Premier Sport Psychology is excited to introduce one of our Summer 2018 interns, Joe Brinkman!  Read below to learn more about Joe.

Let’s start with a fun fact about yourself.

I am the oldest of eight kids in my family! It is a crazy household, but I would never trade it to be an only child with a quiet house. That just sounds way too boring.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I could never pick one place! There are so many different things I want to see and explore in this world. Rome is definitely towards the top, as well as Ireland and New Zealand. Trying to pick one destination is a nightmare!

What is the best show you’ve watched on Netflix?

I don’t watch a whole lot of Netflix actually. I have finished two shows and one took me almost a year and a half. Arrow, with Stephen Amell is one that I finished and that was super interesting. I really like Criminal Minds as well.

What is your favorite song? Favorite artist?

If I were to pick a song I would be lying. I don’t have a favorite song because it is changing all the time. I have my favorites here and there which I feel like is pretty normal. I can’t pick a favorite artist either, but the first one that popped into my head was The Chainsmokers.

You are being sent to a deserted island you can bring one person and one item, who and what would you bring, and why?

Bear Grylls for sure! I feel like he just knows everything when it comes to all the adventure and outdoors stuff. Plus I think it would be super fun to learn from him! For an item, I would bring a bow and arrow. If I’m on a deserted island I might as well learn how to hit a squirrel while it’s jumping from one tree to another, you never know when that will be handy!

If you could have one superhero power, what would it be?

If I could have a super power it would be teleportation. It would be like Dorothy’s ruby slippers on steroids! The convenience of teleportation and cutting out travel expense is prime. Although, a road trip here and there would never hurt.

When you were in Kindergarten, what did you want to be when you grew up?

In Kindergarten I really wanted to be a major league baseball player. I’m not even quite sure why. Maybe it was because I liked Derek Jeter so much but who knows.

What is one thing that scares you?

Seeing “missed call from Mom”. On a more serious note, I am super afraid of one of my family members or people that I care about passing away. I think that just leads into my fear of the unknown. However I realize that not knowing everything lets us have our own journey.

Favorite sport to play? How about to watch?

My favorite sport to play would probably be football, but golf is certainly on the top as well. I really enjoy watching a lot of sports, but college football would take the cake.

What is your experience with sports?

I played just about every sport I was exposed to growing up. Through high school I played football, basketball and golf. I brought golf into college as well as basketball for a year. I have a deep passion for the game of golf and learning as much as I can about it. I am asked all the time how my “babies” (golf clubs) are doing.

What has drawn you to the sports psychology world?

I was first drawn to the sports psychology world when I started reading books written by Dr. Bob Rotella. What stamped me going into this field though was an experience I had with my sister. I worked with her for a week leading up to the second day of the section meet her senior year of high school. She didn’t play well the first day and was sitting outside the cut line for state, but if she played well enough she could make it. I didn’t mess with her mechanics or swing at all. For a week I just tried to increase her ability to focus and confidence levels. She bought in and shot the best round of her life, an even par round of 72. It was her first time in the 70’s as well.

What is your educational background and future aspirations?

I am starting my fourth year at Mount Marty College this fall. I am working on a Psychology degree with an English writing minor. I plan on attending a graduate program for sport psychology after attaining my undergrad. I still have a lot of things to think about and decisions to make. One of my ultimate goals is not only to work with college athletes and their performance, but to help form them as a person.

The following are excerpts from “How MLB players have embraced psychology to manage high stress” at Sporting News. You can view the full article here.

Part of managing those moments is that search for the constant. No matter the stadium, players know that certain things, such as the foul poles, will always be there. Losing themselves in the routine leads back to the familiar, the things that do not change no matter the moment. Focusing on a pebble in the dirt, repeating a mantra, even visualizing all allow for sharper focus and, hopefully, a good performance regardless of context.

Dr. Justin Anderson, a sport psychologist who works for Premier Sport Psychology, an independent firm based outside Minneapolis, said this sort of constant is more important than players realize.

“When we’re anxious, the eyes tend to bounce around a lot, and there’s research about getting the eyes settled and set on something,” Anderson said.

Wherever players look, the need is to settle the eyes and calm the nerves. The bat, the foul pole, or a spot in the dirt are common. But White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer is different. Instead of looking at a particular object, he looks to the crowd in the stands. Not anyone in particular, he said, but the area in general, the blurred mass of faces.

This preparation, Anderson said, begins with assessing how much a player understands the way his mind works. They’re often introduced to this metacognition through things such as yoga or meditation, or even simple self-assessments of how they react to everyday scenarios.

“They could be out mowing the lawn and have some problem with the mower, and where does their mind go? And what’s their tactic or approach to that?” Anderson said.

In those moments, the mind has three directions it can go, and Anderson works to help players become mindful of whether they tend to drift to the past, to the future, or stay focused in the present. This can happen on the field or with a faulty lawnmower. The more players are able to understand where their mind tends to go — and why — the better they are at staying focused in a high-stress situation, Anderson said.

Read the full article at Sporting News