Music and it’s Affect on Athletic Performance

An athlete’s mental psyche is one of the most vital parts of his or her athletic performance. As any athlete knows, and has probably experienced, there are two sides of the mental spectrum that affect an athlete’s game: confidence and trepidation (fear). In a constant effort to hone one’s skills and improve performance, athletes are always looking for anything that will give them confidence and help them overcome intimidation – or in other words, give them the competitive edge. Listening to music while working out is a very popular practice amongst athletes. It is rare that a day goes by that I don’t see a person jogging through the neighborhood or someone lifting weights in the gym without having their headphones in. But can the music really improve an athlete’s work out? Let’s look at some common opinions on the subject:

Opinion 1

Fast tempo music has no effect on heart rate, but does increase the tenacity and motivation of the athlete allowing them to work out more intensely and for a greater duration of time.

Opinion 2

Fast tempo music increases the heart rate causing the individual to feel fatigued quicker. On the other hand, slow tempo music slows the heart rate and allows the athlete to breathe more easily for longer, allowing them to extend their work out.

Opinion 3

Music acts has no physical effect on an athlete and acts solely as a “distraction” from his or her fatigue, which, consequently, allows them to work out for longer periods of time.

Opinion 4

Music’s impact on an athlete’s performance is determined by his or her expectations of the effects of adding the stimulus. If an athlete believes that music will improve his performance, then it will (and vice versa). This idea is often referred to as the “placebo effect”.

Many experiments have been carried out to determine which hypothesis was correct. The answer, unfortunately, is rather ambiguous. Each hypothesis has been tested and the researchers who conduct these experiments have found data that supports each one.

In my opinion, the right answer depends on the situation the athlete is in. When I go for long runs, I like to listen to calming music that seems to make the run less painful. Listening to slow music while running, I find that my mind often wanders and bounces from thought to thought; distracting me from my own fatigue. When I work out more intensely I like to listen fast tempo music in order to get me in the right frame of mind. Listening to fast tempo music I find myself picturing a situation in which I dominate my opponent: boosting my adrenaline and motivating me to keep striving. I believe that each athlete has their own desired outcome from listening to music and the way that it affects you depends on your own unique mindset.

No matter what opinion you have, the idea that listening to music while working out has a positive effect is generally accepted.  Now what about during the game? Since taking headphones into the game is not permitted, how can athletes use music to improve their game?  I will answer these questions with another question – have you ever witnessed a team huddling together and performing a team chant? I know I have. This is a common practice amongst teams and can have very powerful motivational advantages. While it may not be the exact same as listening to music, it does have very similar effects on the individual. It can help increase a team’s energy, boost adrenaline, and promote team unity and confidence.

REFERENCES:

http://www.livescience.com/2953-amazing-power-music-revealed.html

http://jrscience.wcp.muohio.edu/nsfall05/LabpacketArticles/TheEffectsofMusiconAthlet.html

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/2474

Tips for Success in College: Transitioning from One Level to the Next

When you leave high school you have collected a huge array of activities that work for you in succeeding in what you need to do. As you enter college those ideals and efforts have to be tweaked for maximizing success. Sure you can use those same methods from high school but chances are you will just come out mediocre in what you do, instead of fully succeeding. All the added pressures and ideals you have to uphold through compliance, academics, and your athletic team sometimes seem unlikely to accomplish but with the right information I can help relieve some of that and turn it in to positive energy towards your academics, athletics, and life

1. Make sure your teachers know who you are! It is important that your teachers know what is on your plate, so introducing yourself in your classes and explaining that you are an athlete will help your teacher comprehend. Make sure you continue to communicate with them throughout the semester; because it is said the better you know a teacher the more they will help, be concerned, and give you a little bump if you need it when the end of the semester comes

2. Take advantage of the Athletics Academic facility. The academic section for athletics is a huge area to lend help for success. Your advisors are willing to help you when you are struggling, will communicate with your teachers, and help get something set up to assist you better to understand the class materials. Tutors are very important in the athletic department because they can help you tremendously; if you academic department through athletics doesn’t supply tutors in house I am sure they still offer them, so you should defiantly ask and take advantage.

