SBU SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
SERVICES2015 AND BEYOND
Jack Bowman Ph.D Clinical Sport Psychologist
Goal of Sport Psychology Program
Instill life long skills thatpromote physical, emotional, and
moral development in our athletes
Kangaroo hide Skates
SB Graduate Faculty Member since 1981Psychology of Sport and Performance
Five Appointments as Sport Psychology ConsultantTo SB Athletic Department
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry - SB University Hospital for 15 years
Member of the first SBUH Sports Medicine Team
Half the lies they are telling about me Aren’t True
SBU Sport Psychology Services
• Student Athletes• Coaches• Staff
SBU Sport Psychology Services
• Individual counseling sessions• Group counseling sessions• Sport performance workshops• Staff training
Performing at your Best Under Pressure
ENERGIZED, FOCUSED, and CONFIDENT Harness Positive Energy by transforming Pre-Event Anxiety into
Pre-Event Empowerment Create a Mental Plan to sharpen their Focus and strengthen
their ability to Re-Focus when facing adversity Build Confidence by drawing from the WELL of their best
performances
ARMY vs NAVY
On the fields of friendly strifeare born the seeds of valor
General Douglas McArthur
Psychological Skills are transferable across situations
The more critical the momentThe more important it is to
WIN the BATTLEof
FOCUS vs DISTRACTION
TRAIN THE MIND – PROTECT THE BODY
Psychological Antecedents to Athletic Injury and the role of
Mental Training in Prevention
John J. Bowman, Ph.D. Mind Plus Muscle Institute
Injury Prevention Studies
• Over 25 million people are injured each year in sport and exercise.
• Physical factors are the primary causes of injury, but psychological factors also contribute significantly.
• Finch (2010) found 11% of studies on sport injury prevention considered psychological factors.
Overview
• Psychological research in injury prevention• How injuries happen—psychological
antecedents• Explaining the stress–injury relationship• Mental Training with “At Risk” athletes• Effective components of Mental Training• Athletic injury prevention plan
Risk Factors and Interventions
• Early studies identify risk profiles
• Later studies demonstrate effective interventions
How Injuries Happen: Psychological Antecedents
Profile #1: Major life stress Low levels of social support Poor coping skills
Profile:2 Low self esteem Pessimistic Low hardiness High trait anxiety
The most frequently mentioned causal mechanisms between stress and injury are attentional deficits and increased arousal
produced by stress.
Andersen & Williams, 1988
Explaining the Stress–Injury Relationship
• Attentional disruption: Stress disrupts an athlete’s attention by reducing peripheral attention and causing distraction and task-irrelevant thoughts.
• Increased muscle tension: High stress can cause muscle tension and coordination interference as well as generalized fatigue, muscle inefficiency, reduced flexibility, and motor coordination problems.
Injury Prevention in SwedenHelping Soccer Players at Risk (2005)
• Pool of 132 male and 103 female players from 12 elite teams
• Screening – Sport Anxiety Scale, Life Event Scale and Athletic Coping Skills Intervention
• 32 high injury risk players identified• Randomly assigned to treatment and control
groups
Helping Soccer Players at Risk :Intervention
• 6 to 8 sessions over a 19 week season• Training in 6 Mental Skills
Goal SettingSomatic & Cognitive RelaxationStress ManagementSelf Confidence TrainingIdentifying Critical IncidentsFocusing Skills
Helping Soccer Players at Risk :Results
• 10 of 13 players in Treatment Group were injury free
• 13 of 16 players in Control Group incurred injury
• Results were statistically significant
Athletic Injury Prevention Plan
• Encourage Athletes to focus on what they are doing WELL to build Confidence and reduce Anxiety
• Identify athletes with high risk profiles and refer for counseling
• Conduct Mental Training with teams to improve performance and reduce training and competitive stress
My Well
Awesome Performance Great Practice
From______ To______
Feeling Happy Feeling Confident/Determined
Good Rest & Nutrition
“The ultimate value of research dealing with psychological risk factors is the
potential for using knowledge to reduce the tragedy and expense caused by
avoidable injuries.”
J.M. Williams (2001)
Take Aways
• Be mindful of the additional psychological tools athletes will have in their skill set
• Referral criterion for Individual Counseling: Poor Compliance Roadblocks Withdrawal• All referrals and scheduling go through Elizabeth Zanolli
you.stonybrook.edu/sport psych