legelegel
08-27-2008, 12:37 PM
Here's part of a very good article with some length. It was written by Michelle Brutlag Hosick for the NCAA Champion Magazine.
..."People say it doesn’t matter (when you lose), but it does.”
Win or lose, student-athletes and coaches must refocus, re-energize and rededicate themselves to play again. Those involved in a major loss early in a season or in the first game of a doubleheader must learn how to remotivate their teammates and themselves, no matter how many or how few contests are left in the season.
Those on a hot streak must learn to deal with the heightened expectations that often accompany consistent success. And those in a slump must conquer feelings of self-doubt.
As the saying goes, it’s all in the mind.
A study by Simon Fraser University psychology professor Mario Liotti showed a connection between a physiological response in the brain and a loss or a poor performance. Liotti studied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 14 Canadian swimmers who failed to make the 2004 Olympic team. The swimmers underwent MRI scans while watching a video clip of their nonqualifying performance.
Liotti found that a region of the brain that plans future actions (the pre-motor cortex) appeared inhibited when the elite athletes saw themselves “lose.” Liotti and Swim Canada psychologist Hap Davis suggested that the depression in that area of brain activity could explain why some athletes have difficulty refocusing after a particularly disappointing loss.
After the initial MRI and video-clip viewing, Davis conducted a short therapy session with the subjects and had them watch the clip a second time. The premotor cortex became more active after the therapy session, which could indicate that talking about a loss helps athletes recover.
Chris Carr, a sports psychologist at St. Vincent’s Sports Medicine Center in Indianapolis, took the research as a sign that athletes can change how they manage emotions in response to a loss. Sports psychologists now encourage athletes to focus on best performances by writing about them or doing imagery exercises. They also modify “self-talk” — a person’s internal dialogue — so that it becomes more encouraging.
Most student-athletes become accustomed to dealing with adversity and overcoming obstacles while they are competing and, through those experiences, they become equipped to handle difficult situations in the workplace and in life. The theory is great when it works, but the emotions surrounding winning and losing can be raw and even threatening. ... more (http://www.ncaachampionmagazine.org/Championship%20Magazine/ChampionMagazineStory/ArticleListings/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/45/Default.aspx)
http://www.ncaachampionmagazine.org/Championship%20Magazine/ChampionMagazineStory/ArticleListings/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/45/Default.aspx
..."People say it doesn’t matter (when you lose), but it does.”
Win or lose, student-athletes and coaches must refocus, re-energize and rededicate themselves to play again. Those involved in a major loss early in a season or in the first game of a doubleheader must learn how to remotivate their teammates and themselves, no matter how many or how few contests are left in the season.
Those on a hot streak must learn to deal with the heightened expectations that often accompany consistent success. And those in a slump must conquer feelings of self-doubt.
As the saying goes, it’s all in the mind.
A study by Simon Fraser University psychology professor Mario Liotti showed a connection between a physiological response in the brain and a loss or a poor performance. Liotti studied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 14 Canadian swimmers who failed to make the 2004 Olympic team. The swimmers underwent MRI scans while watching a video clip of their nonqualifying performance.
Liotti found that a region of the brain that plans future actions (the pre-motor cortex) appeared inhibited when the elite athletes saw themselves “lose.” Liotti and Swim Canada psychologist Hap Davis suggested that the depression in that area of brain activity could explain why some athletes have difficulty refocusing after a particularly disappointing loss.
After the initial MRI and video-clip viewing, Davis conducted a short therapy session with the subjects and had them watch the clip a second time. The premotor cortex became more active after the therapy session, which could indicate that talking about a loss helps athletes recover.
Chris Carr, a sports psychologist at St. Vincent’s Sports Medicine Center in Indianapolis, took the research as a sign that athletes can change how they manage emotions in response to a loss. Sports psychologists now encourage athletes to focus on best performances by writing about them or doing imagery exercises. They also modify “self-talk” — a person’s internal dialogue — so that it becomes more encouraging.
Most student-athletes become accustomed to dealing with adversity and overcoming obstacles while they are competing and, through those experiences, they become equipped to handle difficult situations in the workplace and in life. The theory is great when it works, but the emotions surrounding winning and losing can be raw and even threatening. ... more (http://www.ncaachampionmagazine.org/Championship%20Magazine/ChampionMagazineStory/ArticleListings/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/45/Default.aspx)
http://www.ncaachampionmagazine.org/Championship%20Magazine/ChampionMagazineStory/ArticleListings/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/45/Default.aspx