3. Get to know Student Services through Athletics. Student services is a place where you want to know all the people. They are willing to help you because they want you to succeed. They have a wide array of knowledge in their office that can help you in all areas; they will help you out in whatever situation you need and if they cannot help they will refer you to that right person.

4. Talk to your coach. It is good to have a bond with your coach, go to their office and have a conversation with them. Just talk to them, get to know them and let them get to know you. Explain what you have on your plate and what other concerns you have. Forming a bond with your coach is beneficial because it will help when you have a problem or situation by simply opening up another route.

5. Get to know the Athletic Director. You may not understand why you should know the athletic director but it is very beneficial. They are powerful within the university and could help you out when needed. Make sure you take time to introduce yourself to them and have a little conversation. Not only will this relationship benefit you during your college years but also beyond.

6. Set up a weekly schedule for yourself. A good time management tip is to make a weekly schedule that puts a certain amount of study time for each class, your practice times, and your class times. If you can stick to a schedule like this it will benefit you greatly. It will lend a hand because you won’t be doing last minute studying and homework assignments, in most classes this will either put you ahead of what you need to do or keep you right on target for the whole semester.

7. Get sleep. As an athlete you need your sleep, especially in college; practices are more intense and school is more tedious. Make sure that you are getting adequate amounts of sleep at night and not pulling all nighters multiple days in a week

8. Eat properly. You may be wondering how eating falls in with success but if you don’t have energy you aren’t going to function properly in the classroom or on your playing field. Make sure that you are eating good energy foods. Fast food every night will only harm you not help you.

9. Be Smart. Be smart with what you do. Know the rules of your team and the university before partaking in sketchy activities. Also remember that your muscles and vitals are more important to you than anyone else, so think twice before drinking or indulging in something that will harm your body, performance, or academics.

10. Stay motivated!! Sometimes it is draining being involved with many activities and no time for you. Stay motivated even when you feel like giving out, it will only pay off in the end.

I hope that you find these tips helpful in succeeding in college, both in athletics and academics. It is a rigorous life and schedule indulging into college level courses along with the intensity of college sports. I hope this list of tips helps relieve stress and leads to success on the field and in the classroom.

Rituals and Superstitions: Do they really affect your game?

We have all been in locker rooms seeing our team mates wear the same pair of socks for multiple games in a row, or have even watched the professional hockey players go the entire play offs without shaving their beards.  These are all acts of rituals, or superstitions.  Being superstitious is very common amongst athletes, and almost all of us at one point in our careers have done something bizarre like this that has made us truly believe it was the reason we had a good game or won that huge tournament.

Rituals can vary from player to player, from unique practice and warm up routines before a game to the shoes they wear or what they drink during the game.  Some athletes have a high belief that these actions they do for each game have an effect on not only the way they perform out on the field, but how their team as a whole does as well.  Superstitions on the other hand are a little bit different.  These are based off of a “cause and effect,” or so players think.  For example:  If a player plays well the day they listened to a song to get them pumped up before the game, they will begin to believe that it was  entirely the song that made this happen, and they continue to repeat that before each game.

Now my question is: do these rituals really have anything to do with our performance?  Some may think so, while the other handful of individuals think it is ridiculous.  What sports psychology suggests is that if an athlete believes that what they did before a game is going to make them have a great game, they are most likely going to perform that way.  Superstitions and rituals are simply just athletes’ lucky charms that really inspire them and motivate them to do well during their match.  If you are to miss doing your ritual before one game, it does not mean you are going to play terrible.  Now, if that is the case, it is most likely because you are thinking about how you are going to have a bad game because you skipped your ritual, and the psychological factor goes back into play; if you think you are going to play bad, you probably will.

Superstitions are also called “blind belief”.  If doing a certain warm up before a game brought us great luck that one time, it is said that our belief and faith in doing it before every game now is what brings us that luck time after time.  Many superstitions are really just acts of misfortune or luck; not necessarily a real thing.  So, while the outcome of your game is not directly affected by your specific rituals or superstitions, it can boost your confidence as an athlete.  Now why is this?  The answer: because these act as a placebo, therefore increasing your chances of having a good game, and in turn you continue to believe in your rituals.

