understanding the game as a complex system and by focusing on the present moment, we can improve our own performance in any area of our lives.

Here are a few specific tips that we can learn from Maddux:

Standard thinking is linear and sequential. One idea follows the next and appears logical as per the person’s knowledge of the situation and similar experiences. This type of thinking often restricts possible choices due to one’s unique assumptions, personal history and beliefs. It may overlook obscure but important factors that might enhance understanding or outcomes. Sequential thinkers have a relatively straight path to their outcomes.
Systems thinking is circular. Systems thinkers can hear, think, notice a broad range of factors on many levels simultaneously, making it possible to compile an expansive data set from a broad array of sources. With more good data to weigh, there’s an increase in creativity, more choices appear. It results in less risk, less resistance, more teamwork and collaboration, more efficiency and a greater possibility of attaining excellence.
Pay attention to the interconnectedness of things. When you are trying to understand something, pay attention to how it is connected to other things. What are the inputs and outputs of the system? What are the feedback loops?
Look for patterns of behavior. Pay attention to how things change over time. What are the trends? What are the cycles?
Think about the long-term consequences of your actions. When you are making a decision, think about how it will affect things in the long run. What are the unintended consequences?
Practice creative and innovative thinking. Try to come up with new solutions to problems. Don't be afraid to think outside the box.

Greg Maddux was a master of systems thinking. He used his understanding of the game to his advantage, and he was able to achieve great success as a result. We can all learn from Maddux's mental approach, and by following his tips, we can improve our own performance in any area we choose.

By following these tips, you can learn to think like Greg Maddux and improve your own performance in any area of your life.

For more systems thinking, read Thinking in Systems by Donella H. Meadows and Diana Wright.

For more on mental conditioning, enroll in our new online course: Strengthening Your Mental Core.

NOTE: This blogpost was assisted by AI.

Your Flow State Questionnaire

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 13:00:00 +0000

I am often asked the question "How do I know if I need help with mental conditioning and coaching?" The following questionnaire may help to determine current your mental fitness or how well you establish "flow state conditions."

Here's a 15-item yes or no questionnaire to assess your mental fitness and your current ability to create a flow state:

1. Do you often find it easy to concentrate on the task at hand?

2. Are you able to maintain a sense of calm and focus even in stressful situations?

3. Do you feel a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment while engaging in challenging activities?

4. Are you able to block out distractions and maintain sustained attention?

5. Do you feel a strong sense of confidence in your abilities to overcome obstacles?

6. Are you able to quickly adapt and adjust to unexpected changes in your environment?

7. Do you frequently lose track of time while engaged in a task you enjoy?

8. Do you often experience a sense of effortless and automatic movement in your activities?

9. Do you have a clear sense of goals and purpose in your daily life?

10. Are you able to fully immerse yourself in activities, feeling completely absorbed in the present moment?

11. Do you feel a strong sense of control over your thoughts and emotions?

12. Are you able to find a balance between challenge and skill in your activities?

13. Do you often experience a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment after completing a task?

14. Do you feel a sense of clarity and mental clarity during your daily activities?

15. Do you find yourself naturally and effortlessly entering a state of flow in various areas of your life?

Scoring:

- Give yourself one point for each "Yes" answer.

- A higher score indicates a greater likelihood of being mentally fit and entering a flow state.

Note that this questionnaire is not a scientifically validated assessment tool but can serve as a rough guide to self-reflect on mental fitness and the potential for experiencing flow. For a more accurate assessment, it's recommended to consult a qualified mental health professional or use validated assessment tools specifically designed for this purpose.

To learn more about mental conditioning, enroll in our new online, self-paced course: "Strengthening Your Mental Core."

NOTE: This questionnaire was developed with the assistance of AI.

The Usage of Neuropriming with Athletes Seeking Peak Performance

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:54:00 +0000

Neuropriming is a technique that uses electrical stimulation to enhance the brain's plasticity, or ability to change. This can be done in a variety of ways, but some of the most common types of neuropriming include:

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): This is a non-invasive technique that uses electrodes to deliver a weak electrical current to the brain. tDCS has been shown to improve cognitive function, motor performance, and pain relief.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): This is a more invasive technique that uses a magnetic field to induce an electrical current in the brain. TMS has been shown to be effective in treating depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other neurological disorders.
Optogenetics: This technique uses light to activate specific neurons in the brain. Optogenetics has been used to study the neural basis of learning and memory, and it has the potential to be used to treat neurological disorders.

There are many different types of neuropriming, but some of the most common include:

Motor priming: This type of neuropriming is used to improve motor performance. For example, tDCS has been shown to improve reaction time and accuracy in tasks such as tennis and golf.
Cognitive priming: This type of neuropriming is used to improve cognitive function. For example, TMS has been shown to improve working memory and attention.
Pain priming: This type of neuropriming is used to reduce pain. For example, tDCS has been shown to reduce chronic pain in patients with conditions such as fibromyalgia and back pain.

There are many different types of neuropriming, but some of the most common include:

Motor priming: This type of neuropriming is used to improve motor performance. For example, tDCS has been shown to improve reaction time and accuracy in tasks such as tennis and golf.
Cognitive priming: This type of neuropriming is used to improve cognitive function. For example, TMS has been shown to improve working memory and attention.
Pain priming: This type of neuropriming is used to reduce pain. For example, tDCS has been shown to reduce chronic pain in patients with conditions such as fibromyalgia and back pain.

There are two other specific modalities in which neuropriming is used to enhance: visual neuropriming and auditory neuropriming.

Visual neuropriming involves using images or videos to prime the brain. For example, an athlete might be shown a picture of a successful free throw before taking a shot. This can help to improve their accuracy by priming their brain to expect success.

Auditory neuropriming involves using sounds to prime the brain. For example, an athlete might be given a specific word or phrase to repeat before performing a task. This can help to improve their performance by priming their brain to focus on the task at hand.

Here are some specific examples of visual neuropriming:

Seeing a picture of a successful free throw before taking a shot.
Watching a video of a top athlete performing a skill perfectly.
Looking at a graph that shows your progress over time.

Here are some specific examples of auditory neuropriming:

Repeating a mantra or affirmation before performing a task.
Listening to a motivational speech or song.
Hearing the sound of a metronome or heartbeat.

Here are some specific examples of how neuropriming has been used:

**In a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers used tDCS to improve the performance of professional golfers. The golfers who received tDCS showed significant improvement in their putting accuracy.
**In a study published in the journal Brain, researchers used TMS to improve the performance of athletes with chronic pain. The athletes who received TMS showed significant improvement in their pain tolerance and performance.
**In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers used optogenetics to improve the performance of mice in a maze task. The mice that received optogenetics showed significantly faster learning and memory.

These are just a few examples of how neuropriming has been used. The technology is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to be used to improve the performance of athletes in a variety of sports.

The latest news in neuropriming with elite athletes is that it is becoming increasingly popular, with more and more athletes using it to improve their performance. One of the most well-known athletes who used neuropriming is Tom Brady, the retired quarterback for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady has said that he used neuropriming to help him stay sharp and focused during games. Other elite athletes who use or used neuropriming include Serena Williams, LeBron James, and Usain Bolt.

A study published in the journal Brain Stimulation in 2019 found that neuropriming can improve athletic performance by up to 45%. The study looked at a group of elite athletes who used neuropriming for 8 weeks. The athletes who used neuropriming showed significant improvements in their strength, power, and speed.

Another study, published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience in 2020, found that neuropriming can improve motor learning. The study looked at a group of participants who were learning a new motor skill. The participants who used neuropriming were able to learn the skill more quickly and efficiently than the participants who did not use neuropriming.

These studies suggest that neuropriming is a promising new way to improve athletic performance. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the long-term effects of neuropriming.

Here are some other athletes who are using neuropriming:

Simone Biles, Olympic gymnast
Rafael Nadal, tennis player
Lindsey Vonn, alpine skier
Stephen Curry, NBA basketball player
Alex Morgan, soccer player
Roger Federer, tennis player
Jordan Spieth, golfer
Katie Ledicky, swimmer

Here are some specific examples of how neuropriming is being used by elite athletes:

Serena Williams: Williams uses neuropriming to improve her reaction time and accuracy. She wears a headset that sends electrical pulses to her motor cortex, which helps her to fire her muscles more quickly and precisely.
Roger Federer: Federer uses neuropriming to improve his focus and concentration. He wears a headset that helps him to block out distractions and stay in the present moment.
Jordan Spieth: Spieth uses neuropriming to improve his power and endurance. He wears a headset that helps him to recruit more muscle fibers during his workouts.
Katie Ledecky: Ledecky uses neuropriming to improve her swimming technique. She wears a headset that helps her to visualize her perfect stroke.
Stephen Curry: Curry uses neuropriming to improve his shooting accuracy. He wears a headset that helps him to focus on the target and release the ball at the perfect moment.

These are just a few examples of how neuropriming is being used by elite athletes. The technology is still in its early stages, but it is showing great potential to help athletes reach new levels of performance.

It is important to note that neuropriming is not a miracle cure. It is a tool that can be used to improve performance, but it is not a guarantee of success. Athletes who use neuropriming still need to train hard and be dedicated to their sport.

For more on mental conditioning, enroll in our new online, self-paced course developed by Psychogenyx: Strengthening Your Mental Core.

Unveiling the Sleep Hygiene Protocols for Elite Athletes

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 13:41:00 +0000

Achieving peak performance as an athlete requires more than just physical training and talent. Adequate sleep and effective recovery strategies play a crucial role in optimizing athletic performance. In this blog post, we will explore the sleep and recovery protocols followed by specific elite athletes, unveiling their secrets to success. These practical guidelines will help athletes at all levels unlock their full potential and maximize their performance.

1. LeBron James - NBA Superstar:

LeBron James, renowned for his incredible athleticism and longevity in the NBA, attributes a significant part of his success to proper sleep and recovery. His protocol includes:

a) Sleep duration: Aim for 8-9 hours of sleep per night to promote muscle recovery and mental clarity.

b) Regular sleep schedule: Maintain consistent bed and wake times to establish a healthy circadian rhythm.

c) Power naps: Incorporate short power naps (20-30 minutes) to enhance alertness and recharge during the day.

d) Quality sleep environment: Create a cool, dark, and quiet sleep environment for optimal rest.

