At the tender ago of 21 years old, Jordan Spieth won wire-to-wire the Master’s tournament. For those who are not familiar with the game of golf, he is the second youngest player to have ever won this tournament in its 78_year history. Only Tiger Woods was younger than Spieth, which by the way, by only a few days. It is very difficult to win a grand slam tournament and even more difficult to do so …
Athletes compete to win. They work hard to do the best they can and, when they finally lift up the trophy, the joy pours through their veins. It is true that professional sport psychologists emphasize learning through its process rather than focusing on whether we win or lose. However, as challenging as this is, it is difficult to disengage from a sports culture that puts a lot of weight on winning records. Stacy Lewis, currently …
We tend to easily assume that if an athlete misses a crucial shot, then it must be because he/she is a choker. We have witnessed more than our fair share of top athletes missing key plays only to be immediately labeled by the media as choking under pressure. But in reality, we may miss a bigger picture. According to Daniel Gould, a very experienced sport psychologist, choking is a process. The pressure of competition builds …
What if I told you that seeking perfection may hurt your chances of eventually getting it? We spend a lot of time learning, a lot of time practicing, and a lot of energy competing. We strive to be the best. Reaching the number one spot is what motivates many athletes in pursue of their dreams. Unless you sweat it, there is no way you can achieve it. There are many motivational quotes and inspirational phrases …
Any sport psychologist will tell you that thinking about the mechanics of your swing or stroke are a sure recipe for disaster. Regardless of the sport you practice, your peak performance will be achieved once you let go of your thinking process and allow yourself to fully trust in your swing or stroke. Do you remember when you first started to ride a bicycle? At first, there was a lot of instruction coming from a …
It was at the beginning of the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl XLIX and his New England Patriots were down by two touchdowns and time was running out. Any team leader would typically be verbally pushing and encouraging his teammates to continue fighting. However, Tom Brady chose a different strategy: “One play at the time.” He kept repeating this phrase over and over again to the rest of his teammates. So, what is here …
In a recent interview, Mr. Arnold Palmer, member of the Golf Hall of Fame and winner of multiple Major tournaments, was asked if life could give him a second chance, what shot would he have liked to hit again? To the surprise of the interviewer, Mr. Palmer, who is known for his missed opportunities to win other Major tournaments, responded: “None.” Palmer went on to share that although he would like to hit again a …
Young student athletes face both wonderful and challenging times. Not only do they work hard to meet demanding academic requirements, they also devote long hours to sport training and competition. Please preview this article in full by downloading here: The Psychology of Youth Sports with Tuckahoe’s Dr. Alex Diaz ** This article was posted in the Westchester Magazine **
– Embrace your true passion; – Commit to putting in hard and consistent work; – Be your own boss and take responsibility of your own actions; – Be realistic; – Learn from all your experiences. Maybe you thought that you were going to read the hidden secret on how to reach success by taking shortcuts. The truth is the above mentioned steps are the shortcuts to success. Whether you want to improve your tennis serves, …
Strategies to help football players find ways to contain hyper-arousal on and off the field! Football is one of the biggest American pastimes! It is a physical and aggressive game. Players wear helmets and all kinds of pads and are still bound to get broken bones, dislocated shoulders and concussions. Despite the fact that the chances of going pro are slim to nil, a truly dedicated football player is not deterred by the aggressive nature …