Self-Evaluation as a Tool to Create Understanding

Much of the ability to get anything out of sport psychology is rooted in the willingness to self-evaluate.  Self-evaluation involves looking at both strengths and weaknesses as an individual or as a performer.  Are you truly willing to take an honest look at who you are and how you do things?  If so, you will develop a better understanding of yourself that will increase both your performance and enjoyment of the sporting experience.  This is true both as an athlete and as a coach, but today the blog's focus will be from the athlete's perspective.  We talk a lot about how great athletes are consistent.  A great amount of that consistency is rooted in a true understanding of one's self.

One simple staple in the sport psychology field is to ask athletes how they feel and what they are thinking about in their best and worst performances.  The goal then is to create the feeling and thought process conducive to the best performances and to limit or eliminate what is happening during the worst performances.  For example, a hitter in baseball may say that in his best at-bats he only thinks, "See the baseball."  We would talk about what happens when he tells himself to see the baseball both in his head and as a result in the at-bat.  What may be recommended for that hitter is to actually tell himself to see the baseball prior to stepping into the box for each pitch.  This is called self-talk and is taking control of the thought process as a hitter.  Conversely, the hitter may say that in his worst performances he is thinking about the mechanics of his swing.  Maybe he is telling himself not to step out and leak with his front side.  The two questions I would look to help the hitter work through are "what" and "why."  What is going on when he thinks this way?  We would talk about the result of the at-bats and how he feels at the plate.  Then we would focus on the why.  When he tells himself not to step out, what immediately goes through his head?  The answer would be himself stepping out.  Accidentally, the hitter is practicing a negative form of visualization because the mind doesn't process the "don't."  Consequently, he is decreasing his chances for success.(Side note: It is the old "pink elephant trick."  Whatever you do as you read this, don't think of a pink elephant.  Do not think of a pink elephant.  Of course, everybody thinks of a pink elephant.  Our minds do not process the don't.)  I would also discuss with the hitter how attempting to change mechanics of the swing is a no-no because you are not going to be able to change them within a game, and worrying about them is only taking focus away from what you are trying to do as a hitter.  You only have so much focus.  Spend it on the task at hand.

As someone who works with hitters in baseball, I like to take the evaluation process a step further.  I want hitters to know what they are doing in good at-bats and what they are doing in bad at-bats.  What pitches are you hitting?  What counts are you getting in?  Where are you hitting the ball?  All of the questions and evaluation are designed to create an understanding of why they are successful and to ultimately help the hitters find their identity.  One of the goals is that the reflection ultimately leads to the building of more trust in abilities and preparation, and the trust helps to react in games.

In closing, the major takeaway I am hoping you get from today's blog is that self-evaluation helps you understand who you are as an athlete.  The goal is that through that creation of understanding we are able to take away some of the "chance" involved with success.  Understand who you are to create a plan for being successful more often.

Again, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any feedback at all!  Thanks for reading.

Coaching The Pink Elephant Way: Focus on telling the athletes you coach what you want to do instead of what not to do.

Examples: Instead of telling hitters, "Don't be late!" tell them to, "Be on time!"

Instead of telling fielders "Don't come up on the ball!" tell them to "Stay down."

Instead of telling baserunners "Don't get doubled off right here," tell them, "Watch a line drive on the infield."

Win Now: A Quest for Mental Toughness

One of my major interests in the field of sport psychology lies in the concept of mental toughness.  Mental toughness is fascinating to me because it is something all coaches want in athletes, all athletes want to have it, and few are able to give a concrete definition of what mental toughness actually is.  Even in doing research on the topic, there has been a great deal of dissension on what mental toughness is.  Although I plan on getting into the subject in greater detail in the future, today's blog is about what mental toughness ultimately comes down to in my opinion.

Mental toughness, to me, is the ability to "win now."  What I mean is that it is the ability to be completely invested and confident in the present moment and task at hand.  "Win now" is getting rid of all distractions, putting out of your mind past failures and successes, and eliminating the threat of any future implications.  It is both being the basketball player who is 2-13 but still wants to take the last shot and being the basketball player who is 7-7 but still takes shots within the natural flow of the offense.

A great example of having the ability to "win now" is Shane Victorino in game six of the 2013 ALCS.  Victorino was 2-23 in the series with 9 strikeouts when he came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Red Sox down 2-1 and the bases loaded.  Shane fell behind in the count 0-2 to start the at-bat and was not happy about the first pitch being called a strike.  What many hitters would have done in that situation is think about how poorly they've hit in the series, how they were behind 0-2, and how if they get out there their team may lose the game.  How many young hitters would have lost the at-bat after the first pitch?  Instead, Victorino was able to focus on that one pitch and hammered a hanging breaking ball for what proved to be the series-winning grand slam.  "The Flyin' Hawaiin" was able to "win now" and stands in Red Sox immortality because of doing so.

Personally, I know there were many times where I let previous at-bats have an effect on my current at-bat.  There were times where I'd have a bad first at-bat and take it with me the rest of the game.  Before I knew it, I was 0-4.  There were also times I would get a couple of hits early and have in the back of my mind, "Well, even if I get out here, I am still 2-3 on the day."  The result was a loss of the mentality that led to the two hits and losing an at-bat that I could never get back.  In my case, I let both positive and negative experiences have an effect on my ability to "win now."

