"Many people take on these events because they want to challenge themselves," says Justin Anderson, Psy.D., LP, at Premier Sport Psychology in Minnesota, a mental skills training and counseling organization that works with amateur and professional athletes. "It's been my experience that many marathon runners have an internal drive to grow and do more. Combine that drive with the fact that many professionals (in their) mid-20s to mid-50s are 'stuck' in their daily routines or careers and are not getting that psychological need for growth met," says Anderson. Read more: The Start of Something Big - Inlander  ...

"They are such a veteran team that one of the theories I would say is a lot of times with veteran guys who have been out there quite a bit and have had success you need a little bit more arousal or activation to get them to peak performance,” Anderson said. “I play a lot better when we’re putting money down,” he said. “There’s a little bit more edge. These guys with such a long season and such long playoff series, I think these guys are able to sort of step back and not have that little edge to be in the zone. When they get their backs up against the wall, they get activated just a little bit more into their peak zone. When they’re in their peak zone, they are so dangerous.” Read more: Why the Blackhawks Succeed When Trailing in a Series - ESPN Insider  ...

Just down the hall from the weight rooms, practice gym and study areas of the Bierman Field Athletic Building sits a special place where student-athletes can find help when stress levels from balancing school and athletics skyrocket. An office in Bierman houses the athletics department’s three-person sports psychology staff, which ensures Minnesota’s student-athletes are healthy in both body and mind. Each year, the staff helps about 200 student-athletes with varying mental health-related issues. “There have been a growing number of mental health instances on college campuses,” deputy athletics director Beth Goetz said. “And athletes aren’t immune from that.” The growing number of cases led the NCAA to launch two studies on student-athletes and mental health: the Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations and Learning of Students in college study and the Study of College Outcomes and Recent Experiences. "U...