Sports Psychology

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Sports Psychology

• Unit 9

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2. Athletes Reaction to Injury

• Treatment of injury requires attending both
  ______ and ____________________needs
• Athletes depend on the ability of their bodies to
  perform at optimal levels
• Performance can be the cornerstone of social and
  economic success
• Performance is important to ____________
• An injury is any physical challenge that
  interferes with performance and can be devastating

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3. Psychological Reactions

• Reactions depend on
• Athletes ________________of the injuries severity
• How injury interferes with peak performance
• Athlete themselves- reactions vary considerably
  from athlete to athlete
• Emotional reactions are caused by
• __________associated with tissue damage
• Amount of_______________ focused on injury

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4. Psychological Components

• All physical injuries have a psychological
  responses
• Responses may include
• Anxiety about the loss of motor skills and
  _________
• Anxiety about _______________
• Anxiety about ________________
• Anxiety about their return to play

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5. Psychological Phases

• 5 phases have been identified which individuals
  progress through when confronted with grief or
  loss
• Phases can occur in different ______________
• Phases can occur with varying degrees of ______
• In some cases one or more phases may be omitted
• These reactions are normal and athlete must be
  allowed to_____________________

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Five Psychological Phases

• Denial
• Anger
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

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7. Denial Phase

• After a sudden injury the athlete will commonly
  deny the _____________of the condition
• Nothing is really wrong
• Irrational thinking indicates denial of the true
  seriousness of the injury
• Athlete needs to reshape their perception of the
  injury
• Either the athlete will change perception and
  leave denial phase or seek second and third
  opinions- prolonging the phase

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8. Anger Phase

• Once athlete can no longer deny an injury they
  often become angry
• Anger is toward themselves, those around them,
  and______________________
• Challenging anger only makes it worse
• Why me What did I do wrong Why am I being
  punished Its not fair
• Athlete may lose interest in rehabilitation

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9. Bargaining Phase

• After anger subsides reality and severity set
  in they begin to have doubts and fears about
  injury
• Athlete is trying to establish _________________
  situation.
• Bargaining may be reflected by pressure put on
  therapy staff to work miracles and get them
  back to participation.

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10. Depression Phase

• As athlete becomes aware of the length of time
  necessary for healing then depression sets in.
• In cases of an athletes first severe injury
  depression may be very severe.
• ________________and lose of desire for food may
  occur.
• Patience is critical

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11. Acceptance Phase

• Gradually athlete begins to feel less depressed
  and isolated and becomes resigned to the
  situation.
• Athlete will apply _____________to rehabilitate.
• Athlete will accept limitation and focus on
  getting back to participation.

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12.Pain denial or Loss of function

• Athletes who deny pain or loss of function
• Ignore pain signals or deny loss of function from
  injury
• Tolerate high____________
• Apparently believe it is to their advantage not
  to acknowledge discomfort
• Watch athletes carefully to try to ___________of
  injury
• Pay close attention to those athletes who have
  hidden injuries in the past

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13. Injury as a relief

• Athletes who view injury as a source of relief
• Some athletes would rather be injured than
  compete
• Injury can provide a ____________________reason
  to avoid the pressure to succeed
• Discussing athletes perception of situation and
  reaction to pressure may be helpful
• Athlete may need help learning to perceive the
  competitive situation as ____________and more of
  an opportunity

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14. Intervention Skills

• Communication
• Encourage______________
• _______________
• Maintaining Team Associations
• _____________Skills
• Visual Imagery
• Positive Self-Talk

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15. Communication

• Be honest and complete with the athlete about
  needs, expectations and progress
• Evaluate often
• Do not neglect their __________________by trying
  to cheer them up or ignoring their feelings
• _________ feelings are normal and should receive
  support as they work through them

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16. Encourage Cooperation

• Building cooperation and patience with athletes
  is essential for success rehab
• Remember athletes are the ones who must dedicate
  the time, effort and endure the pain
• Give clear__________________
• Outline _____________used in the treatment
• Make responsible predictions of athletes
  prognosis and return to competition to improve
  cooperation

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17. Goal Setting

• Is critical to establish a program that will be
  motivational and achieve success
• Measure________________
• Break programs into small sub goals so that
  improvement is more________
• Set both short and long term goals
• Include _______________about what will be
  achieved, specifically what must be done, and
  time frame
• Build rewards into reaching goals

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18. Maintain Team Association

• Athletes social status and rewards often
  dramatically decrease with an injury
• ___________based on team membership become
  threatened
• Team Association keeps injured athletes ________
  to return from fading
• Must keep involved with team
• Light workouts
• Assist with coaching or managerial tasks

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19.Relaxation Skills

• ________healing
• ________blood flow
• Help work through ______
• 3 techniques
• Focused relaxed breathing
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Meditation

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20. Focused, relaxed breathing