My challenge to you is to "win now" in some type of situation this weekend.  If you are a hitter, challenge yourself to stay present in every pitch of every at-bat and to separate offense and defense.  If you are a pitcher, challenge yourself to do the same.  Don't allow one bad at-bat to ruin your weekend, and don't let a couple of good ones result in the giving away of at-bats.

Do you have a "win now" moment for me?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!  Please respond below or tweet it to me @Coach_Ehrlich.

Here is a link to the Victorino grand slam.  The quality is not great, but I like it because the video has the entire at-bat.
Shane Victorino's Grand Slam

That Sounds Really Interesting, But What is It?

When I tell people that I am pursuing a degree in sport psychology, the most common reaction is the title above.  People are interested but want to know more about what exactly it is I hope to do.  Hopefully this blog post will shed some light on the subject.

What I want to accomplish in sport psychology is help maximize performance of athletes and coaches and to enhance the sporting experience for all of those involved.  If my answer still sounds vague, that is because it is.  There is no cookie cutter formula for making everyone perform at their peak level or for making everyone enjoy the sporting experience.  There are best practices that help, but success and enjoyment are not that simple.  If they were, then every time a hitter in Omaha takes a deep breath and stares at his barrel he would hit a bomb.  We all know that has not been the case this year!

Initially, I hope to work with teams and individual athletes across the state of South Carolina (and beyond) at the amateur level.  What that work looks like can vary tremendously.  The work could involve speaking to teams or at camps about topics like "controlling what you can control" or "visualization."  My work could also involve individual consultations with athletes in which we talk about whatever is going on with the athlete.  Work could consist of observing a practice session and giving coaches feedback about effective communication with players.  It may be running a clinic on parent behavior at Little Leagues.

So again, you ask, what is it I'm hoping to do?  I am hoping to help people however they may need it.

In closing, I'd like to share a picture you may have seen on Twitter or other social media about what people think the path to success looks like compared to what it really looks like.  I share this for two reasons.  First, I love the picture's message and think its a tremendous reminder that we all have ups and downs along our journey.  Second, I think the picture also relates to the answer of the question on "What is it exactly you hope to do?"  It may be easier if there were a straight line answer, but the journey to figure it all out will be much more exciting the way it is.

Thanks again for reading the blog.  Please give me any feedback at all.  I'd love to hear what you all want.















Side Note: Did you watch the College World Series last night?  The mental side of the game had a huge effect on the outcome.  Virginia starting pitcher Nathan Kirby, after averaging a walk and a half a game for the year, walked five guys in one third of an inning.  Did Kirby suddenly forget where his release point was?  No.  What happened is something rattled him, and he doubted his ability to do what he has done thousands of times before.

Side Note 2: One of my favorite players to watch during the postseason has been Dansby Swanson.  His beating a tough force play at second base really changed the entire dynamic of the inning and ultimately the game.  It was the kind of play that many casual observers overlook.  What makes the hustle play even better is that it came from Swanson who, in my opinion, is Vanderbilt's best player.  When your team's best player plays like they are battling for a spot on the team that has an enormous effect on the group.

Introduction to The Blog

Welcome to my blog on the Mental Side of Sports.  Over the course of the last three years or so, I have developed an enthusiasm for sport psychology.  My interest started when I read Harvey Dorfman's The Mental Keys to Hitting.  The head coach at the high school where I coach (who I also played for) has impressed upon me that there is always more out there to learn, and I wanted to read something that would help me become a better baseball coach.  What I found in the book was much more.  As I read Dorfman's seemingly limitless wisdom, I found myself thinking over and over again, "Man, I wish I had known that when I played," or "I wish somebody had told me that when I played.  That would have really helped me."  I decided then to research the field of sport psychology because chances are there were countless athletes out there who felt the same way.

My sports background is almost entirely in baseball.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to play at Winthrop University for two nationally ranked, regional teams.  Although I consider myself to have been a hard worker, I think the mental side of the game held me back from being as good a player as possible and know it robbed me of some the enjoyment of playing such a great game.  My two major goals in sport psychology are to help current and future athletes perform at their peak level and to enjoy the sporting experience as much as possible.

I am about halfway done with my master's degree in sport psychology and hope to be finished either late next spring or early in the summer.  My goal is to transition into the field full time over the next year or two.

In short, I have a lot to learn.  Even after reading several books, speaking with people who have had great success in sport psychology, and taking classes I feel like the surface has only been scratched with what there is to know about the mental side of sports.  I do think I know enough and have experienced enough to be able to help athletes, coaches, and parents out there.

What I am hoping to accomplish with this blog is to combine my experiences as a player and coach with what I learn and to help all who need it.  Please give me feedback...both good and bad!  Also, let me know what direction you would like to see the blog go.  Do you want advice?  Do you want to hear about my experiences?  Do you want specific activities and exercises to use?  I would like to give the blog as much value as possible for the reader.  I welcome all feedback with open arms and hope you enjoy the blog.

Questions?  Please feel free to contact me at ehrlichb1@gmail.com.  I'd also like to invite you to follow me on Twitter @Coach_Ehrlich.  I post links to new blog entries on there and am always looking to connect with other baseball minds.

Thanks!

Coach Ben Ehrlich