2. Serena Williams - Tennis Champion:

Serena Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, recognizes the importance of sleep and recovery in her training regimen. Her protocol includes:

a) Sleep hygiene: Prioritize winding down before bed by avoiding screens and engaging in relaxing activities like reading or meditation.

b) Compression therapy: Utilize compression garments or sleeves to enhance blood flow, reduce inflammation, and expedite muscle recovery.

c) Active recovery: Engage in light exercises or yoga to promote blood circulation and alleviate muscle soreness.

d) Hydration: Maintain proper hydration levels to aid in recovery and prevent cramping.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo - Soccer Icon:

Cristiano Ronaldo, a soccer phenomenon, is known for his extraordinary work ethic and dedication to maintaining peak physical condition. His sleep and recovery protocol includes:

a) Ice baths: Take ice baths or contrast showers to reduce muscle inflammation and promote faster recovery.

b) Sleep tracking: Utilize sleep tracking devices to monitor sleep quality and make necessary adjustments to optimize rest.

c) Proper nutrition: Fuel the body with nutrient-dense meals and incorporate sufficient protein intake to support muscle recovery.

d) Stretching and flexibility exercises: Prioritize stretching routines and yoga to enhance muscle flexibility, prevent injuries, and aid in recovery.

Additional Tips and Approaches to Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is crucial for athletes to optimize their performance and achieve a flow state. Here's a comprehensive sleep hygiene protocol for an elite athlete:

1. Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule:

- Set a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends.

- Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, depending on individual needs and recovery requirements.

2. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment:

- Make sure your sleep environment is comfortable, cool, dark, and quiet.

- Invest in a high-quality mattress, pillows, and bedding that provide optimal support and comfort.

- Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out any unwanted light.

- Wear earplugs or use a white noise machine to minimize noise disturbances.

3. Establish a Relaxing Bedtime Routine:

- Create a pre-sleep routine that helps signal your body and mind that it's time to wind down.

- Avoid stimulating activities or electronic devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops) at least 30 minutes before bed.

- Engage in calming activities such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, practicing relaxation techniques (deep breathing, meditation), or listening to soothing music.

4. Optimize Sleep Environment for Recovery:

- Ensure your sleep environment promotes optimal recovery. Consider using recovery aids such as compression garments, hot/cold therapy, or relaxation tools

- Consider using a sleep tracking device or app to monitor your sleep quality and make adjustments if necessary.

5. Manage Nutrition and Hydration:

- Maintain a well-balanced diet and avoid heavy meals close to bedtime.

- Stay adequately hydrated throughout the day, but limit fluid intake close to bedtime to avoid disruptive nighttime trips to the bathroom.

6. Limit Stimulants:

- Minimize or avoid caffeine and other stimulants, particularly in the late afternoon and evening.

- Be cautious of the effects of pre-workout supplements or energy drinks, as they may interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

7. Manage Stress and Mental Well-being:

- Develop stress management techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or journaling to help clear your mind before bed.

- If you're feeling overwhelmed or anxious, seek support from a mental health professional who can provide guidance and coping strategies.

8. Establish a Sleep-Friendly Exercise Routine:

- Engage in regular physical activity, but avoid intense exercise close to bedtime, as it can stimulate the body and make it harder to fall asleep.

- Consider incorporating relaxation exercises or stretching into your post-workout routine to promote physical and mental recovery.

The sleep and recovery protocols followed by elite athletes are key components in achieving and sustaining peak performance. By incorporating these practical guidelines into your own training regimen, you can enhance your athletic performance and overall well-being. Remember, sleep is not a luxury but a necessity for optimal performance. Give your body the rest it deserves, implement effective recovery strategies, and unlock your true potential as an athlete.

Remember, every athlete is unique, so it's important to personalize and adapt these guidelines to suit your specific needs and preferences. Regularly evaluate and adjust your sleep hygiene routine to optimize your performance and achieve a flow state.

Finally, it's important to consult with a trusted and qualified healthcare professional or sports specialist before implementing any new sleep or recovery protocols to ensure they align with your individual needs and circumstances.

The Best Wine Grapes Were Planted to Suffer

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:47:00 +0000

For Maggie Harrison, an Oregon winemaker, the primary consideration in growing the best wine grapes is character, so the vines are often planted in soil where they can barely survive and have to fight for nutrients. The grapes gain depth of flavor in proportion to the amount of work the vine must expend to survive. Harrison calls this process “suffering.”

If we incorporate that approach to resilience, perhaps the best way to build character and resilience is to embrace when adversity hits. Only then can we develop the skills that allow us to fight to survive.

Character and resilience are qualities that enable individuals to navigate life's challenges with grace and determination. They are not innate traits but rather cultivated through deliberate effort and experience. In this blog post, we explore the parallels between growing wine grapes and building character, resilience, and anti-fragility in humans. By drawing inspiration from the art of viticulture, we can glean valuable insights into personal growth and development.

1. Planting the Seeds: Nurturing a Strong Foundation

Just as a successful grapevine begins with a well-prepared soil bed, building character and resilience requires a solid foundation. This involves instilling core values, developing self-awareness, and establishing a sense of purpose. By understanding our personal values and aspirations, we create a fertile ground for growth.

2. Weathering the Storms: Embracing Challenges

Grapes face adversity in the form of harsh weather conditions, diseases, and pests. Similarly, humans encounter hardships, setbacks, and obstacles along their journey. Embracing challenges, rather than avoiding them, is crucial for growth. Just as grapevines strengthen their roots when faced with adversity, humans develop resilience by confronting and overcoming obstacles head-on.

3. Pruning and Training: Shaping Strength and Adaptability

To produce quality grapes, vineyard owners engage in meticulous planning, trial and error, pruning and training. Similarly, individuals must constantly refine their skills, learn from failures, and adapt to changing circumstances. By embracing continuous learning and self-improvement, we develop the ability to navigate life's complexities with greater ease.

4. Harvesting the Fruits: Celebrating Milestones and Lessons Learned

The culmination of a year's worth of labor and nurturing is the harvest season. Similarly, in our personal development journey, we must take the time to celebrate our achievements and acknowledge the lessons we have learned along the way. By recognizing our progress and expressing gratitude, we cultivate a positive mindset and fuel further growth.

5. Developing Anti-Fragility: Thriving in Adversity

The concept of anti-fragility, introduced by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, refers to the ability to not just withstand shocks and disturbances but to actually benefit from them. Grapevines exposed to moderate stress produce stronger, more resilient grapes. Likewise, individuals who embrace challenges, learn from failures, and adapt to change, become more anti-fragile. They thrive in the face of adversity, gaining strength and wisdom from each experience.

Conclusion:

Just as wine grapes require careful cultivation to produce the finest wines, building character, resilience, and anti-fragility in humans demands deliberate effort and a growth-oriented mindset. By drawing inspiration from the art of growing wine grapes, we can appreciate the value of embracing challenges, nurturing a strong foundation, continuous learning, and celebrating milestones. Let us cultivate our inner vineyards and unlock our true potential as we embark on a journey of personal growth, resilience, and anti-fragility. Cheers to becoming the best version of ourselves!

Excerpts taken from:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/04/magazine/maggie-harrison-wine-antica-terra.html

To learn more about mental conditioning, enroll in our self-paced online course: "Strengthening Your Mental Core."

Wembanyama Enters the Spurs' Quantum Entanglement

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:17:00 +0000

“Our future was already bright,” managing partner Peter J. Holt said in May when the San Antonio Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. “Now, it’s going to be through the moon.”

In a previous blogpost, from May 22, 2018 entitled Quantum Entanglement: Kawhi, the Spurs and Beautiful Basketball, I discussed and described the San Antonio Spurs franchise in physics terminology. In a belated installment, I continue to discuss the franchise and its next phase.

Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs have made significant contributions to sports management in the areas of leadership, talent development, and organizational excellence in running their franchise.

Leadership: Popovich is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. He has led the Spurs to five NBA championships, more than any other coach in franchise history. He is also a two-time NBA Coach of the Year. He gives his players a lot of freedom to make decisions on the court, and he holds them accountable for their actions. This has helped the Spurs develop a strong team identity and a winning culture. Popovich is known for his calm demeanor and his ability to get the most out of his players. He is also a strong advocate for player development and diversity.
Talent development: The Spurs have a long history of developing young talent. They have drafted and developed several All-Stars, including Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs also have a strong track record of signing free agents and developing them into productive players.
Organizational excellence: The Spurs are one of the most well-run organizations in sports. They have a strong culture of teamwork, accountability, and respect. The Spurs are also known for their commitment to community service. This commitment to excellence has helped the Spurs achieve sustained success across the past four decades.
They have a strong culture of teamwork, accountability, and respect. The Spurs are also known for their commitment to community service.

The contributions of Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs to leadership, talent development, and organizational excellence are a model for other organizations.

This week the San Antonio Spurs are expected to draft a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

Soon after that the Spurs plan to open their new state-of-the-art multi-phase $500 million facility called “The Rock at La Cantera,” which will feature a human performance research center.

This facility provides the launching pad for a new era of championship success for the Spurs. Wembanyama should serve as the catalyst needed to blast the franchise into a future of sustained success more rapidly than initially expected four years ago, when the organization first targeted the 2023 NBA Draft as the one that could change everything.

San Antonio envisioned years ago what we are about to see on Thursday at the 2023 NBA Draft. The Spurs worked hard to align their basketball goals with their strategic plans and business goals. This No. 1 pick will likely play a meaningful role as the Spurs look to make another run at multiple championships.

The Pivot

The plan that emerged in 2020 before San Antonio traveled to Orlando for that NBA season restart. The plan was to develop the team’s youth while also advancing causes for social justice and racial equality.

While in Orlando, the Spurs experimented with an up-tempo style on offense, augmented by a swarming, pestering defense. Following that season, the Spurs decided to stick to that more modern style of positionless basketball.

“The strategy, the philosophy, the way we play is gonna stay the same [as in Orlando],” Popovich said entering the 2020-21 season.

That meant San Antonio would spend time looking for versatile, all-around players with size that could play with or without the ball. That would allow the Spurs to play a more modern style both on offense and defense. San Antonio has always coveted players capable of dribbling, shooting, and passing with a high-level of decision-making skills.

The changes came about after internal discussions about where they were as a team, where they were headed, and how their style would need to change. Up to that point, San Antonio was looking to remain competitive. But that approach would force the Spurs to build their team from the bottom of the lottery (or just outside of it) for an organization with no cap space or flexibility going forward and no future draft picks. San Antonio saw no way out of this vicious cycle, nor to build something truly sustainable. The club decided it was time to pivot.

Strategic Planning

Four years ago, having identified the 2023 NBA Draft four as a significant place to speed up the rebuild, San Antonio worked to draft or bring in veteran players versatile enough to thrive in any type of system, but most importantly they’d mesh well with their teammates.

Simultaneously, the Spurs knew they needed a Plan B just in case the talent they signed did not pan out as expected.

