In the new movie Concussion, premiering Christmas Day, Will Smith plays a Forensic Pathologist who discovers neurological deterioration (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) in football players. He goes on to spread the word about concussions to help keep athletes safe. This blog aims to do the same.

What exactly is a concussion? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, a concussion is a traumatic brain injury where a blow to the head causes the brain to move back and forth in the skull. This movement in the brain can change chemicals in the brain and bruise it. Concussions can also lead to more serious issues later in life, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

What sports are they most prevalent in? For male athletes, they are most prevalent in football and hockey, whereas for female athletes, it is soccer and lacrosse.

How do I know if my athlete has a concussion? Symptoms of concussions include: loss of consciousness, memory, or coordination; headache or feeling of pressure; nausea or vomiting; fatigue or sluggishness; and ringing in the ears. If you suspect your athlete of having a concussion, it is important to bring them to a doctor right away.

What is the best way to overcome a concussion? The only way to recover is giving the brain time to recover. This involves restricting activity as well as giving it the rest it needs, which includes reducing screen time on computers and TVs as well.

How can we prevent concussions? The only way to fully prevent sport-related concussions would be to abstain from sport; however there are preventative measures that can be taken to reduce risk. Make sure that you wear the proper equipment for the sport, use proper technique for physical contact sports, follow the rules when it comes to tackling, checking, etc., and have good sportsmanship.

Concussion premieres December 25th. Be sure to check it out!’

 

All eyes will be on Vancouver this Sunday as the U.S. Women’s soccer team takes on Japan in their second consecutive World Cup Championship game. In order to reach the finals for two straight tournaments, we know the athletes have not only incredible physical strength, but also extraordinary mental strength. Midfielder Megan Rapinoe spoke with NPR before the World Cup began about what distinguishes the U.S. team: “I think traditionally, we’ve always been very fit and fast and physical, and we have that sort of physical element that we can just outlast teams,” she said. “And we have that grit and that mentality that we’re never going to quit.” That grit is an integral part of what has led to the team’s success—and is also an integral part of being mentally tough.

In their book, The Mental Game Plan: Getting Psyched for Sport, Drs. Stephen J. Bull, John G. Albinson, and Christopher J. Shambrook outline six characteristics of mentally tough athletes:

Strong desire to succeed

Stay positive in the face of challenge and pressure

Control the controllables

High commitment with a balanced attitude

High level of self-belief

Positive body language

From Rapinoe’s quote alone, it is easy to see that the U.S. team embodies these characteristics. The team’s determination and refusal to quit aligns with characteristics 1-5 (and if you look at pictures of the team in action, you’ll see No. 6 as well).

So how can you embrace these six skills and be mentally tough like the U.S. women? What do they really mean?

Strong desire to succeed

Why are you playing your sport? We imagine it’s because you love it and have fun while playing! Your No. 1 priority should be to enjoy what you’re doing. Then, that love for the game will transfer over to your desire to keep getting better. “Succeeding” does not necessarily mean winning the championship or being the best player on the team; rather, it’s about setting your mind to a few, tangible goals and working hard to attain them. These are progress-oriented goals—like taking a few deep breaths before you make your next pitch or becoming 5% stronger over the next two weeks. The real success is when you achieve these progress-goals throughout the year!

Stay positive in the face of challenge and pressure

Athletes of any sport, especially at high levels of competition, endure a lot of stress. Making excuses and complaining won’t help you get any better. Mentally tough athletes challenge stress head on by staying positive throughout their competition.

Control the controllables

In order to be mentally tough, you need to recognize that there are some things you can’t do anything about. The refs, the weather, the past—recognizing that there are aspects of the game out of your control will help you become more aware of what you can control. You can control your effort in practice, your attitude when you miss a rebound, and what you’re doing at the current moment, to name a few. When you focus on what you can control, you put more conscious effort into making those aspects of your game better instead of worrying about what’s out of your hands.

High commitment with a balanced attitude

Having a balanced attitude means that you need to be dedicated to your sport while also being dedicated to other aspects of your life like school, family, and friends. Enjoy your sport while you’re playing, but if something bad happens during a game or practice, don’t let that negatively affect your mood when you leave the field. Mentally tough athletes recognize that they need to focus on sports while training, but they need to be engaged with other parts of their life as well.

High level of self-belief

We all know that we won’t make every basket or catch every pass from the quarterback, but that’s ok! If you stay focused on the present moment—on the basket you’re about to shoot or the pass the quarterback is throwing right now and you say to yourself over and over that you can do this and you will make the basket/pass, then more often than not you will make the shot. If you believe in yourself, you will be able to turn those thoughts into actions.

Positive body language

When you swing at a pitch outside of the zone, do you slam your bat down in frustration or do you take a deep breath and tell yourself that you’ll get it next time? Standing upright with confidence will in fact make you more confident. Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s those who realize that they can be better next time that are mentally tough and successful.

Mental training takes time just as physical training—you can’t get better overnight. Next time when you’re skating around the rink, take a few deep breaths, remember what you can and cannot control, and believe in yourself. Those quick mental skills will put you steps above your opponent—as evident by the U.S. women’s soccer team only one step away from a World Cup Championship!

 

Tim Howard set a career high and had the most saves in a World Cup match since 1966 with 16, but it wasn’t enough to keep the U.S. from falling to Belgium in extra time.

In a match that was dominated by Belgium from start to finish, the United States hung around as long as they could before losing 2-1 in extra time. This game was a great example of one team playing not to lose, and the other playing to win. For most of the first half, other than a few chances, the Americans were on their heels trying desperately to hold off the Belgium attack. The second half was not much different, and in the end the Americans were out shot 38-15.

With that said, the Americans continued to beat the odds and forced the game into extra time at an even score of 0 to 0. However, the tie didn’t last long; Belgium forward Kevin De Bruyne beat Howard’s far side for the game’s first goal (which was followed by another goal by Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku). At this point, most thought the game was over, but to the Americans’ credit, they kept pushing. Their effort finally paid off as a late sub Julian Green scored on a great pass from Michael Bradley in the 107^th minute. Sadly, that was the only point the Americans could gather. After the 121^st minute, the Belgium team was finally allowed to celebrate a hard fought win.

In a post-game interview Tim Howard called this loss “heartbreaking” for him and his team. Heartbreaking may be the term to describe the loss, but Howard played the game of his life. Playing goalie in any sport takes a special athlete; you have to be in peak physical shape, but also have to have the right mindset. Howard continued to have an upbeat attitude even though it seemed like he was under constant fire. His mindset was an obvious one. Each save continued to boost his confidence as he continued to stay focused and thrive under the pressure.

A positive attitude, staying focused, and having confidence are three crucial factors when it comes to mental toughness. They are attributes any athlete should strive for. Though his effort was not enough to get the Americans to advance to the next knockout round of 8, he did help prove most of the world wrong by making it out of the “Pool of Death.” The Americans’ success in these past few World Cups has done nothing but open up gates to endless possibilities for Americans of all ages in the world of soccer: a victory in and of itself. To the men in the red, white, and blue: Thank you for making us BELIEVE!