Lecture/discussion lead by Brian Sather for EXS311 Sport Psychology class at Eastern Oregon University on June 1, 2009.

Description: Podcast includes recommendations for using sport psychologists research and recommendations for improving personal performance and coaching. Includes a lively discussion on the importance of physical skills versus psychological skills for gaining an advantage. Also includes some examples of how some of the skills are applied by the presenter in bicycle racing.

Ways of Knowing (Ch 1) Chapters based on Weinberg and Gould (2007)

• Scientific method
• Systematic observation
• Single case study
• Shared (public) experience
• Introspection
• Intuition

Trust the sport psychologists and their research (scientific method, observation, case study) and then you learn from experience (introspection) as a coach and athlete.

Kristin Armstrong, who lives in Boise, is one of the greatest female cyclists of all time. She is currently the gold medalist in the time trial. I read an inteview once that had a quote from her that impressed me: "I was once told by my coach, 'Everyone knows how to train hard and compete, but what you should do to set yourself apart is what everyone else is forgetting'" (Mooney, 2007, para. 5). After she won the gold medal, I was impressed to hear how  she put this concept into action. She examined Bejing, China course in detail and picked out a similar course locally in Boise to train on. From there she practiced it repeatedly.

How I apply the principles to bicycle racing:

• Motivation Ch 3: I choose sports that I really enjoy, which allows for an intrinsic motivation.
• Competition & Cooperation Ch 5: I compete because humans provide the ultimate test. I compete so I can train, not train so I can compete.
• Psychological Skill Training Ch 11: Use the toolbox of psychological skills.
• Arousal Regulation Ch 12: I use the following strategies for coping and arousal regulation: Task focus, Rational thinking and self-talk, Positive focus and orientation, Time management
• Imagery Ch 13: I visual the performance during training.
• Self-confidence Ch 14: I try to maintain the high level of confidence without being overconfident. Preparation is my key.
• Goal Setting Ch 15: Process, Product, and Performance Goals.
• Concentration Ch 16: Association–Dissociation. My keys to focus: Have a plan, Focus on goals, Practice the situation, Use self-talk (cues)
• Burnout & Overtraining Ch 21: This is one I struggle with, as I have suffered from staleness and overtraining quite a bit. As for burnout, I use cycling to help me avoid burnout because it is good aerobic exercise and takes my mind off the hard winters.

References

Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2007). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology (4th ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Mooney, L. (2007, September). KRISTIN ARMSTRONG. Bicycling, 48(8), 107-107. Retrieved June 1, 2009, from MasterFILE Premier database.