The franchise understood its first-round pick in 2023 would be its most valuable asset. But it also hoped to improve their chances at improving their position in the draft while making room to develop a roster filled with young, inexperienced players. That meant losing, a lot. The city of San Antonio has maintained exceptionally high standards with a fanbase accustomed to competing year after year at a championship level. The organization didn’t want to disappoint their rabid fanbase. But the fastest way to return to that level while ensuring a sustainable future meant the Spurs needed to jettison their core piece by piece with an eye toward maximizing the return in each transaction to obtain future assets for potential trades.

If the organization failed to hit big on its 2023 pick, it needed flexibility for the short term with its salary cap to bring in free agents as well as draft assets to make potential trades.

The Spurs wanted to be able to pivot at a moment’s notice. If one approach failed, they would still possess the tools necessary to successfully facilitate the fragile rebuild first put into motion back in 2018, after the sudden and departure of Kawhi Leonard.

In all, the Spurs currently sit on five first-round picks and nine second-rounders between 2023 and 2029 to go with a couple of pick swaps, not to mention nearly $40 million in cap space to upgrade the talent around Wembanyama if the club so chooses.

“Obviously, a long road still ahead and a lot of work to do to build this out and get to where we want to be,” Spurs general manager Brian Wright said last month after the club won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. “You enjoy the entire journey. It’s not always fun and it’s not always just the great things.”

Leadership and Succession Planning

During discussions in 2019, the organization promoted longtime GM R.C. Buford to CEO to handle the business side of the Spurs, while Wright stepped into his current position after serving three years as the team’s assistant GM.

The new facility has long been Buford’s brainchild, and another innovative way for San Antonio to gain a competitive edge in elite human performance, while improving potential free-agent recruiting, with the 134,000-square-foot Victory Capital Performance Center, which is expected to be equipped with the latest in sports technology. Buford credits Dr. Andy Walshe, a globally recognized expert in the field of elite human performance, as one of the driving forces behind the new facility.

“The human being is one of the most complex systems in the universe,” Walshe said. “Thanks to technology, we’re starting to peel back the layers to unpack what really makes elite people operate at peak performance.”

The Spurs also expanded San Antonio’s market by hitting the I-35 corridor last season for a pair of games up the road in Austin, one in Mexico City and an exhibition game at the Alamodome in which the Spurs broke the league’s all-time attendance record. Long considered a small-market club, San Antonio played those four out-of-market home games in an attempt to deepen the fanbase from Mexico to Austin. This plan could develop San Antonio into one of the NBA’s largest markets.

That’s partly where an international talent like Wembanyama comes into play.

Nearly every move made, such as creating cap space, adding draft assets the past few years aligns with this drafting of yet another exceptional big man like David Robinson and Tim Duncan before opening a new facility, and expanding their market.

“Brian, R.C. and [coach Gregg Popovich] deserve a tremendous amount of credit,” Holt said. “It’s not easy to go through transition. They have laid out a plan, a vision, for getting us back to championship-winning teams. That’s our goal. We are blessed to have this amazing team that will take this Draft process and add it into the overall framework to make sure we have sustainable success, and our legacy is one that’s living.”

The Spurs Quantum Entanglement continues!

Excerpts taken from:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/sports/basketball/victor-wembanyama-san-antonio-spurs.html?smid=nytcore-android-share

https://www.nba.com/news/how-spurs-laid-the-groundwork-for-2023-nba-draft-to-change-everything?lctg=5ec7f3061402375d2c24d5bb&lid=r6qysasrzr7v&utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=luisfvaldes2013%2Fmagazine%2FMindfuel+Magazine+2.0

Unleashing Greatness: The Evolving Mindset and Mental Conditioning of Nikola Jokic

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:52:00 +0000

“He just makes the right play every possession. I feel like that’s the biggest thing about the player that he is. He’s going to try to make the right play every possession, no matter if he’s scoring the ball or passing it. … That’s what makes him dynamic.”
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat, discussing Nikola Jokic

In the world of the NBA, certain players transcend the game and capture the hearts of fans with their unparalleled skills and undeniable passion. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, the Serbian-born MVP of the 2023 NBA Finals, has emerged as one such player. While his unique playing style and exceptional talent on the court have garnered much attention, it is his mindset and mental conditioning that truly sets him apart. In this blog post, we delve into the fascinating world of Nikola Jokic's mindset and explore how his mental fitness, fortitude and dedication have propelled him to the pinnacle of his profession.

Embracing the Underdog Mentality: Jokic's journey to stardom has been anything but conventional. Growing up in Serbia, he was not heralded as a top prospect and faced numerous obstacles on his path to the NBA. However, rather than allowing these challenges to deter him, Jokic used them as fuel to develop a relentless work ethic and a resilient mindset. Embracing the underdog mentality, he learned to thrive in the face of adversity and turned his perceived weaknesses into strengths.

The Power of Vision and Basketball IQ: One of Jokic's most remarkable traits is his basketball IQ, which is a testament to his exceptional mental conditioning. He possesses the skills of fast-forwarding (an ability to see the game several steps ahead), making split-second decisions that often leave opponents and spectators in awe. This heightened court vision is a result of his dedication to studying the game and his relentless pursuit of improvement. Jokic's commitment to understanding the intricacies of basketball has allowed him to transcend his physical limitations and become a master orchestrator on the court.

Embracing Versatility and Adaptability: One of the key aspects of Jokic's mindset is his willingness to adapt and evolve. His versatility as a player is unparalleled, as he seamlessly transitions between different positions and roles on the court. This adaptability stems from his open-mindedness and constant desire to learn and grow. Jokic's mental conditioning allows him to remain calm and composed in high-pressure situations, enabling him to make sound decisions and contribute effectively in any given circumstance.

Cultivating a Strong Work Ethic: Behind Jokic's success lies an unwavering work ethic. His mental conditioning involves a relentless dedication to improving his skills and maintaining peak physical fitness. He approaches each practice and game with the same level of intensity and focus, always striving to push his boundaries and exceed expectations. This commitment to constant growth has not only elevated his own performance but also serves as an inspiration to his teammates and fans.

The Art of Emotional Intelligence: Jokic's mental conditioning extends beyond his technical skills and physical abilities. His emotional intelligence and composure in the face of challenges are equally commendable. Whether it's dealing with pressure, handling criticism, or leading his team, he remains poised and level-headed. Jokic's ability to consistently control his emotions allows him to make rational decisions and maintain a positive mindset, contributing to his overall success on and off the court.

Nikola Jokic's seemingly meteoric rise in the basketball world is a testament to the power of hard work, a commitment to developing the proper mindset and focusing on mental conditioning. From embracing the underdog mentality to cultivating a strong work ethic and emotional intelligence, Jokic's mental approach to his craft has played a pivotal role in his journey to becoming one of the game's most dominant forces. As fans, we can draw inspiration from his story, reminding ourselves that greatness is not solely determined by physical prowess but also by the strength and resilience of our minds.

For more information about mental conditioning, enroll in our new online course, Strengthening Your Mental Core.

Watch Nikola Jokic discuss his mindset on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/DaminAltizer/status/1668794429849649152?s=20

Building Your Antifragility Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 19:26:00 +0000

“Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; antifragile gets better”.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb (2012). Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder

In my coaching practice, my approach has evolved to help individuals develop resilience and cultivate antifragility through a combination of mindset development, behavioral and emotional skill-building, and mental strategic planning.

Here's a step-by-step guide to enhance resilience and foster antifragility:

1. Understand the concepts: I begin by exposing them to the concepts of resilience and antifragility. Resilience refers to the ability to bounce back from setbacks, challenges, or adversity, while antifragility goes beyond resilience by using setbacks and challenges as opportunities for growth and improvement.

2. Assess current mindset: I assess the individual's current mindset and beliefs about adversity, failure, and setbacks. This helps identify any limiting beliefs or negative patterns that may hinder their ability to develop resilience or embrace antifragility.

3. Cultivate a growth mindset: I work on fostering a growth mindset, emphasizing that challenges and setbacks are opportunities for learning and growth rather than fixed limitations. This shift in mindset helps individuals view adversity as a chance to develop new skills, gain experience, and become stronger.

4. Identify strengths and weaknesses: By conducting a self-assessment or using appropriate tools, I help the individual identify their existing strengths and weaknesses related to resilience and antifragility. Understanding their starting point allows for targeted development in areas that require improvement.

5. Develop coping strategies: Together, we would explore various coping strategies and techniques that can enhance resilience. This may include stress management techniques, neutral self-talk, reframing perspectives, setting realistic goals, and practicing self-care. These strategies equip individuals with the tools to navigate challenging situations effectively.

6. Embrace discomfort and uncertainty: To foster antifragility, I encourage the individual to embrace discomfort and uncertainty intentionally. This involves gradually exposing themselves to new experiences, taking calculated risks, and stepping out of their comfort zone. By doing so, they can develop the capacity to adapt, learn, and thrive in unpredictable environments.

7. Reflect and learn from setbacks: When setbacks or failures occur, it is important for the individual to reflect on those experiences and extract valuable lessons. By reframing setbacks as opportunities for growth, they can identify areas for improvement, adjust their strategies, and learn from their mistakes.

8. Encourage continuous learning: I foster continuous learning by encouraging the individual to seek new knowledge, acquire new skills, and broaden their perspectives. This may involve reading relevant books, listening to podcasts, attending workshops or conferences, engaging in reflective exercises, or seeking mentorship from experienced individuals.

7. Develop a support system: Building a strong support system is crucial for resilience and antifragility. I help the individual identify and cultivate relationships who can provide guidance, motivation, and accountability during challenging times.

8. Set meaningful goals: Finally, I assist the individual in setting meaningful and realistic goals that align with their values and aspirations. By working towards these goals, they can build confidence, stay motivated, and reinforce their resilience and antifragility skills.

Throughout the coaching process, it is important to tailor the approach to the individual's specific needs, challenges, and circumstances. The goal is to empower them to develop resilience and embrace antifragility, allowing them to not only bounce back from setbacks but also thrive and grow in the face of adversity.

For more detailed information on resilience and antifragility, enroll in our new online course: Strengthening Your Mental Core.

"Strengthening Your Mental Core"

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Sun, 28 May 2023 01:38:00 +0000

Introducing the new online course from Psychogenyx: "Strengthening Your Mental Conditioning." Click on the video below!

Use your summer for mental conditioning. Pre-order your online, self-paced course: "Strengthening Your Mental Core" at psychogenyx-course-0722.thinkific.com.

The Temporal Nature of Being Fucked-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Tue, 09 May 2023 13:00:00 +0000

As a follow-up to my last blogpost “The Ubiquitous, Endless Loop of Suck,” I have some more thoughts about self-talk and our harsh, self-critical inner voice.