Now, I am not saying that you should not continue to have your own belief in superstitions, but do not let it have a negative impact on your game if you don’t wear those lucky socks.  Let your own skill and performance shine, and do not lean on luck to give you a good game; you can do it all on your own.  At the end of the day however, not only do you as an athlete do this to comfort yourself and calm your nerves before a match, but your fans enjoy watching you do rituals.  And as Lewis, a huge sports fan said, “For some it has meaning and for others it’s simply fun, but for most it’s just sports.”

REFERENCES:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportspsychology/a/superstitions.htm

http://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst?docId=5002285263

http://www.theclackamasprint.net/joomla/index.php/sports-stories/79-superstition-plays-big-part-in-sports

Mental Focus: Confidence

“Focus” is an increasingly important part of any sport, but for many athletes today, the concept is easier said than done. Not only the ability to concentrate on a particular goal, but knowing what the right goals to choose are.  Some might assume that constantly thinking things such as: winning, scoring, having a good game, or who their competitor is, are the right things to focus on before and during their games.  Constantly thinking about these things, however, can actually work against you and lower your confidence and, in turn, possibly cause you to choke.  The reason for this is that while putting all this stress of doing well on yourself, you actually put negative pressure, or distress on your body, which can completely throw off your game.  With that being said, you want to steer away from thinking those thoughts when preparing for a big match.  Mental focus in sports is a very important key to your success as an athlete, and I am going to tell you how you can begin to understand it and utilize it from here on out.

Sports specialists on the mental game call mental focus a “process focus”, the reason being that when you are focusing on the whole big picture and process of your game, you cannot constantly think about doubts of winning or anything else that may be distracting to you while you are playing.  While you may think that concentrating on avoiding making little mistakes in your game will help your performance, it is already starting to lessen your chance of success.  So what you really need to have is “sports confidence.”

Some of you may be thinking, what is sports confidence?  The answer to that question is simply this: you have to believe that you have the ability to successfully complete a physical task or skill in your sport of choice.  You must only focus on the thoughts that are relevant to you completing a specific task during your match, and understand that the other thoughts are irrelevant and just hurting your performance.  Some of the things that may sway our self-confidence in sports is what other teammates or fans say or don’t say to us.  When this happens, one thing to do is to draw your confidence off of others who are succeeding at the moment and just continue to strive to do better. Another effective thing to do is to have efficient practices that will motivate you and increase your physical skill level, including running drills, touches on the ball, free kicks, stretches and many others. Finally, once you are doing better and feel accomplished, you will begin to regain your self-confidence.

Additionally, process focus involves you letting go of thinking about the outcome of the pass, play, or game.  Like I have mentioned many times before, thinking of the outcome will only overwhelm you, in turn forcing you to mess up.  Players who use process focus simply use techniques, such as the six below to successfully help their game.  In this instance, we will use a pass in soccer as an example.

1.       You must think of a similar situation where you have successfully made that pass to one of your teammates.

2.       Practice a few swings at the ball before the game, at half time, or on the side lines to get your touch down right.

3.       Develop an image in your head of correctly doing the exact pass you want to make.

4.       Next, have one single thought in your mind when you are about to make that pass; think “perfect” or “accurate”.

5.       Then, have absolutely zero concerns about where the ball is going to go.

6.       Last and most importantly, make sure your complete focus remains on the process of preparing for that perfect pass you are about to make.

REFERENCES:

http://www.sportsconfidencetips.com/whats-sports-confidence/

http://www.sportsconfidencetips.com/119/mental-focus-in-sports/

http://www.sportsconfidencetips.com/14/article-2/

http://www.drkevinroby.com/node/51

The Development of Aaron Rodgers

In his three and a half seasons as a starter for the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers has almost already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in not only Green Bay Packers history, but in the history of the NFL.  His progression from a mid-to-late first round draft pick into Super Bowl MVP has been nothing short of spectacular.  In this article, I will take you through his career thus far as quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.

Image by elviskennedy via Flickr

Season 1 (2008-2009)

As Brett Favre finally threw in the towel as a Green Bay Packer after the 2007-2008 season, Aaron Rodgers at last got his chance to showcase his talents and shine.  He had been patiently waiting since he was drafted in 2005 to get his chance to start in the NFL.  The Packers really liked what they had seen out of Rodgers in practice, exhibition games, and a few random fill-ins for Favre as he left games a few times over that three year period, so they were ready to give Rodgers the shot he believe he deserved.  Rodgers was ready to roll.

