Psychology

Aidan Moran The Big Idea When it comes to research in cognitive psychology, until fairly recently there had been little interest in studying sport-related mentality. In its early history, the typical cognitive psychology researcher was quite comfortable interpreting human mental activity as information processing, as something computer-like. By implication, motor behaviour (the body) was considered to be independent of thinking. The consequence was to reduce motor skills such as sports to a rather uninteresting research status. And which in turn helped to trivialise sport actions and…

Can happiness impact performance? Former Professional golfer and President of New Edge Performance, John Haime explains how putting enjoyment before achievement can maximise performance. Sometimes things get fuzzy in sports and a reset is exactly what you need. Very often my phone will ring, or I’ll get an “emergency” text and an athlete client will be in a funk. Their focus unconsciously shifts to the many distractions around them – often to things they have no control over. Alternatively, an obsession starts with the outcome…

Stewart A. Vella, Lindsay G. Oades, and Trevor P. Crowe The Big Idea This study continues the line of research by these authors into the stubborn problem of improving coach education programs. They believe that transformational leadership is a promising partial solution. Historically, transformational leadership and its modern extensions is an approach to create positive change in individuals and social systems. As a leadership concept it has been around since the late 1970s. Over time the approach has been used by government, the military, and…

Stewart A. Vella, Trevor P. Crowe, and Lindsay G. Oades The Big Idea One of the remarkable features of youth sport participation is its voluntary nature; another is how many youngsters actually participate—about two thirds of all youth according to both Australia and USA census records. But why is it then that formal coach education programs are largely unremarkable by comparison? The big idea of this paper is to offer one way to increase the effectiveness of formal and non-formal coach education. In order to help…

Emotional Muscle, what is it? PDP Contributor & President of New Edge Performance, John Haime discusses the importance of emotional state on performance and provides some practical advice for building emotional muscle in football. Working with some of the world’s leading athletes in mental/emotional development has taught me many lessons about what is important to be a consistent high performer. One thing I have learned for sure is that emotions run the show in elite performance and they certainly do in football. Head and heart…

How much impact does positive visualisation have on performance? Roy Skillen examines the effect of this powerful process using examples of some of sports best performers. Sydney Australia, 21st of November 2003. Jonny Wilkinson stands 40 yards out lining up a penalty in the dying seconds of the Rugby World Cup Final. England trail by one point and this is surely their last chance of claiming their first world crown. But rather than showing any sign of nerves there is a confidence about his stance,…

Javier Mascherano’s rise from squad player to first team regular at FC Barcelona is a example to young players everywhere: Seeking out challenges, switching positions, playing to his strengths and selflessly putting the team first Mascherano is a role model for all.   Mascherano is an example of a player with a positive mindset. He has adapted, evolved and grown as a player at FC Barcelona. However it could of all been very different if it not for this – career defining – tackle. Playing to his strengths …

Daniel Kirschenbaum, Arnold Ordman, Andrew Ordman, and Robert Holtzbauer The Big Idea This study is not of this decade or even of the 21st Century (1982).  But no matter because it is a classic example of the early days of psychological research into what is called self-regulation theory.  The big idea is to figure out how and in what ways and under what conditions we can guide our own behaviors.   This study concerns self-monitoring, and especially what is called differential self-monitoring.  Its potential lesson is still relevant to modern sports skill acquisition and development….

Stewart Vella, Lindsay Oades, and Trevor Crowe The Big Idea For nearly a century youth organizations having anything to do with sports have claimed various and sundry positive outcomes as a result of such play.  Besides just keeping children occupied and out of the work force, it was generally believed that playing sports were character-building experiences.  The authors of this study are fully aware of this history.  They update the reader on the status of the current research on what is called positive youth development.  It is their view that…

Natalia B. Stambulova & Tatiana V. Ryba  The Big Idea When Pete Sampras retired from tennis in 2002 he said this:  “It’s not easy to retire at 31.  In one respect I was glad I was done.  But after a few years of having fun, I got a little restless.  When you’re 33, 34 and you don’t have a focus, you can get kind of lost.  As a man, you feel a little bit unfulfilled.” Sport careers, transitions, and assistance programs have become an active research area in the field…

Clifford J. Mallett, Stephanie J. Hanrahan The Big Idea “An athlete cannot run with money in his pockets.  He must run with hope in his heart and dreams in his head.”   So said Emil Zatopek, the remarkable Czechoslovakian distance runner, when asked what his motivation to run was.  This one word, motivation, is a giant of a word.   In the sporting world this one word has birthed thousands and thousands of inspirational quotes, sayings, locker room chalk-talks, T-shirt slogans, marketing ploys, even prayers.  It is the one word that is…