In addition to our excessive usage of the verb "suck," another term that frequently peppers our thoughts is "fucked-up" and its variations. Though this term comes with its own pitfalls, it also has its relative strengths when compared to "suck."

Future Tense

I think I'm gonna fuck up.

I think I'm gonna fuck it up.

Present Tense

Observation: I'm fucking up. (This usage may occur during any activity/event/performance)

Event/Thing/Personal Evaluation: That's fucked up.

Self-evaluation: I'm fucked-up (Inebriation).

Past tense

Observation: Oh, no, I fucked up. I fucked it up. I was fucked-up.

Evaluation: That was fucked-up.

Unlike "suck," there is no strong implication of permanence in the term "fucked-up." It suggests a softer, gentler assessment. Whatever we have done can be fixed, cnn be improved. We can certainly start over. We will eventually sober up (for example, being fuck-up too frequently in 2023 can lead to "Dry January" in 2024). Essentially, fucking up allows us to go back to the drawing board. On the other hand, however, if we suck, we fail. There is no do-over, no work around. It's in our permanent file. There is no off-the-record. It's on social media and we are now a meme.

Exceptions: I'm fucked up (mental health). (Here the implication of permanence returns).

I offer these thoughts as the second step of recovery from the tyranny of the inner harsh critic. Rather than using the word "suck," try transitioning to the slightly gentler term "fucked-up." You will be glad you did.

NOTE: No part of this blogpost was created with AI.

The Ubiquitous, Endless Loop of Suck

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 13:52:00 +0000

"Me and him both. I say to him all the time, ‘Listen, buddy, I know it sucks for you, but there are way more people saying that I suck than you do.'"

--Dan Hurley, head coach of NCAA basketball champion University of Connecticut, discussing conversations during the season with his point guard Tristen Newton

For years, I have become increasingly amazed at the frequency with which I and most other people use the word "suck." Here are some typical examples:

Present Tense

Self: I suck.

One's Talent/Competency: I suck at that.

Other: He/she sucks.

Others: Boy, they suck.

What another thinks: He/she thinks I suck.

What others think: They think I suck.

Consensus: Everyone thinks that sucks. Everyone knows that sucks. Everyone knows I suck.

Empathy/Observation: Dude, that sucks!

Event/Self (Certainty/Spoken by Others with Empathy): That's gotta suck.

Events/Groups: Man, those guys suck.

Environment/Culture: It sucks over there.

The present tense of suck suggests the absolute nature of sucking. Suck is all or none. You, it, or they either suck or don't. There is typically no mild or moderate in the word suck. It either sucks or it doesn't. If you suck, you suck in the extreme.

Granted, the use of the word "suckish" has gained some popularity. This new development suggests various levels or a dimensionality of the suck. It opens the door for the existence of a "suck spectrum," or the awareness that things, events and people can be on the suck spectrum. You, indeed, can be on the suck spectrum.

Primarily, the effect of the present tense of suck is anticipatory anxiety. Its use suggests that there is something to dread and avoid on the horizon. It disrupts the ability to fully prepare for the situation. It triggers the stress/trauma response and stimulates old neural pathways and connections between the mid-brain and the cortex about past experiences that sucked (and remember, they were was extreme and absolute). It sets up a hypervigilance and anxiousness that affects cognitive functioning and optimal performance. Often, it also leads to procrastination.

More importantly, however, is the disruption of any real possibility of proceeding with the activity in a relaxed, confident flow state.

Past tense

I sucked, he/she sucked, they sucked, he thought I sucked, they think I sucked.

One's Talent/Competency: I sucked at that.

This use of the past tense of suck has the tendency to intensify our post-performance anxiety. It keeps us stuck in the past and reduces our ability to learn, and increases the likelihood of an ongoing narrative that focuses on failure. It tends to lead to harsh self-criticism and evaluation of our future performances.

Future Tense

Self/Future tense: I'm gonna suck. I always suck at that.

Event (Prediction): I bet that'll suck.

Certainty/Future tense: That's gonna suck.

Certainty/Permanence: That always sucks.

Chandler Bing Versions (These upgraded suck statements are a little more healthy and helpful.)

Could this be any more suckish? (Yes, most certainly.)

Could this suck any worse? (Yes, definitely.)

It couldn't suck any worse than this. (Again, yes, indeed.)

Should you be intent on using the verb or adjective "suck," you could transition gently to the following versions of the word.

Less common internal dialogue that includes the verb "suck."

This might suck.

This could suck.

Let's see if this sucks.

This could suck a little (but maybe not).

I will challenge myself to not suck as badly as before.

Post-Performance Evaluation Suggestions

The antidote to using the past tense of suck is asking such post-performance questions as:

What didn't suck about that?

How could I have sucked less?

What can I learn to do instead to reduce the suckishness?

What did I do that didn't suck?

How can I increase my non-suckish behavior?

What part of the suck did I not contribute to?

In general, self-talk or internal dialogue can be very difficult to identify and even harder to change. When I work with my clients I usually suggest they monitor what they say to themselves prior, during and after they perform any important activity. When they look carefully at any activity they engage in, whether they experience anxiety during the activity or not, I suggest that they pay attention to their self-talk. Usually, they ask for examples to help them identify their particular self-talk. If I give them examples, they often do not personally identify with the examples. I think that is because self-talk is often very unique to them and is often based on their particular childhood developmental experiences and the types of environments in which they grew up.

Most recently, it occurred to me that to best analyze self-talk, it is helpful to look at the timing of the self-talk (present, past or future) and where it occurs in the sequence of an activity. Additionally, it is important in that it might help you to determine what type of anxiety you tend to exhibit (anticipatory anxiety, pre-performance anxiety, or post-performance anxiety). Whether we are talking about social anxiety, public speaking anxiety (reportedly the most common anxiety), performance anxiety, etc. the self-talk tends to have certain characteristics and timing. This is where your analysis of your signature use of the word "suck" can be very helpful.

Writer's Note #1: After reading this post, my wife said, "This article was much less 'suckish' than most of the ones you write."

Writer's Note #2: No part of this blogpost was generated by AI.

To watch the San Francisco 49ers' Greg Kittle discuss more about his "reset button," click here:

https://twitter.com/i/status/1617904357638549506

"I'm So Over It"

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 14:39:00 +0000

I hear this all the time. You probably hear it all the time, too. You probably have even said it yourself sometimes; at least in your head. "I'm So Over It."

Zoom. So over it. Coronavirus. So over it. Social Unrest. So over it. Working from home. So over it. Wildfires. So over it. Hurricanes. So over it. Debates. So over it. Voter Suppression. So over it.

We have hit the wall. We are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. We are so sick and tired of being sick and tired. We are irritable, frustrated, and scared. For many, depression and anxiety are in there somewhere, too.

In sports, hitting the wall refers to depleting your stored glycogen and the feelings of fatigue and negativity that typically come with it. Some athletes refer to it as bonking.

In marathon running, it comes at the 20 mile mark, more or less. Yet, 6.2 miles remain. If you've hit the wall, finishing no longer seems doable.

Oh, by the way, Donald Trump is clearly suffering from it. He threw another fit during his taped 60 Minutes interview with Leslie Stahl. He seems to hit the wall regularly.

Unfortunately, this is only the 20-mile mark for the election, we still have 2 weeks to go. We are at the 20-mile marker of 2020 as well. But, remember that we are dealing with what could be a series of marathons. We have many more milestones to reach.

So, is there anything to do to prepare for hitting the wall? Is there anything to do once you hit the wall?

How to Prepare for Hitting the Wall

1. This first preparation technique is referred to as “if-then planning” ― for example, if you hit the wall, you can use a visualization technique to imagine yourself getting through it. What will it look like on the other side? Visualize the answer to the question.

2. Break your "marathon" into smaller subtasks or shorter milestones. Identify the next marker or landmark, go to that marker and take a break. Reset, regroup, reboot. Then do it again.

Take it one task, and then, one day at a time.

3. Be aware of your internal state. Slow your breathing down. Notice your breath. Inhale deeply and then completely empty your lungs, then let them fill completely. Do it several times. It's another way to reboot.

5. Distract yourself by externally accepting what is. Allow and embrace whatever the discomfort is, rather than blocking it. Go with it, rather than fight it.

6. Remember your last experience with extreme adversity. Inventory all that it took to get you through that adversity. What did you learn? What do you need to repeat from that experience?

7. Forget perfection. In these times, there is no room for perfection. If you are going to be "so over it," be so over perfection.

If you then find yourself coming up against more mental roadblocks, here are a few more techniques to try.

1. Make a motivational or relaxing music playlist. Distracting yourself with some great tunes can help you make it to the finish line.

2. Try the buddy system. A partner (remember we are all in this situation) can keep you (and your buddy) focused and supported.

3. Try “attention narrowing.” Runners who focus their eyes on an object in the distance get there faster. Focusing on an object on the horizon can make the distance feel shorter.

Remember, you can't get there without getting through today. Finishing this marathon requires just getting to the next landmark, then the next. That is all that matters right now. .

The Coronavirus: Our Test of Resilience

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 16:44:00 +0000

Much of our intial response toward the coronavirus pandemic focuses on what we can do or can't do. How do we respond? What are the guidelines? What steps do we take? What are the proper procedures? What resources do we have? Our natural response is to look externally. This external focus tend to include questions about identifying who is to blame. What individual, what country did this to us or didn't do enough for us? Fair enough.

What is equally important is who we are and who we can be in this time of crisis. That requires an internal focus. That requires us to identify our skills of resilience, our mental core. What characteristics do we possess to help us respond best to the crisis?

Perhaps our best internal reflections should consist of a personal and individual inventory of our abilities to withstand ambiquity and uncertainty as well as our ability to be flexible and nimble as our external environment shifts around us and situations change. How do we keep from responding with our lizard brain?

So, what is resilience? How do we assess our mental core?

Resilience refers to the skill and ability to quickly and fully bounce back from setbacks, to deal with adversity, learn from mistakes and effectively put your mistakes behind you. Only recently has resilience been seriously considered as a component of mental toughness. Resilience includes carefully obtaining, valuing, and incorporating constructive feedback and doing what is required with the resources that are available. It has to do with your emotional strength.

Resilience also requires us to recognize and acknowledge that, now, perhaps more ever, we live in a VUCA world. VUCA is an acronym used by the US Military long ago to describe extreme conditions in combat. It stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous.

The word "core" in the physical fitness and conditioning world has become a buzzword. Like the physical core, there is also a mental core related to mental conditioning. Physical core training is about increasing power, strength and stabilization. So, is the training of your mental core.

Many fitness buffs often think only of sit-ups and crunches as the secret to strengthening the core. True fitness experts know that there is much more to the core than an impressive six-pack. Similarly, many athletes and coaches think that the mental core is simply just about developing mental toughness (the equivalent of a mental core “six-pack”). The mental core is much more than mental toughness.

