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 process yelling through their pre-frontal cortex (the planning center of the brain). This key difference of where we interpret yelling helps explain why teenagers have a stronger negative reaction to yelling that often results in them tuning out, escalating the volume of their voice to match or exceed the parent or coach, or removing themselves from the situation. This ultimately leaves the parent or coach’s message unheard or misinterpreted.

So, how do we break the cycle of “one upping” each other on who can yell louder? One effective way is to remain calm and increase healthy communication by being in the present moment and aware of our own levels of frustration. Being able to take a step back from the situation, remind yourself of what you are really trying to say and asking yourself, “Is yelling this message consistent with my values?” We all want the best for our players, our kids, and the youth in our community, so let’s give them the best we have to offer… clear and calm communication rather than the exhausting and never ending yelling cycle.

Visualization has repeatedly been shown to improve performance and increase the likelihood of achieving one’s dreams and goals. Visualization is a mental skill technique in which people see or form a mental image of themselves performing a skill or achieving a certain level of success. In Harvey Mackay’s article, “See it, believe it: Success starts in the mind’s eye”, Mackay emphasizes the importance of incorporating visualization into your life and the powerful effect it can have on the attainment of your goals. The article discusses how Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey, and Olympic athletes use visualization to assist them in reaching their dreams. He cites a research study conducted in Russia that compared 4 groups of Olympic athletes with varying levels of their training devoted to mental skills, specifically visualization. The group that had the most success in their overall performance was those who received 75% mental training and 25% physical training. This study highlights the importance of spending time each day to use visualization as a training technique to see ourselves achieving our goals. Whether you are visualizing yourself having a solid practice, picturing yourself overcoming an obstacle, or you see yourself recovering from an injury, visualization is a tool that can give you an extra boost to hitting your peak performance. Come see us at Premier Sport Psychology to get started on strengthening your visualization techniques specifically for you and your sport.