Category Archives: Sports

Performance Anxiety:
“I want to be totally relaxed instead of anxious when I compete in sports or engage in public speaking.”

Posted on Friday, February 22, 2013 by Alison

Think of how little anxiety you experience when you are sitting comfortably on your couch at home watching TV. Now imagine that you are going to perform a concert, give a speech, compete in a tournament, or go on a … Continue reading →

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Fear of Making a Mistake:
“I’m deathly afraid of investing more time, money and energy in something that could be doomed no matter how hard I try.”

Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 by Alison

Errors, mistakes, and failures are part of the life experience. Without them we will never achieve success. Spending inordinate time and energy avoiding mistakes, covering up failures, and avoiding changing course prevents people from moving along in their journey of … Continue reading →

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Peak Performance—in business, relationships or sports:
“There have been highlights, but a lot of inconsistency in my relationships and at work.”

Posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 by Alison

Peak performance in business, relationships, and sports requires consistent effort. Having occasional great moments — a big sale, a fabulous date, a high score in a tournament — does not lead to ongoing achievement of excellence. Why does the tortoise … Continue reading →

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Developing New Habits:
“I never exercise the way I should. I went to the gym twice and then gave up.”

Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 by Alison

It is not easy to change old habits, but it can be done. Research shows that people who are successful in developing new habits, such as exercising, tend to apply the following guidelines to motivate themselves: 1. Focus on pleasure. … Continue reading →

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Guest Author Ross Goldstein, PhD:
“My 12 year old son says he wants to quit his soccer team. I’m afraid that if I let him quit I will be sending the wrong message.”

Posted on Monday, September 19, 2011 by Alison

What exactly is the message that you fear sending? “It’s ok to quit something that you no longer want to do?” It sounds like you are afraid that you are setting the template for how your child will deal with … Continue reading →

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Sportsmanship:
“That was a terrible call!”

Posted on Monday, August 15, 2011 by Alison

“I never thought about losing, but now that it’s happened, the only thing is to do it right.” ~ Muhammad Ali The most inspirational moment at the National Water Ski Championships last week for me was seeing a top-seeded Men’s … Continue reading →

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Sports Psychology IV—Gameday: “It’s pretty cold and windy today; I don’t feel like going.”

Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2011 by Alison

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach: Don’t just be competitive on “Game Day.” I hear parents always touting that their child is very competitive. Oftentimes I see these same kids getting frustrated because they can’t accomplish something in a … Continue reading →

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Sports Psychology III—Training:
“I messed up again. Oh well, I’ve got other things on my mind.”

Posted on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 by Alison

Seth Stisher, Pro Slalom Skier & Coach: When speaking of water skiing specifically, I always urge skiers to “Think on the dock” when working in a teaching/coaching/learning environment. But of course rehearse enough prior to game-day to be able to … Continue reading →

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