The mental core creates a solid, fundamental, and broad base for your overall mental fitness and, thus, your subsequent ability to perform successfully. Resilience requires us to take inventory of our mental core.

So, what does constitute the mental core?

Internal Dialogue/Self-Talk - simply put, these are the things you say to yourself about yourself and the state of world around you. A common problem with our cognitive mindset is that that it is often stuck in evaluation activities when it should be focused on other tasks (such as gathering information, skill acquisition, rehearsal, and execution, for example). Increasing your awareness of your internal dialogue/self-talk and its effect on your behavior have a great influence on your success in dealing with crises.

Communication Skills- these skills are underrated in our crisis responses. Clear, concrete, specific communication and active listening skills are crucial to our ability to be resilient as well as being effective problem solvers and decision makers. Paranthetically, this may be the time to embrace technology and our reliance on our electronic devices (computers, phones, tablets, and games) to maintain our connectivity as well deal with the effects of social distance and physical isolation. We can address our addictions to our devices after we get through this crisis.

Daily Pre- and Post- Recovery Skills - here, emphasis is placed on the importance of developing a set of skills and activities that provide you with an opportunity to fully recover mentally from daily challenges. These mental skills are as crucial as physical recovery skills. Evidence is mounting that both mental and physical recovery skills (including sleep) are more important than we ever considered in the past.

Systems Thinking - in the case of your mental core, this refers to your awareness and understanding of the matrixed complexity, interrelatedness and connection of multiple factors involved in your behavior and the behavior of others. It also refers to the idea that in order to affect real behavioral change, a system that provides structure and consistency must be put into place. Systems thinking in this context implies that mental conditioning and strengthening of your mental core requires you to become a student of mental conditioning, cognitive processes, and behavioral psychology. It suggests the importance of interconnectivity of things as well as people.

Anxiety Management - refers to the idea that 1) anxiety is a part of life; 2) mental fitness includes the acknowledgment and management rather than the eradication of anxiety; 2) that excitement and anxiety can be two words for the same thing; and, 3) the goal of mental conditioning can't and shouldn't be to eliminate anxiety but to use it.

Emotional Intelligence - emotional intelligence (and related skills) is an important and necessary component of resilience. Emotional intelligence involves the understanding of the critical role that emotional information and social interactions play in crisis situations and success. Evidence suggests that emotional intelligence is an important characteristic of effective leadership and team development required in crises.

Confidence - this component of your mental core is one of the characteristics that has been long considered critical to success in any endeavor, including sports and the performing arts. In this model of the mental core, confidence is defined as a general sense that one's skills and abilities are capable of achieving one's desired outcomes. Many people include this component in their idea of mental toughness. Confidence is particularly dependent upon a healthy cognitive mindset. Confidence also involves our ability to take inventory of our previous encounters with extreme stress and crisis situations and remind ourselves of our strengths and mastery of previously stressful situations.

Preparation Skills - this factor suggests that 1) success is related to one's understanding and awareness that personal growth occurs through the methodical process of continuous learning and development of skills, rather than inherent, genetically-informed and pre-ordained "talent"; and, 2) is highly influenced by your desire and willingness to consistently spend long-hours of monotonous, focused, disciplined, repetitive activity to improve and perfect your skills and abilities.

Mindfulness - this important factor of the mental core refers to a broad set of skills that include mental imagery and visualization, relaxation and meditation skills, focusing and centering skills. Research is showing that mindfulness approaches can be very helpful to day-to-day mental and emotional recovery.

To close, these skills are greatly needed in this time of crisis as we deal with this pandemic in an effective, strategic, cooperative manner without contributing to misinformation, panic and over-reaction.

For more information about resilience and the mental core, download a free, digital, promotional preview of my new e-book: Strengthing Your Mental Core.

You may find yourself having alot of reading time on your hands in the near future. Stay safe and healthy.

The Mamba Mentality Will Live On

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 14:42:00 +0000

"I remember when, as a kid, I got my first real basketball. I loved the feel of it in my hands. I was so enamored with the ball that I didn’t actually want to bounce it or use it, because I didn’t want to ruin the pebbled leather grains or the perfect grooves. I didn’t want to ruin the feel. I loved the sound of it, too. The tap, tap, tap of when a ball bounces on the hardwood. The crispness and clarity. The predictability. The sound of life and light. Those are some of the elements that I loved about the ball, about the game. They were at the core and root of my process and craft. They were the reasons I went through all that I went through, put in all that I put in, dug as deep as I dug. The core and root of my process and craft. They were the reasons I went through all that I went through, put in all that I put in, dug as deep as I dug. It all came back to that special tap, tap, tap that I first grew infatuated with as a boy." --Kobe Bryant

“To sum up what Mamba Mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself,” Bryant said.

“That is what the Mentality is,” he added. “It’s a constant quest to try to better today than you were yesterday.”

A Student of the Game

In Bryant’s first game as a rookie in 1996 with the Los Angeles Lakers, he did not score and played just 6 minutes. Later in Bryant’s rookie season, he played five minutes and scored two points in a disappointing game against the Houston Rockets.

“I needed to work harder,” he wrote in an article for The Players’ Tribune. He did. Neverthless, three years later, he remembers, NBA legend Allen Iverson scored 41 points and made 10 assists while playing against him.

“Working harder wasn’t enough,” Bryant says. “I had to study this man maniacally.” And he did: “I obsessively read every article and book I could find about AI. I obsessively watched every game he had played. ... I obsessively studied his every success, and his every struggle. I obsessively searched for any weakness I could find.”

Bryant’s obsessiveness paid off. A year later, he had a second chance at guarding Iverson. He didn’t score once, Bryant recalls of the rematch: “When I started guarding AI, he had 16 at the half. He finished the game with 16.

“Revenge was sweet. But I wasn’t satisfied after the win. I was annoyed that he had made me feel that way in the first place.”

From that point on, Bryant decided to “approach every match-up as a matter of life and death,” he writes. “No one was going to have that kind of control over my focus ever again.” He went on to win five NBA championships over his 20 seasons with the Lakers.

Bryant’s approach is applicable beyond the NBA. As self-made entrepreneur, Grant Cardone writes in his book, Be Obsessed or be Average, ”fixation is the key to achieving massive success: “Sure, you can be successful without being obsessed, but you can’t reach the levels of success I am talking about without being obsessed.

“It’s the single common factor that super successful people around the world share.”

If anyone knows Kobe Bryant well, it’s retired Laker head trainer, Gary Vitti. Vitti is the guy who helped keep Bryaynt in shape for two decades.

Throughout his 20-year NBA career, Bryant worked alongside Vitti.

“He was talented, but what if I told you he wasn’t the most talented guy out there?” Vitti said. “I’m telling you, and I’ve had them all, there’s nothing really special about Kobe. I mean he’s a big guy, but he’s not that big. He was quick, but he’s not that quick. He’s fast, he wasn’t that fast. He was powerful, but he wasn’t that powerful. I mean, there were other players that had more talent than he did, so what was there about him that more talented players had zero rings and he ended up with five?”

Bryant not only worked harder than anyone else, he worked smarter than everyone else, and he was intellectually brilliant at his job, Vitti said. During halftime, when other players looked at messages, emails, and tweets on their phones, Bryant watched film from the first half of the game on a laptop in the training room to see how he could do better in the second half. The superstar athlete himself has attributed his past progress on the court to an intense work ethic and obsessively studying other players.

“He was tough in the sense that he took ‘can’t’ and ‘won’t’ out of his lexicon and he just believed that he could do it,” Vitti says. “Kobe taught me that talent is the most overrated thing in life; it’s what you do with your talent.”

Vitti tells the story of when Bryant was hanging out with a bunch of Navy SEALS; he even asked them to waterboard him in order to understand what it was about (and says the player went through with it).

“There’s certain things about him that make him very, very special,” Vitti says. “The hard work, the smart work, yes, the talent – but what he did with the talent, the toughness, the mental toughness.”

Early in his career, following some disappointing losses, Kobe reportedly began been exchanging text messages regularly with NBA legend, Michael Jordan.

“Michael has told me before, ‘You have all the tools. The mental part of how to elevate your teammates is the last piece you have to master,’’’ Bryant said. “I find [getting players involved] requires me to be more focused than usual.”

“When I’m scoring, I have a narrow, laser focus. I get totally lost in the rhythm of shooting. But when I’m facilitating, I have to take a step back and look at a much broader picture. I have to wait for things to develop, or make them develop. It takes patience.’’

“I’ve shared with my teammates how I prepare for games. My hope is that my mentality rubs off on them. I want them to see what I see, think about what I think about: Why did you turn the ball over? What was the defense doing? What were your options? If this guy cuts here and the defense does this, who does that free up?

“We’ve got guys who are gym rats, who want to work hard, who want to win. The trick is to get everybody playing together, trying to accomplish the same goal. If you have the talent and the sacrifice on top of that, you have a championship-caliber team. One player can do only so much. If you haven’t gotten to that next level, you haven’t figured out how to get everybody on the same page.”

He started his NBA career out of high school at the age of 17. Yet, despite his success, Kobe continued to refine his game by:

Visiting the former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon over the summer for a 5-hour tutorial on low-post play.

Hiring a consultant to analyze various NBA teams’ and individual opponents’ weaknesses.

Working with Tim Grover, Michael Jordan’s former trainer, to address weaknesses in the physical aspects of his game.

Traveling with a portable DVD player queued to games to analyze and review.

“When you first come into the league, you’re trying to prove yourself as an individual, do things to assert yourself and establish yourself. But then once you’ve done that, there’s another level to the game that’s more complex than figuring out how to put up big numbers as an individual,” Bryant said, discussing his evolution as player and teammate.

“The strengths that I have now were weaknesses when I was a kid,” Bryant said. “The strengths that I had as a kid may be weaknesses now. So you just kind of flip-flop and get the same results.”

“He’s always trying a new angle,” Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said about Bryant. “His work ethic is better than anybody I’ve seen, so he’s going to improve.” D’Antoni added, “Whether he can do the same things he could do when he was younger, I don’t know, but he’ll keep getting to be a better basketball player.”

It’s been more than two decades since Kobe Bryant graduated from Lower Merion High School, a public school in the suburbs of Philadelphia. But the retired NBA star, now 40, still remembers one teacher in particular: Mr. Fisk, who taught English.

“He had a great quote: ‘Rest at the end, not in the middle,’” Bryant told podcast host and best-selling author Lewis Howes on an episode of the podcast, The School of Greatness. “That’s something I always live by.”

