A quote from a chapter I'm reading by Richard Dean about sports psychology in rugby which is worth sharing. Thanks Richard!

"More than one player has expressed to me how hard it is to leave a stadium having performance poorly, knowing that the errors/s they made are now being relentlessly replayed, montaged and analyzed on 24/7 sports new channels. Being forced to live in the shadow of your own performances can be a cold and lonely place...

Who will help you; out on the field, exposed to the eyes of the world? When it's you and your opponent, when you know that if you lose, you will probably be criticized for it. Who will help you?"

Well, I could of course. Just a suggestion.

A couple of days ago, I had the privilege of interviewing Rafael Filippini, the owner of Gearbox Racquetball. He has some great advice for athletes in niche sports trying to become successful on and off the court.


We discussed the sport of racquetball, the importance of professionalism in sports, and what athletes can do to boost their visibility. I hope you take the time to listen, learn, and apply.

Closed Captioning is available and sharing is encouraged!

Recently, I had the pleasure of having lunch with Tharon Austen Drake, a medal winning U.S. Paralympics athlete. I wanted to share something Tharon said about qualifying for the Paralympics, which I wrote down at the time and has stuck with me since.


"I missed the Olympics by one spot: I got a hat, a bag, and a drug test. It wasn't that fun."
Clearly, that unfortunate experience of just missing out has stuck with Tharon, and he has made significant performance strides since (see photo). He has set challenging goals for the future and that experience has changed him.


If you're an athlete, make every effort NOW to achieve your potential. Learn from Tharon's experience. Thanks to Paula Costa for the photo.

I interview World Racquetball Tour Professional Jaime Martell (Mexico) about life on the tour, how he trains, and what his plans are for the future.

I briefly describe a sporting situation from my youth where I became overly anxious and messed up because of it. Don't make my mistake! First consult is always free.

What makes a great coach? Many things right? In this article we get a sneak peek into part of what has made soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino into one of the most sought after coaches in the sport. Here are a few quotes from one of his former players that provide some insight.


- Fonte revealed behind-the-scenes analysis of his players' body language is one of the secrets Pochettino uses to unlock their potential. "Everywhere in the training ground there are cameras," the 33-year-old told MOTD2 Extra.


"If he was giving the bibs and you were not in the team, and your body language was bad, he would call you in the office and say 'Listen, this is not the right way'."


- Fonte believes this progress is stimulated by Pochettino's constant scrutiny and planning. "In the canteen? Everywhere. He is watching you everywhere, your body language, everything," said the Portugal centre-back. "He is meticulous, his attention to detail is second to none. He would watch everything you do."


- Yet Fonte also revealed Pochettino - who has developed the games of England superstars Harry Kane and Dele Alli at Spurs - also shows warmth that endears him to his players.


"He would put an arm around you and make you feel special. It's good," Fonte added. "I remember Luke Shaw was like a son to him. Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and myself all had a great relationship with him. He was tough as well when he had to be."

Full Article Here: http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/41629182

This morning in my class I asked my students to do a little experiment for me. They were instructed to stand on one leg with eyes closed and time how long they could stand upright.

Then, in a second trial, I used a brief imagery script in which I had them imagine themselves standing as a tree would stand, rooted solidly into the ground. A tree may sway in the wind, but it does not topple. It remains firm. With this imagery in mind, I instructed them to do the same activity again.

In the first trial my students averaged 41 seconds. In the second trial they averaged 76 seconds, an almost 100% improvement. What changed? A learning effect? Perhaps a small one, but in truth nothing changed other than their focus on the imagery I provided to them.

Now the image of a tree is used in yoga for the tree pose. But it's interesting that something so simple as providing an appropriate image can elicit significant improvements in performance. So why not consider using sport psychology to your benefit? If you're an athlete or coach, allow me to guide you in ensuring that your mental training is efficient and effective.