Last weekend’s game against the Boston Bruins would prove to be Yeo’s last with the Wild. After yet another loss for the team, Yeo was let go after five years—though he thought his time would continue since General Manager Chuck Fletcher told him that his job was safe just a week earlier. Even after being told that he was fired, he fought for more time to work with the team, not wanting to leave them during the middle of the season. Yeo was quickly replaced by John Torchetti of the Iowa Wild until a more permanent option is found.

The unexpectedness of Yeo’s removal and the certainty he held in his position make the situation tough to handle as a coach. Last Monday the Wild played for the first time under Torchetti—a win—which brings great anticipation for the rest of the season. “They’ll want to be hungry to come out and prove themselves again,” Torchetti said, “But we just want them feeling good about themselves, and then we’ll make our corrections and adjustments, and keep on improving and getting better.” He is not sure what changes need to happen within the Wild yet, but he will make further assessments as the season continues.

Studies show that this change in the coaching staff will affect the team’s performance. McTeer White, and Persad (1995) assert, “In either case the players are relieved when an unpopular* coach is replaced and develop renewed optimism in the short-term.” The players may be relieved by getting a new coach, hoping that this will be the changing factor in their team’s performance. A new coach may improve performance, but it is usually not for long. Lago-Penas (2011) states the following: “The empirical analysis shows that the shock effect of a turnover has a positive impact on team performance over time. Results reveal no impact of coach turnover in the long term. The favorable short-term impact on team performance of a coach turnover is followed by continued gradual worsening in the half of a term.” This short term fix leads to a vicious cycle of coach turnover within the team, which is common in sports across the board and happens at all levels of performance ranging from high school to professional. Whether it is a livelihood or a scholarship that becomes uncertain, every level of play has its own set of problems when hiring a new coach midseason.

However, the dismissal of a coach could lead to a divided team as players split their loyalties between the old coach and the new coach. Simon Almaer, MA MBA, said that when a new coach is hired midseason it is like “hitting a reset button; hierarchies, positions, playtime, and roles are put into question.” This creates an uncertain and unsettling dynamic within the team, which may cause tension. Almaer’s advice for athletes trying to stay consistent through team changes? Focus on accepting the new situation, being responsible for their own game, and minimizing distractions. Building a relationship with the new coach is also helpful, in order to be more comfortable with the situation. Finally, athletes should keep it simple by trying their best and having a good attitude about the new changes within the team.

*We are not implying that Yeo was unpopular; it is just a direct quote about coaching changes in general.

Sources:

Lago-Peñas, C. (2011). Coach Mid-Season Replacement and Team Performance in Professional Soccer. Journal of Human Kinetics, 28, 115–122. http://doi.org/10.2478/v10078-011-0028-7

McTeer, W., White, P. G., & Persad, S. (1995). Manager/coach mid-season replacement and team performance in professional team sport. Journal of Sport Behavior, 18(1), 58. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215868828?accountid=8593

This Sunday millions of people will be huddled around their televisions with an array of jalapeño poppers and chips and guac to watch the Carolina Panthers take on the Denver Broncos (as well as the commercials). There has been a lot of talk surrounding Superbowl L as Peyton Manning squares off against Cam Newton–specifically around Peyton and if this will be his final game. Whether that is the case or just a rumor, athletes’ decisions to end their playing careers altogether or take breaks from their game are some of the most difficult decisions they must make.

There are many factors that play into deciding whether to take a break from/stop playing a sport completely—some are controllable and others, uncontrollable. A serious injury, for example, is a factor that athletes have no control over. Now, you may have control over how closely you stick to your rehabilitation process and if that injury was due to poor form, but most injuries are accidents and are therefore uncontrollable. Right after an uncontrollable event occurs, it is easy to get wrapped up in worst-case scenarios; however, we must step back and look at our situation with a lighter perspective. To help you do this, work through the following exercise:

Take a sheet of paper and draw a line vertically down the middle. At the top on the left, write “controllables”; on the right, write “uncontrollables.” Think about the situation you are in and write aspects of it in the appropriate column. For example, “broken ankle” is something you cannot control, but “going to rehab and doing the exercises daily” as well as “attitude about the situation” are two things you can control. From there, think about how you can control those “controllables” in the most healthy and positive way.

Whether you are talking about taking a break from your sport, transitioning into a new phase of playing, or retiring completely, spending time thinking about your “controllables” helps you mentally shift away from negative thoughts and toward positive actions that can help you get back on the field/move forward.

The second in our series of “spotlight sports” focuses on mixed martial arts, or MMA, which began in the ancient Olympic games known as Pankration. It was later passed on from the Greeks to the Romans. Some of the basic skills that were used back then are still used today, and with the help of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the sport is consistently rising in popularity.

MMA is a full-contact sport that combines fighting techniques from multiple styles of martial arts and combat sports. Since various styles are used, all fighters must be well rounded and versed in multiple disciplines. Almost all MMA fighters started in a particular area or areas of martial arts then crossed over to mixing the martial arts.

Rules and Regulations

When this sport first began there were hardly any rules, if any, which made for a free-for-all. As a result, today’s MMA fighting and competitions include many rules to keep athletes safe. The most common rule set around the world is The Unified Rules, which includes rules ranging from hand wrapping to ring conditions to weight class regulations.

Fights last for five minutes and mostly go for three rounds, however, in some cases there are five rounds. There are three ways to win a fight: knockout, submission or decision—the referee also can intervene and determine a win. Three judges score each fight using the 10-Point Must System, where the winner earns 10 points and the loser anything less than that (except in rare circumstances). Click here for a more comprehensive list of the rules.

How to Get Involved

Being one of the fastest growing sports today, there are many opportunities to get involved with MMA here in Minnesota. Check out the following links to see some of the studios Minnesota has to offer:

Warrior’s Cove

The Academy

Next Level Combat