Hard work has been a key ingredient in Bryant’s recipe for success since he was a teen. The emphasis on perseverance started as a defense mechanism, he told Howes: “In middle and high school, a lot of the kids that I was playing against were inner-city kids. They’re looking at me as if, ‘OK, this kid is soft. He’s from the suburbs of Philadelphia. His father played in the NBA.’”

The challenge for Bryant became, “How can I mentally figure out ways to break you down? How can I show you that, no, I have the edge?”

His solution was dedication. “We used to have an all-American camp that I used to go to,” Bryant recalled. “One of the things I would do is — everybody would be at the cafeteria eating and I’d just go back to the gym. They’d see me leave. … And that was my way of showing them, ‘Yeah, maybe I’m from the suburbs, but you’re not going to outwork me.’”

He maintained an intense work ethic throughout his career with the Lakers. and often worked out harder and earlier than his peers. And he saw results: He won five NBA championships, collected two Olympic gold medals, earned one NBA MVP title and made Lakers history as the team’s all-time leading scorer. He still holds that record.

Today, Bryant runs a venture capital fund with business partner Jeff Stibel and still wakes up before the sun for a workout. He even was awarded an Academy Award in Hollywood, for producing the Best Animated Short Film, “Dear Basketball.”

As he told Howes, even though he as retired from the NBA, “I’m not going to rest. I’m going to keep on pushing now.”

This excerpt is from my new book: Strengthening Your Mental Core. Click on the link to enjoy this free digital promotional preview.

Days of Reckoning for Youth Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Sat, 30 Nov 2019 17:02:00 +0000

“Nerves are something a lot of younger athletes come to me with. I suppose they might not have the strategies to deal with it. One of the first things I do with an athlete who gets nervous is I say to them it’s normal to get nervous. It’s usually about where the nerves are coming from and what are they stemming from?

“Nerves are just a reaction in your body. You feel the same on a rollercoaster when you get near the top. Physically it’s the exact same. It’s excitement. On raceday suddenly nerves are bad.

“I usually explore why is it that nerves are giving people that bad feeling. It’s funny cause a lot of it is picturing the ‘what ifs’."

--Jessie Barr, sports and performance psychologist, former Olympian from Ireland.

According to the National Federation of State High School Association’s annual participation survey, sports participation is down for the first time in 30 years. American football, in particular, saw a low for a fifth consecutive year, something that may be attributed to safety concerns. But what about participation in other, non-contact sports, such as soccer, baseball, and tennis?

1. Sports Are No Longer “Fun”

Studies cite many benefits of participation in sports, many of which have to do with the development of life skills such as teamwork, personal accountability and sportsmanship. Of course, sports are also about having fun — at least, they used to be.

Dr. Vassilis Dalakas, Ph.D., visiting professor of sports marketing at San Diego State University, says “I realize many will blame the popularity of technology and video games as the reason why kids don’t find sports fun,” Dalakas says. “However, as a researcher of sports fan psychology, a coach of youth sports and a parent, I can attest that a big reason for [the decline] that many parents get extremely intense about youth sports in their desire to see their kids’ teams win.”

This phenomenon, which he refers to as “Basking in Reflected Glory,” has begun to infiltrate youth sports. The extreme parent-exterted pressure on kids to win takes away any joy they might have in merely participating, developing skills or improved performance from game to game.

2. Video Games

Despite Dalakas assertions video games aren’t to blame, Richard Williamson, head coach of boys’ lacrosse and administrator for Ballistic Sports Group, sees things differently.

“In the past year, I had three separate sets of parents tell me their sons didn’t want to play lacrosse because they were too involved with Fortnite,” he said. “I’ve always had kids who played video games, but at least we had them coming out [to play sports]. This was the first time I’ve ever had parents letting their kids opt out of sports to play video games. Other coaches told me the same thing.”

3. Commitment

A parent of two middle school boys, Sara E. Routhier says, “I think one of the big reasons parents aren’t enrolling their kids in sports is the pressure to commit a great deal of time and money. [In addition to the] the cost of registration fees, equipment, and travel, there are the expectations.”

Many parents claim the difficulty of fitting in multiple practices between work, homework and other commitments is too much to handle.

4. Crazy Sports Parents (and Coaches)

They pace the sidelines, they scream at 6-year-olds (their children, your children, and you), they berate referees (often volunteers), they demand that their bewildered and still-inexperienced child hustle, run, pass, score, or perform any number of ESPN highlight-worthy skills and scream commands that are often in total conflict to the coach’s directions.

Dr. Matthew Goldenberg, a Yale psychiatrist, said that some of the same psychological impulses driving fan behavior also drive parental behavior.

Those behaviors can include “Displacement” – when we shift our bad feelings about one area of our lives to something less threatening, “Schadenfreude” – a tendency to take pleasure when others fail, and “Splitting” – avoiding life’s ambiguities by resorting to black-and-white thinking.

“Identification is [also] an obvious answer,” Goldenberg also said. “Their child’s success or failure is a reflection on them.”

Parents may also be burned out, worn down and short-tempered after spending an entire day attending multiple travel team games, according to sports psychology expert Dr. Joe Ross, president of Huntsville, Alabama-based firm Higher Echelon and longtime youth sports coach.

And the stakes may feel higher than ever because parents spend so much more money on their kid’s sports than parents did decades ago, Ross said.

According to the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, research suggests youth sports game anger is typically triggered when parents perceive that referees, coaches, players, or other parents are acting uncaringly, unjustly, or incompetently.

Research shows that bad sideline behavior at youth sports games is counter-productive. When kids are yelled at, they can experience stress-induced physical responses that negatively affect their performance. They are also at risk of developing mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Parents should remember that kids are still learning and enjoy the process, regardless of wins or losses, Ross said.

“We’re not at school standing over their shoulder yelling at them during their Algebra test,” Ross said. “We allow that process of learning to go through. It’s the same process in sports.”

At middle school, Lindsay Lane Christian Academy in Athens, Georgia, basketball fans are expected to be calm, quiet, and respectful. Head of School Stephen Murr has helped the school community was a good example, acknowledging that he does have to address inappropriate fan behavior from time to time.

“There’s an emphasis on letting people know what we expect,” Murr said. “All of our athletes sign an agreement and the parents sign a code of conduct. We don’t think it’s a good thing for us to boo, to laugh at people who mess up. We’re there to cheer our kids.”

5. Safety: Injury and Burnout Risks

Of course, safety is always going to be a concern, regardless of the sport the child chooses to play. Parents may overlook possible risks associated with non-contact sports, but many can’t do the same when it comes to risks associated with football. According to the results from an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll from last year, nearly 50% of parents — 53% of mothers and 39% of fathers — would discourage their child from playing football due to concussions and other safety hazards.

“These kids are going into the league already banged up, and I think parents and coaches need to know [that] … well, AAU coaches don’t give a f---. AAU coaches couldn’t give a damn about a kid and what his body is going through.

“It was a few tournaments where my kids - Bronny and Bryce - had five games in one day and that’s just f---ing out of control. That’s just too much…

“So, I’m very conscious for my own son because that’s all I can control, and if my son says he’s sore or he’s tired, he’s not playing.

“Because a lot of these tournaments don’t have the best interest of these kids, man. I see it.

“It’s like one time, they had to play a quarterfinal game, a semifinal game and a championship game starting at 9 a.m., and the championship game was at 12:30 p.m. Three games. I was like, ‘Oh, hell no.’ And my kids were dead tired. My kids were dead tired. This isn’t right. This is an issue.” --LeBron James.

James granted Yahoo Sports an exclusive interview that covered a wide range of safety issues such as: the state of load management, the demanding AAU culture that often leads to injury and burnout, how he monitors his son’s involvement, and preventable measures to ensure that young athletes aren’t being taken advantage of and physically damaged before beginning their professional careers.

“I think [AAU] has something to do with it, for sure,” James said. “It was a few tournaments where my kids — Bronny and Bryce — had five games in one day and that’s just f- - -ing out of control. That’s just too much. And there was a case study where I read a report. I don’t know who wrote it not too long ago, and it was talking about the causes and [kid’s] bodies already being broken down and they [attributed] it to AAU basketball and how many games that these tournaments are having for the [financial benefit]. So, I’m very conscious for my own son because that’s all I can control, and if my son says he’s sore or he’s tired, he’s not playing.

Obviously, LeBron James isn’t a fan of modern Amateur Athletic Union basketball.

The four-time NBA MVP, who’s gotten the chance to witness current AAU culture as a parent thanks to the participation of his two sons, Bronny and Bryce.

Many kids who participate in AAU basketball specialized early—meaning they began playing only basketball before they hit high school.

Instead of spending time honing a variety of different physical and mental skills playing multiple sports in both organized and unorganized environments, they simply devote all those hours (and perhaps more) to playing just one sport, subjecting their body to the same repetitive actions multiple hours a day over the entire year.

Some of the top high school players in the country play approximately 30 AAU games a year, plus a few play on the USA Basketball U19 national team, and that is all on top of a high school basketball schedule that ranges from 25 to 35 games. That’s around 80 games of organized play a year, not including practices, scrimmages and pickup ball.

Early specialization is speculated to be one cause of the New Orleans Pelican rookie Zion Williamson’s injury-riddled start to his NBA career.

James also believes that poor nutrition isn’t helping matters, either.

“And they don’t eat great, too. The nutrition part. They don’t eat well at 14, 15, 16. They’re taking all that pounding and then they’re not putting the right s**t in their body. It’s tough,” says James. “There’s no Whole Foods in those small cities. Those kids are eating McDonald’s, bro. They’re eating bad, and they’re playing five, six games a day. Come on, man. That’s what it is.”

James grew up participating in several AAU tournaments, he says the system has drastically changed since then. He also believes that playing pick-up games, often against older competition, was a much bigger factor in his success than AAU.

“There are way more tournaments, there are way more showcases now compared to when I played,” James said. “You know how we got better as kids? We played against older kids because we knew if we lost, we had to wait a long-ass time before we got back on the court…That was our motivation. That pushed us. That’s how we got better.”

James did not specialize early himself. His first love was football. He was an All-State receiver at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School (Akron, Ohio). He continued playing football all the way up until his senior year of high school.

While many parents rush their children into early specialization in hopes of a college scholarship and career in professional sports, LeBron’s childhood was different. He believes his most valuable basketball development came via pick-up games, not organized tournaments or private skill sessions, and he continued to compete in multiple sports well into high school.

While James forbids his own sons from competing in youth football due to safety concerns, he did encourage them to participate in sports such as soccer and baseball. Now that they appear to be specializing, he’s concerned about them being pushed to play too much basketball.