He played in all 16 games in his first season as the Packers’ starting quarterback.  He had impressive numbers, including a 93.8 passer rating (6^th in the NFL), threw for 4038 yards and 252.4 yards per game, recorded 28 touchdowns (all 4^th in the NFL) with 13 interceptions, and completed 63.6 percent of his passes.  For being virtually a rookie, these numbers were more than impressive.  Although Rodgers only led them to a 6-10 record and failed to bring them to the playoffs, the Packers organization knew they had a bright future ahead of them.

Season 2 (2009-2010)

Entering his second season as the starter for the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers began to gain more and more confidence as each day passed.  Although his statistics were very solid in the previous season, Rodgers knew that he needed to improve several aspects of his game to help his team win games and hopefully bring them to the playoffs for the first time.  He needed to cut down on his interception total of 13 and also really wanted to focus on completing more passes and complete them at a higher percentage.  If he could improve on these few aspects, the team was bound for more success.  And he did just that.  Throwing for 30 touchdowns (4^th in the NFL) and only 7 interceptions (tied for 1^st in the NFL for starting quarterbacks), completing more passes and completing them at a higher percentage (up 9 and 1.1% respectively), and elevating his quarterback rating to a stunning 103.2 (4^th in the NFL), Rodgers led the Packers to an 11-5 record and the Packers secured a spot as a Wild Card team in the playoffs, facing the former NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals in the first round.  The Packers would end up losing to the Cardinals in a 51-45 shootout in overtime, the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history, but throughout the entire season and playoff game, the Packer offense shined more than it had in recent history.  Only good things were to come for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

Season 3 (2010-2011)

Prior to the 2010-2011 season, Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy posted a team photo in an open spot next to all of the other previous NFL Champion Packer team photos in the team clubhouse.  Mike McCarthy and the entire organization were confident in the talent they possessed on both sides of the ball, and knew that winning the Super Bowl was not by any means out of the realm of possibility.  So, their ultimate goal was to bring the Vince Lombardi trophy back home to title town.  Rodgers delivered.

Despite recording remarkable numbers in the 2009-2010 season, Aaron Rodgers still saw room for improvement.  In the previous season, he was sacked an astounding 50 times, up from 34 in the previous season.  The 50 sacks were tied with Ben Roethlisberger for most in the NFL.  Yes, the Packer offensive line was banged up and struggled to protect Rodgers throughout the year, but Rodgers knew that it wasn’t all on them.  He knew that he needed to find a way to get rid of the ball quicker to avoid all of these sacks and hits.

The regular season definitely had its ups and downs, but in the end, their goal was achieved.  Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 31-25 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers to secure the Vince Lombardi trophy, and Rodgers was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.  Rodgers ranked 3^rd in the NFL in passer rating (101.2) and was sacked only 31 times throughout the regular season, down 19 from the previous year.  But his playoff numbers really made his season.  He posted a near 110 quarterback rating and recorded 9 touchdowns in four games in the postseason, both tops in the NFL.  Rodgers did everything he needed to do to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.

Season 4 (2011-2012)

Even though the goal of winning the Super Bowl was achieved last year, Aaron Rodgers is evidently still hungry.  He has consistently improved throughout his years as a starter, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit.  His quarterback rating of 129.1 through eight games this season is nearly 29 points higher than any other quarterback in the NFL this season (D. Brees 100.6), and puts Rodgers on pace to shatter Peyton Manning’s NFL single-season record of a 121.1 passer rating.  He is also on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season passing yard record by over 150 yards, and is on track to break Drew Brees’ record of completing 70.6% of his passes for a single season.  Rodgers is currently completing 72.5% of his passes.  Oh, and Rodgers is also on pace to lead his team to an undefeated regular season record, a feat that only two teams have ever done before (1972 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots).  We can’t say how this season will end up for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, but we have to believe that the record books will be altered in some way.  There really seems to be no limit to what Aaron Rodgers can accomplish.  By the end of his career, he may very well go down as one of the all-time greats in NFL history.

References:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/7200/career

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nfl/nfl-analysis-rise-packers-aaron-rodgers

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/passing/sort/quarterbackRating/year/2009