Master the Mental Challenge of Sports

Avoiding the Biggest Mental Trap in Sports
By Dr. ALAN GOLDBERG
Sports Psychologist
There's no question that your mental toughness depends primarily on your ability to concentrate correctly. Faulty concentration will sabotage both your hitting and fielding. Any slumping ballplayer knows this all too painfully because the major reason slumps happen is because the athlete concentrates on the wrong things at the wrong time.
 
If you want to dramatically improve your ability to handle pressure, come through in the clutch and avoid performance slumps, you must learn to recognize the biggest mental trap out there. Read More

Overuse Injuries:
How to Spot Them, How to STOP Them
By Dr. LUGA PODESTA
Orthopedic Surgeon
Overuse injuries result from intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors are those related to the athlete themselves such as: anatomic alignment (leg length differences, hip rotation, foot deformities); growth; muscle-tendon imbalance; underlying diseases (chronic disease, previous fractures or injuries inadequately treated or rehabilitated, previously unrecognized conditions) and cultural reconditioning (too much TV or computer games and too little physical exercise).
 
Extrinsic factors include training errors, environmental and equipment factors. Training errors are the most common factors predisposing an athlete to overuse injuries. Read More

Five Tips for Overcoming Adversity
By Jeff Janssen
Sports Psychology, University of Arizona
Adversity abounds in every sport. Your opponents are an obvious source of adversity, but there are several other factors that can take you out of your game. Things like judgment-impaired umpires, wet weather conditions, long-term injuries, poor field conditions, and a lack of playing time are just some examples that can frustrate, aggravate, and de-motivate you. As most athletes realize, however, it's not necessarily the amount of adversity you face, but more important, how you choose to handle it.
 
How you approach adversity is one of the most important keys to your success. Why? Just about every coach can think of at least one highly talented player who crumbles under adversity. Read More