“I think it’s just based on if [parents] know you have a special kid or some special kids, you can’t be putting them in every f***ing tournament just because people want to see them,” said James. “But like I said, these coaches don’t give a damn about these kids. I care about my kids. I don’t put my AAU kids in every tournament. We probably play like five or six tournaments a summer.”

The Era of Load Management Begins

Beginning with San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who was known to give exhausted players a night off particularly after back-to-back games, other star players taking the night off in the NBA has ignited a contentious discussion in recent years as the trend grew.

Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard became the player most associated with the term “load management” when the Toronto Raptors reduced the amount of games he played in his lone season with the franchise that ultimately led to an NBA championship.

And while load management isn’t an approach many fans are approving readily, the conversation has progressively advanced to questioning what has contributed to this attempt at body preservation.

Former Phoenix Suns head coach Earl Watson, also a 13-year veteran of the NBA as a player, recently tweeted that AAU basketball is the reason players are entering the league with a considerable and alarming amount of wear and tear.

A Guide for Parents

Could the seemingly small things we do or say affect the mental game of our young athletes just as much as the “crazy” adults on the sidelines and their explosive behavior? Are words of encouragement, like, “Just go out there and try your best!” actually doing similar but just less obvious damage?

The book, Beyond the Scoreboard: Learn It Through Youth Sports, Carry It Through Life, co-authored by Celeste Romano, and Dr. Nick Molinaro, licensed psychologist with specialty in performance and sport psychology, provides a way to craft a young athlete’s environment to positively impact their mental game. They discuss factors that contribute to burnout, resentment, and even physical injury.

What a parent says after a big loss can help a child maintain their passion for sport and develop a growth-mindset lifestyle.

The authors say “When 70% of youths leave organized sports by the age of thirteen, losing out on the physical, social, and emotional benefits derived from athletic participation, we have to get serious about our approach to coaching and leading them.”

Romano says that many sports parents minimize and discount the impact of their words and criticisms on their young athlete. Parents may think sometimes that they aren’t listening to us or care what their parents think, but the truth is they hear and see everything we do.

When parents berate their kid’s performance in the name of “mental toughness” or “tough love” kids shrink from it. You can see it on their faces or their body language. Their emotional and physical well-being is bruised. And those bruises effect performance, because on the field their mind is worried about the repercussions after the game, not what they need to do to perform in the game.

Dr. Molinaro believes that “parents are the epicenter of a child’s world from birth. The environment each parent provides will affect, for the good or bad, inherent qualities given to the child by nature.

“If a parent provides feedback with critiques specific to performance skills, encourages them to learn from their failures instead of fear them, and doesn’t tie their love to the child’s performance, the child will, in practice and competition, be solely focused on the skills they need to execute in competition. Ultimately, they will then perform at a higher level.

“How parents communicate with their child, through words or actions, will impact their ability to develop a strong mental game. What is learned in competition, whether or not the player is of exceptional or average potential in the sport, will have significant impact on them. Winning or losing should never be the importance of the process of playing sport. Playing should be enjoyable and executing at one’s highest level should be instilled in competitive situations early on in life.

"For example, if a parent focuses on the importance of winning, they convey to their child that winning is what matters. However, high performing athletes are high performers because they have a passion to perform. Winning is just a by-product. High performing athletes see failure as a growth opportunity, to redefine their skill parameters raising their performance bar, not something to fear or be defeated by. So, if a parent’s sideline conversations revolve around winning or admonishing the player over a loss, they send the message that winning is what matters and, in the end, stifle the child’s ability to grow as a player – they have in fact limited their child’s potential."

"High performers all share one thing in common. They all have a low need for positive reinforcement. Basically, these athletes perform at such a high level because during practice and competition they are solely focused on the skills they need to do. They aren’t worried or preoccupied with anyone’s reaction on the sidelines.”

Self-Confidence vs. Self-Efficacy

Dr. Molinaro states that parents and coaches alike foster the false theory that all a player needs is confidence. Two basic processes influence confidence; both are frequently unreliable indicators of success. The first is “belief.” Many say that what a person believes predicts their behavior. Values are great examples of beliefs. However, beliefs don’t always tell us the truth. The second process influencing confidence are “feelings.” Like belief, feelings also don’t always tell us the truth. You can believe/feel something is true, but that does not necessarily make it so. High confidence does not necessarily correlate to high performance; nor does low confidence correlate to low performance.

Dr. Molinaro asserts that confidence and emotions are overrated in performance.

Coaches and parents often say, “Oh, he just needs a little confidence and he will play better.”

In line with what legendary psychologist Dr. Albert Bandura has said, "what young developing players need isn’t confidence but self-efficacy . . . . The key is what is the truth about an individual’s performance – not what they “believe” or “feel.”

Self-efficacy is based on truth and knowledge without doubt. Self-efficacy is a more scientific approach, one that deals in facts and not feelings. In the model that confidence is essential we see an elemental flaw. Bandura’s findings reduce self-effacy to a simple concept: The key is what is the truth about an individual’s performance – not what they “believe” or “feel.” If the truth is that the individual can execute specific behaviors that is what they should focus upon.

For example, take Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. His performance history has little to do with his so-called self-confidence. He focuses on a truth that he knows because he’s established his truth through hours of practice – he is likely to swim fast, very fast. He knows without a doubt what he is physically capable of doing and he does it even when he is not feeling great about himself. His truth drives the performance.

After The Game

Parents shape the environment that influences their child. They build that environment with each and every interaction. When the child comes off the playing field and a parent is yelling at them and giving harsh critiques, the child will see and hear that Mom or Dad is angry about poor performance and are only happy when the child plays well.

So what do parents need to do:

1. Parents must clearly communicate empathy. They need to not talk in overly harsh, critical tones.

2. They need to keep any and all critiques specific to how a child performs a skill. Focus on strengths, specific demonstrations of skills, first. Such as: I liked the way you anticipated your opponent coming across the field. Or, I noticed your head lifting on the down swing with your driver.

3. Use every performance as a time to talk about improving by asking:

How do you feel you did today?
What did you learn on the field today that you want to improve on or perhaps do again because it worked well?

4. Keep all general comments focused on the idea of the child having fun. Parents need to foster the importance of joy being linked to sports. If the child fails to feel joy, then they won’t have passion and will stop playing a sport.

5. Avoid talking about winning. Change the focus from winning/losing to growing/learning. Winning should never be the focus, growth and learning should be. The player that is growth-minded will push themselves to be higher-performers.

To read a free digital promotional preview copy of my new book, Strengthen Your Mental Core, click on the link here:

https://valdes.atavist.com/strengthening-your-mental-core-a-guide-for-athletes-and-coaches6cfw5

Momentum: Game-Changer or Unicorn?

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 16:44:00 +0000

An old baseball coach in Texas once told me "the two most important things in baseball are Mo and Po............Momentum and Potential."

Jill Ellis, the coach of the United States women’s soccer team, also believes strongly in momentum. She kept and her players discussed it over and over again late Tuesday night after the team’s 13-0 win over Thailand in the opening competition of the 2019 World Cup.

With the win and the domination of their opponent, Ellis and her team ambitions are to win the World Cup, nothing less. The team understands the importance of maintain a rhythm and flow that fosters confidence. They wanted to set the right tone and mood.

To that end, she was delighted to see her team score goals at will; she wanted as many players as possible to experience success.

“Those feelings are what can help you get through the tournament,” Ellis said.

Putting the Pedal to the Metal

“With the score line tonight, we have to look at the group stage as every goal counts,” star team member Alex Morgan said. “It was important for us to continue to go.”

“As a coach, I don’t find it my job to harness my players and rein them in, because this is what they’ve dreamed about, and this is a world championship,” Ellis said. “When you have a deluge of goals like that, it’s important.”

Goal differential in the group stage at any World Cup — the spread between a team’s goals scored and allowed — is the first tiebreaker for placing in groups ahead of the knockout stage. Team USA's 13 goals were both a statement of intent and skill but also important in getting through the knockout round.

“For us, the goals matter,” said Carli Lloyd, who scored the last one and celebrated with a quick fist pump. “In this tournament, it’s important. So we just have to keep that throttle down.”

But mindset is as important as goals and statistics. The winning culture and the atmosphere this team has been fostering values momentum, flow and self-esteem. Ellis sees this as a clear competitive advantage. She strives to spread these feelings throughout the team.

As she prepared to send bench players into the game once the game was seemingly out of hand, Ellis told them specifically not to take their feet off the gas. She wanted more of her attacking players to “get hot,” she said.

At that point that point in the game, there were still several players appearing on the World Cup stage for the first time, and Ellis, wanted them to get comfortable on the World Cup stage as quickly as possible.

Young Rose Lavelle, scored twice in her first World Cup match. “It’s really about making sure Rose is doing her thing,” Ellis said. “She is unique. She’s obviously a very skillful player, and you don’t ever want to limit that.”

Ellis afterward called the last goal “massive” for Lloyd, the MVP at the 2015 World Cup, as she continues to adjust to playing a supporting role off the bench.

Another young player, Mallory Pugh, who came in late in the second half, was in tears after scoring her first goal in her first World Cup game.

“You forget these moments are massive moments for players,” Ellis said.

Thanks to her aggressive approach to her substitutions, Ellis had three more players on her bench who felt the adrenalin rush of being involved in a World Cup goal. Collectively, the entire team may feel that they can score again every time they step on the field.

“A lot of this is about building momentum,” Ellis said. “The reality is, we also believe we’ve got more to do, no doubt. We’re going to stay humble, and we’ll go back to work.”

So, Is Momentum a Thing?

Momentum is the feeling that accumulated success will lead to greater success. We want to be able to count on continued success, if at all possible.

Pressure, stress, competition, change, adversity all are a shock to the our systems. Our brains do not like being shocked. We like stability, we like the status quo. If our systems are shocked, we want to return to equilibrium as quickly as possible.

When we reestablish the status quo again, we hope to stay there. We seek a return to stability and equilibruim. If we sense stability, we do all we can to stay there. Our brains try to predict and control, for the purpose of returning to a stable place. We look for signal that our environment has returned to status quo, to some sort of stability.

Though the concept is debatable, some people, including sports psychologists argue that momentum is a thing, a literal game-changer, that has the potential to determine future outcomes, as well. A way to create calmness and confidence.

Terms like momentum, “winning streak,” or “hot hand” (one that’s made many shots in a row) are thrown around casually to describe an experience sports fans and athletes know intuitively: When we feel like we’re winning, winning seems to come easier, whether that’s in the form of sinking multiple buckets in a row or winning a string of important games or even championships.

“What we often observe in athletes is that there are positive and negative changes in their mental states and behaviors when moving toward or away from the desired outcome,” says University of Groningen sports psychologist Ruud J.R. den Hartigh.