• Lessen pain
• Reduce muscular resistance in range of motion
  movements

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21. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Most extensively used technique for relaxation
  today
• Can be practiced in a reclining position or while
  seated in a chair
• Each muscle group in tensed from 5-7 seconds,
  then relaxed for 20-30 seconds
• One repetition of the procedure is sufficient
• If tension remains in the area- repeat in that
  area

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22. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• The sequence of tensing and releasing is
  systematically applied to the body
• Starting hands-arms-head-chest-lower body
• Throughout the session a number of expressions
  for relaxing may be used
• Let the tension dissolve
• Let go on the tension

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23. Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• After the athlete has become highly aware of the
  tension in the body the contraction is gradually
  decreased until little remains
• The athlete focuses on one area and mentally
  wills the tension to decrease to zero or complete
  relaxation
• A short progressive program can be developed- not
  as satisfactory, does help the person to become
  aware of the body

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24. Meditation

• Technique used in culture dating back nearly 3000
  years
• Many consider meditation to be an________ rather
  than a process
• Not only relaxation, but individuals capacity
  for
• ______________________
• Can reduce mental anxiety, muscular tension, and
  create a climate for___________________

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25. Effects of Meditation

• Use up to _______oxygen
• Produce less____________
• Slower respiratory rate
• Decreased resting heart rate
• Decreased blood pressure
• Brain waves that are associated with the relaxed
  mental state increase

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26. Meditation Techniques

• Focus on a constant mental stimulus such as
• _______________repeated silently or audibly,
• A sound or a_____________
• Perhaps a gaze steadily at some object
• _______________________as they come into
  consciousness and return to focus of attention

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27. Meditation Techniques

• Position in a comfortable position
• Normally, the eyes are closed unless the
  meditator is focused on some external object
• A ____________is essential
• Once fully physically relaxed, the process can
  begin

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28.Meditation Techniques

• With each exhalation the athlete emits self-talk
  of a short word
• Word is repeated over and over for 10-20 minutes
• Words such as peace, relaxed or one are excellent
• After repeating the word, athlete comes back to
  physical reality slowly and gently
• As awareness increases, physical activity should
  also increase
• Moving too quickly or standing up suddenly may
  produce light headedness or dizziness

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29. Visual Imagery

• Imagination rules the world!!!!
• The imagination can greatly influence their
  response to an injury
• Athletes can be taught to control
• _____________to direct tem productively
• Reduce____________
• Aid in ____________and healing
• Athletes should imagine the healing in the
  tissues and actually breath air out through the
  injured area

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Visual Imagery

• Athletes should mentally practice returning to
  activity and the _________________________and
  regaining full movement
• It is not unusual for athletes to have
  __________to the original injury movement
• Reassure that this is normal and that they should
  replace that image with one of what it will be
  like to return to action

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31. Positive Self-Talk

• Helpful in moving through the grieving process
  and focusing on recovery
• Use _____________________and have athletes
  verbally encourage and reward themselves for
  their efforts and progress

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32. Overtraining, Staleness and Burnout

• Stress refers to a change
• Stress is not all bad, nor is it all good
• Sports participation serves as a_____________
• Training too ________________without proper rest
  is overtraining
• Athletes who undergo ____________can become stale
  and burnt out

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33. Overtraining Signs

• Coaches, therapeutic staff, and athletes should
  be aware of the following
• Changes in an athletes_______________
• Changes in an athletes_______________________
• Psychosomatic complaints and decrease in
  intensity
• ________in the practice climate of the team-
  increased small overuse injuries

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34.Staleness

• Loss of___________________, and successful
  performance
• Attributed to a variety of influences
• _________________or extended seasons
• _____________in practice and program structure
• _______________________and physical or
  controlling
• High and constant levels of_________________
• Poor eating habits

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35.Staleness

• Staleness may be the beginning of_________
• Often a result of________________
• Athletes are more prone to staleness if rewards
  of their efforts are minimal, like a losing season

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36. Symptoms to Staleness

• ____________in performance
• Chronic fatigue
• __________
• Loss of appetite
• Indigestion
• ______________
• High BP/Pulse at rest and at exercise

• Inability to sleep
• Irritability and restlessness
• ___________and depression
• Has to force self to practice
• ________of boredom
• Difficulty concentrating

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37.Prevent Staleness

• __________________breaks in routine
• Allow athletes to have more _____________of
  decisions that affect them
• Decrease ___________and stressful demands
• Provide a supportive and caring environment
• Sufficient attention to complaints and small
  injuries
• ______________skills- goal setting, relaxation,
  mental practices, positive self talk

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38. Burnout

• State of physical, mental and emotional
  environment
• Ability to cope with minor daily frustrations
  _________and ability to cope with major problems
  are____________
• Loss of _____________and interest
• Can become extremely dangerous in terms of
  _______and ___________in terms of performance

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39. Symptoms of Burnout

• Exhaustion
• ___________
• Emotional detachment
• Psychosomatic complaints
• _____________

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40.Treatment for Burnout

• Takes more drastic steps than staleness
• Should be ______________________________or
  clinical counselor
• ___________from activity and environment
• _________________counseling

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The End

• Any questions???