You know that voice inside your head? The one that reminds you of something negative at the most inopportune moment? We’ve all got it. Those voices are our minds at work. Over the course of our existence, our minds have developed to keep us safe by solving problems. However, while they strive to keep us safe, they don’t always do so honestly. That’s right: our minds sometimes tell us things that aren’t true or helpful in order to solve problems. If you’ve ever been reminded of the last shot you missed while standing at the free-throw line, or the last pass you bombed the moment you were throwing the ball, […]

In today’s fast-paced world, we’re constantly connected…to everything.  Teens and pre-teens are all too aware of the pressures and tasks they face on a daily basis: social activities, school, homework, extra curricular activities, sports–the list goes on.  However, amidst all the chaos, what’s often forgotten is the importance of sleep and how much our bodies benefit from a good night’s rest. In a 2012 study presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition, researchers found that the hours of sleep per night was significantly associated with the likelihood of injury.  Additionally, it was found that athletes in higher grade levels had greater likelihood of injury.  “While […]

When Pete Carroll was fired by the Patriots following their season in 1999, he had only one option: to move forward.  Carroll did just that and came away with a whole new frame of mind. He’s been with the Seattle Seahawks since 2011, and so has Mike Gervais, a high-performance sport psychologist. Both men understand that winning a game or building a successful team isn’t just about what happens on the field. In a “suck-it-up” NFL culture where players are all too aware about their personal well-being and lives being uncared for, they’re bringing a softer side to football. The idea is that happy players make for better players.  And […]

This summer, Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is working with a sport psychologist as part of his plan to regain his career momentum. After this season’s meltdown and four dismal years of postseason performances, Fleury needs to rebuild his confidence in a big way. As sports writers have pointed out, Fleury’s issues are not physical. Just as people outside of the sporting world need to see psychologists during times of duress, athletes look to sport psychologists when their heads are obviously not in the game. Like all high-performance athletes, Fleury faces too much pressure, performance anxiety, mental blocks, and loss of concentration during key moments in competitions. Working with a […]

The Mayo Clinic stresses the importance of having experienced professionals assess an athlete’s timeline when he or she should return to play after having a concussion. The symptoms of concussions may not always be apparent and using objective tools to diagnosis and treat should always be used to help make safe decisions about when an athlete should return to play. Watch more of what this professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic has to say:

In a USA Today article, Stressors Trigger a Nation of Yellers, discussing the impact of yelling on both the yeller and the receiver highlights an important message within our athletic world: Yelling is not only ineffective, but it is often harmful. The article discusses why we are a nation of yellers, stemming most frequently from a response to stressors and feelings of impatience and a desire to be heard. However, the article points out the scary effects yelling can have on a teenager’s brain chemistry. Teenagers interpret yelling through their amygdala, a part of their brain used to produce emotional and physical reactions to stress, whereas adults are able to […]