Many scientists studying momentum have cast doubt on whether those changes in mental states are based on any actual statistical patterns of winning — a valid objection. But den Hartigh and other sports psychologists argue that it’s the feeling that counts, so much that it really can lead to more wins.

Does Momentum Builds Within and Between Games?

Any sequence of positive results or outcomes we achieve, are easy to interpret as evidence of a positive trajectory toward success, suggesting “building momentum.”

Momentum can also be defined as the movement of a team or athlete toward or away from a desired outcome —that can be making a basket, making multiple baskets in a row, winning one game, or winning a crucial game in a playoff series. That means there is positive and negative momentum, both of which can affect the way teams play within a game and across games in a series.

In his research on rowing teams, den Hartigh found that positive momentum (taking the lead in a race) leads to more unified movement within a team, while teams are less coordinated and put in less effort when they have negative momentum (falling behind in a race). Similarly, his research on psychological momentum across rowing matches, published in 2016, showed that athletes with positive momentum were generally less sensitive to negative momentum in later races.

“So, momentum all has to do with that perception of moving toward or away from the desired outcome, and whether that outcome is still reachable,” says den Hartigh. That perception, as others have shown, has major impacts on how athletes actually play. It is the mindset that counts.

How Momentum Builds

In his research, University of Maryland kinesiology professor and psychological momentum expert Seppo E. Iso-Ahola, Ph.D. has found that teams with momentum perform better because of the confidence that winning brings. Confidence, Iso-Ahola found, plays a critical role in how athletes operate.

“It would be a mistake to think, after winning a game, that we now have a momentum that will carry us through the next game and ultimately, to the championship."

”High-level athletic performance, he says, “occurs at the intersection of neurology and psychology, with specific motor movements (e.g., 3-point throws in basketball) being executed nonconsciously and automatically without any conscious interference (e.g., doubts).”

An athlete performing at their peak are skills at preventing intrusive thoughts from getting in the way, and that’s where momentum comes in.

Momentum, says Iso-Ahola, “facilitates nonconscious processing and automatic execution of athletic (motor) movements that have been rehearsed over thousands and thousands of hours.” In other words, the confidence that comes with momentum makes it easier for athletes to do what they are trained to do without having to think about it. In his research on momentum, Iso-Ahola has shown that the most successful people are those who have more frequent occurrences of momentum and can make them last longer. In a basketball game, this is the team that has the most and longest scoring runs; in a series, it’s the team that wins many consecutive games often. He points out, crucially, that “between-momentums build on within-momentums” — a reminder to focus on momentum within a game.

A Mindset Leads to Winning

For a player, team, or fan, the feeling of momentum comes down to the belief that there’s been a certain pattern of success, whether in the form of a shooting streak or accumulated wins in a series. Take Steph Curry’s performance in Game 3 of the 2019 Finals against the Toronto Raptors, scoring 12 of the Warriors’ first 14 points, for example: To fans, it appears that a player like Steph Curry can get the “hot hand."

”But a statistician might disagree. Who’s to say that making six, or ten, or 25 shots in a row makes one “hot”? “People have been looking at the hot hand for more than three decades now and there is no clear agreement about whether it actually exists.”

“People have been looking at the hot hand for more than three decades now and there is no clear agreement about whether it actually exists,” psychological scientist Matthew Welsh, Ph.D., says. Welsh, a senior research fellow at the Adelaide Decision Lab, studies heuristics and biases in decision making, and the “hot hand” is a bias he’s spent a lot of time studying.

The hot hand is “the idea that, at certain point in time, players are ‘hot’,” he says. “That is, that their skill level is, temporarily, raised above its normal level.” Though its existence is widely believed by fans, players, and coaches, the numbers remain inconclusive.

The classic paper on momentum, published in 1985 by psychologists at Stanford and Cornell University, dismissed the idea of a “hot hand” in basketball as “a general misconception of chance.” Their controlled shooting experiments on Cornell basketball players showed no correlation between the outcomes of successive shots. People who believe the “hot hand” exists, they argued, don’t actually understand what chance means, and so they think they can find patterns in “even short random sequences.” The way Welsh puts it, there was “no evidence of anything other than random patterns arising from long term shooting patterns."

”There’s some evidence that it may exist in other sports, but basketball, says Welsh, seems particularly ill-suited for it. Factors like alternating start times, multiple substitutions, defensive changes, many time-outs, and the fact that “hot” players tend to be double-teamed, he says, might obscure the pattern, if it exists at all. Nevertheless, the conviction in momentum remains, and that’s because “statistical” momentum isn’t equivalent to “psychological” momentum. Whether a player is numerically “hot” doesn’t matter as long as they think that they’re hot — a feeling that Welsh credits to humans’ “oversensitive pattern sensing mechanisms.”

Teams Can Take Advantage of Momentum

Though the numbers may not support it, momentum is real, at least psychologically, and teams can use it to their advantage. But as den Hartigh warns, “it is important to keep in mind that the relation between momentum and performance is not always straightforward.”

“In the end, it is momentum that makes the difference in who wins and who loses."

”When teams have positive momentum, they tend to relax a little because “the advantage seems to become comfortable,” he says, and this gives the opponent an opportunity to claw back. Negative momentum, meanwhile, can also fire up a team. But reminding us that momentum is all about movement toward or away from a desired outcome, he points out that performance seems to drop once that outcome seems impossible to reach.

Iso-Ahola likewise warns of the dangers of coasting with advice worthy of Steve Kerr: “No backing off, but instead, pouring in as many points as possible, and giving no mercy to the opponent,” he says. “That is capitalizing on momentum. Each competitive situation is its own performance event for which momentum has to be separately created.”

Excerpts from:

https://www.inverse.com/article/56428-raptors-take-lead-in-nba-finals-maybe-it-s-momentum

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/sports/usa-thailand-world-cup.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_190613?campaign_id=2&instance_id=10070&segment_id=14234&user_id=5b07f13b07a1d067ce0262161ce7c9c1&regi_id=279697130613

Hard Work and Practice: The Foundation of a Buzzer Beater (VIDEO)

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Thu, 31 May 2018 18:45:00 +0000

“I don’t think anything like that is ever rehearsed. It’s just something that happens from hard work and practice. That’s just not rehearsed. That’s what makes it so great. You don’t think. I think if you think, then that’s how you mess up. You just got to let it fly and not think.”

-- Angel McCoughtry, WNBA Atlanta Dream star.

McCoughtry shot and made a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds left to give the Atlanta Dream a 76-74 win on Tuesday night over the Minnesota Lynx.

It was the Dream's first lead of the second half, and ultimately, their first home win of the season. The win broke a nine-game losing streak for the Dream against the Lynx, behind McCoughtry’s 18 points and Tiffany Hayes’ 20 points.

Watch the buzzer-beater below, on Twitter:

The @minnesotalynx had beaten the @AtlantaDream 9 straight times. Until this: pic.twitter.com/PZvTna7uWl
— espnW (@espnW) May 30, 2018

Excerpts taken from: www.highposthoops.com/2018/05/30/atlanta-dream-minnesota-lynx-mccoughtry-hayes-williams

Quantum Entanglement: Kawhi, the Spurs, and Beautiful Basketball

noreply@blogger.com (Luis Valdes) — Tue, 22 May 2018 20:34:00 +0000

Quantum entanglement suggests that Kawhi Leonard should stay put and stick with the Spurs. Wait, what? I thought this was a basketball story. What is this, a physics lesson?

The phenomenon that is Kawhi Leonard cannot be understood or defined separately from his team, the organization and the culture in which he evolved.

In physics, quantum entanglement is a physical phenomenon which occurs when pairs or groups of particles are generated or interact in ways such that the quantum state of each particle cannot be described independently of the state of the other(s), even when the particles are separated by a large distance—instead, a quantum state must be described for the system as a whole (taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

The concept of quantum entanglement describes the relationship between two bodies that interact or entangle with each other. Once they do, it becomes impossible to describe one object without considering the other object; both are connected or bonded together.

Accordingly, if you now separate these objects by various distances – two feet or across the globe, it doesn’t matter – when one object is interacted upon, a correlating action occurs simultaneously with the other object. That's right, I googled "quantum entanglement."

Perhaps no team in professional sports provides more evidence for the existence of quantum entanglement that the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. Their sustained success is remarkable.

Subsequently, Kawhi Leonard's success can only be evaluated through his entanglement with everyone from the Spurs' ownership, the Holts; General Manager R. C. Buford; Head Coach Gregg Popovich and his assistant coaches; Tim Duncan; Manu Ginobili; Tony Parker and all the rest of his teammates.

Kawhi Leonard was selected as the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season. Leonard was a member of the NBA champion Spurs in 2014, and was also named 2014 NBA Finals MVP. He has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice, in 2015 and 2016, and is a two-time first team All-NBA team member.

However, Leonard entered the Spurs orbit of success that started years before. They have made the playoffs in 28 of the last 29 seasons (since 1989–90) and have only missed the playoffs four times since entering the NBA; they have not missed the playoffs in the 21 seasons since Tim Duncan arrival in 1997. Despite being a small market team with origins in the American Basketball Association (prior to the merger of the ABA and NBA), the Spurs success had achieved remarkable heights.

Leonard obviously has been an integral part of the Spurs' recent success and continuation of their championship contention to this point. However, some critics suggest that the Spurs' system has stifled Kawhi's talent and potential. Others feel that he would have much more successful with another franchise. Still other have felt that Kawhi is just a product of the Spurs' system and would not have been successful elsewhere. Kawhi is more than just a product of the Spurs' organization but is still just a thread within a quantum entanglement.

Some people think that the end of the Spurs dynasty is near. Many rumors have circulated not only about the current state of the Spurs organization but specifically about Leonard's eventual exit from the Spurs through a trade or free agency. Social media mavens are convinced that Leonard is done in San Antonio.

Despite rumors of a rift between Leonard and the Spurs' concerning the diagnosis, treatment, and medical management of his prolonged leg injury and recovery, it does not appear that there has been any real improvement in his readiness to play. Why would any other NBA have a greater interest in Kawhi than the Spurs have?

It is difficult to envision Leonard in any other NBA uniform. History suggests that Spurs that leave through free agency or trade do not continue or improve their level of success that they had while with the Spurs. Can you think of an ex-Spur whose fortunes rose after their departure? I can't either. So, why would Kawhi have similar or greater success anywhere else?

Other teams seeking Leonard's services should keep quantum entanglement theory in mind when pursuing him.

The only thing that makes sense is that Leonard remain in the Spurs orbit and continue to thrive in the quantum entanglement that is the San Antonio Spurs.

Stay tuned for more about the Spurs and quantum entanglement in future blogposts.