By: Anton

Anton — Tue, 19 Feb 2019 03:29:35 +0000

do any of you athletes want an interview?

By: Paula Konnnor Jorn, PsyD.

Paula Konnnor Jorn, PsyD. — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 16:39:15 +0000

I have been practicing psychology for 28 years with the privilege of working cross culturally around the globe. As well, was a competitive athlete and grew up with an Olympic medal winning boxer who went onto become the president of the International Boxing Federation in a role as ring ref, adjudicator, arbitrator and attorney. My father was also a Chaplin and an attorney for the Vince Lombardi Green Bay Packers; Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Caroll Dale, Jerry Kramer (see “Instant Replay”) to name few. I was raised by my father along with my three brothers who were ball boys for the Milwaukee Bucks (Lew Alcindor, Oscar Robinson, Bobbie Dandrige). It was in this atmosphere that I was at the fights most weekends and Sundays, were, well, the Packer’s games. I learned a lot about men and women’s sport through participation, attending the Olympics 1968-2000, to enjoy games as a spectator to date. At the highest level where one is being paid to compete, there are only X factors to divide the greats from the forgotten, even after the huge hurdle between college to pro is accomplished many fall away. What did happen to the first round draft pick, Heismann trophy winner? What are theses intangibles that make am athlete stand head and shoulders above their team mates. You may remember a marquee player for their position; quarterbacks v linemen, pitchers v outfielders, Individual medalist v free styler Centers v forward. Or it’s down to personality; John Mac Enroe v Stephan Edbutrg, Tiger Woods v Phil Michelson, Nancy Carrigan v Tanya Harding, Mary Lou Retton v any female or male gymnast. Perhaps a venue; Masters v pro am, Wrigley v Cell One Stadium, one thing all these players have in common is they WIN. Without the winning element, it matters not what position, personality nor venue the player must perform well to be remembered and live out their professional careers. Certainly there are countless other factors; coaching, fans, owners and visibility contribute to the Q factor of any athlete. We can all agree with;” winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” So how do college and professional athletes/coaches continue their careers: winning. Fans are fickle, venues change, salary caps maneuvered, endorsements handed out and retracted, it’s still about taking largely equal talent and having the cream rise. How is it that Bobby Knight or Coach K keep it going with new personal every season. In my experience, wining can only be achieved by the single minded. In order to be single minded one must put their head and their feet in the same place. Another point upon we can likely come to agree is that psychology touches every sphere of our lives; relationships (authority to subordinates, co-workers, teammates, romance). Respectively lets take a glimpse at these relationships, impeded or enhancing an athlete. Terrell Ownes leaps to mind when discussing authority resistance, this man was talent itself but could not accept the authority of an authoritarian, Bill Parsells nor the compatible style of Andy Reid. Conversely, Donald Driver or Clay Mathews were both walk ons with a mixture of authority and compatibility in coach Mike McCathy. Both men were humble enough to walk on, work like mules and take the slots given them, quietly and let their play speak for them. Easy to see their heads were always in the game: neither will soon be forgotten. In a famous psychological study given to head pilots and astronauts, thesis was; would you prefer in your co-pilot an efficient, knowledgeable flier or a person that you are able to get along with over time? To a person, the answer resounded; a person I am able to get along with, it’s imperative that no one fight me should there be an emergent situation and the rest of the time we’re cooped up in a small space together for hours on end, we must get along. Coworkers and teammates are an essential part of any, including individual sports, as no one plays alone. We were all privy to the self moniker of “The Greatest” Muhammad Ali (nee: Cashiss Clay). For all his verbose bragging, he worked his way up through the AAU/Gloden Gloves, practiced every single day to keep that money where his mouth was at all times. There’s the stark contrast in Michael Tyson’s career, who talked a big game, had some serious strength, but no finesse and certainly no psychological boundaries. Two rape charges, illegal action in the ring proved to highlight his lack of restraint, respect and an understanding that an opponent is mandatory to succeed at any sport, coupled with unchecked mental illness he was desperate for psychological guidance to funnel rage, anger and violence appropriately and it cost him everything. Then a quick look at talent in a vacuum, Dan Maraino; he needed some hands to take care of catching the ball in the end zone so a trip to a completed super bowl would cap a brilliant career. Romance has made and broken any number of athletes that could not draw the lines of separation. Michael Jordon held off on that expensive divorce until the last 3 pointer, dunk and base hit were over, knew the distractions would have overwhelmed his play. To name two examples of romantic relationships interfering with career play; Andre Agassi showed us both success and failure with romance as it related to strong tennis. Andre Agassi in the peak of his rise to the top 1-10 in tennis was attenuated when he took a break during which he married model, Brooke Sheilds. When they were both at his tennis matches she competed for screen time and it was obvious by his play that Mr. Agassi was distracted from top flight tennis. After a brief time, the couple split and Agassi wound up with Stephi Graph, a woman who understood from a great deal of first hand experience; tennis is not a side line, it requires your full attention. Mr. Agassi returned in earnest to the number 1 slot in men’s tennis and Ms Graph stayed in her number one slot as they both knew the level of undivided commitment mandated to achieve at that level in professional tennis. Tiger Woods appears to be struggling with finding his footing back from; a death in the family, public sex scandel and subsequent divorce. Mr Woods has seemingly not been able to leave his highly public problems off the golf course. In the peak of physical condition, sound practice habits, solid mechanics it’s disturbing to watch Woods struggle to win majors when the issues have almost nothing to do with golf, but for, the cerebral demands of the game which require his head and feet to be on the course together without interruption. The imagery necessary to draw hard boundary lines are accessible with the aide of a good psychologist. This is an area where any means justify the ends; winning, for with every loss experienced the distractions are building on themselves. Mr Woods needs the psychological guidance to find the boundaries that are uncompromising and not deviate focus from the game.
All imagery is different and unique to each person, but as we are all more similar than not, finding the compartment/packing the suitcase/wrapping the gift/using a prayer box are methods found via interview, hypnosis and/or practice makes an achievable goal for a disciplined athlete. The single factor standing between the success boundaries can bring, and the athlete is, the admission that any edge is an edge, and a psychological edge is mandatory. if humility is too big an ask, then call it a tool: a tool your competition is using.

Comments on: Famous Pro Athletes Who Use Mental Health Coaches

By: Anton

By: Paula Konnnor Jorn, PsyD.