Sport Psychology for Success in work, life and sport Dominick J. Lacovara, Jr., MSSW, LCSW

Prime Performance Consulting Dominick J. Lacovara, Jr., MSSW, LCSW Los Osos Valley Rd. Suite 202 San Luis Obispo, CA Ph: Fax:

Prime Performance Consulting Programs Sexual Harassment and Workplace Violence Prevention Stress Management Substance Abuse: What Every Manager Should Know Critical Incident Stress Management Performance Motivation Sport Psychology Personal Coaching

1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN’S 100 METERS – Carl Lewis 9.86 sec – Leroy Burrell 9.88 (PR, broke own WR) – Dennis Mitchell 9.91 – Linford Christie 9.92 – Frank Fredricks 9.95 – Ray Stewart 9.96

WE ARE ALL PERFORMERS Skills which enable world class athletes to perform at championship levels are available to all of us – Physical – Mental – Emotional

2004 OLYMPICS MEN’S 100 METERS – Justin Gatlin 9.85 sec. – Francis Obilkelu 9.86 – Maurice Green 9.87

2004 OLYMPICS WOMEN’S 100 METERS PRELIMS – Danah Al Nasrallah, Kuwait: – Robina Muqimyar, Afghanistan: – Neema Suratgar, teacher,coach and mentor

SPORT AS METAPHOR Limits, rules, time, innings, resources. – “It’s never over ‘til it’s over”. Yogi Berra Challenges, victories, defeats. Opportunities to learn and grow. Reap the fruits of our labors. Beginning, middle and end with always opportunity to come back.

SPORT AS METAPHOR “I cannot get rid of the hurt from losing, but after the last out of every loss, I must accept that there’ll be a tomorrow. In fact, it’s more than there’ll be a tomorrow; it’s that I want there to be a tomorrow…I want tomorrow to come.” – Sparky Anderson “I never lost a game. I just ran out of time.” – Joe Montana

SPORT AS METAPHOR No guarantee of outcome, just effort. – “If you reach for the stars, one thing IS guaranteed. You won’t come up with a hand full of mud.” unknown

SUCCESS Definitions

THE GREATEST BARRIER TO SUCCESS

ACHIEVING THE IMPOSSIBLE THE FOUR MINUTE MILE – Scientifically impossible – Roger Bannister, May 6, 1954, 3:59.4 – Within next 12 months, four runners ran sub-4 – The “impossible became possible”. – ‘’If you believe you can do it, you’re right. If you believe you can’t do it, you’re still right.’ Henry Ford – “Ninety percent of the game is half mental.” Yogi Berra

PERFORMANCE THOUGHT PERFORMANCE EMOTION IMAGERY

“DON’T THINK ABOUT TIGERS”

YOUR INNER LINEBACKER “I love the 1000 meters.” – Dan Jansen, Olympic gold medalist and world record holder. “I love Johnson Street hill.” – Dominick Lacovara, personal record holder.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL PLAYERS Courage Fun Enjoyment Leadership Pride Relentlessness Integrity Tenacity Mental toughness Love of the game Honesty Unselfishness Focus Composure Hard work Consistency Desire to learn Commitment Dedication Respect for the game – Ken Ravizza, Heads-Up Baseball

NINE MENTAL SKILLS OF SUCCESSFUL ATHLETESS Attitude Motivation Goals and Commitment People Skills Self-talk Mental imagery (Maj. James Nesmeth) Dealing with Anxiety Dealing with Emotions Concentration Jack Lesyk, Ph.D., Ohio Center for Sport Psychology

PERFORMANCE PROFILING MENTAL SKILLS – Thoughts – Self-talk EMOTIONAL SKILLS – What you feel PHYSICAL SKILLS – What you do

Characteristics of a Performance Situation Often scheduled or anticipated Defined beginning and end Circumstances know in advance Rules and constraints Results evaluated by standards (or natural consequences) that are usually known in advance Uncertain results and may involve risk/danger Results matter Goal-oriented behavior Resullts influenced by performer’s behavior

COMMITMENT “The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” – Kenyan marathoner Commitment will not guarantee success or victory, but lack of commitment WILL guarantee mediocrity or failure. Commitment is function of dreams. ‘Dreams precede reality; they nourish it. Perhaps even create it.” – Terry Orlick, Pursuit of Excellence

MAINTAINING MOTIVATION ACCEPTANCE OF LIFE’S REALITIES – Stress, challenge, hardship, joy, fun, passion, love, humor, tragedy. – Life is an ocean whether stormy or calm. Not “fair”, but always a product of natural conditions.

MAINTAINING MOTIVATION Cultivate Your Garden YOUR PRIZED POSSESSIONS – FAMILY – FRIENDS – COWORKERS Leave work at work and home at home, allowing for healthy overlap. – SELF

STRESS How do you define stress?

STRESS “The non-specific result of any demand upon the body, be the effect mental or somatic.” – Hans Selye Neither good not bad

STRESS IS INEVITABLE Necessary for growth. We are not free unless we grow. Growth requires resistance. – Prolonged weightlessness results in lost muscle mass and bone density. We overcome resistance with effort.

STRESS HARDINESS Building muscle, strength, speed… Building skill, self-confidence, trust…

EUSTRESS Too little, not enough Too much, too much

CREATIVE TENSION “Your arrow can’t hit the bulls eye unless you put tension on the bow.” “Your clock won’t run unless you wind up the spring.” – Emmett E. Miller, “Software for the Mind”.

ATTITUDE The Power of Attitude – “What you are capable of achieving is determined by your talent…What you attempt to do is determined by your motivation….How well you do something is determined by your attitude.” Winning Every Day, Lou Holtz

ATTITUDE Noreen Martin,President and CEO, Martin Resorts. President A&R Furniture. – “Attitude to me is more important than facts. We can be educated, have money, good circumstances and success, but we need a good attitude. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. Attitude will make or break a company, a church,…a home. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.

Winning Every Day, Lou Holtz The power of attitude. Tackle adversity. Have a sense of purpose. Make sacrifice your ally. Adapt or die. Chase your dreams. Nurture your self image. Foster trust. Commit to excellence. Handle with care.

Lou Holtz’s Elements for a Successful Life Something positive to do Someone to love Something to hope for Someone or something to believe in – Keynote address, University of Notre Dame football banquet, Dec. 2, 2005

HONK HONK HONK HONK

5 Lessons From Geese Geese fly in formation to create lift. 70% more efficient together than alone. When a goose drops out of formation, it feels drag, stimulating it to get back in formation. The lead goose, when fatigued, drops back in formation to be aided by the others and regain strength. Geese in the rear, honk to encourage leaders to keep up speed. When a goose falls to the ground, two others drop out to aid it until it can fly again.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena: whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring…so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt

ARRIVEDERCI GO IRISH!!!