Hello
everyone! I am a guest editor this month, and I apologize as I am
not currently a coach, although I have helped out over the years
in coaching various children's teams. Nevertheless, I hope you will
find the information provide useful.
I gleaned a lot of this information from
guest readers who submitted information to us in hopes of sharing
it with all of you. The brunt of this section focuses on the issues
surrounding drugs and alcohol use among athletes, and what can be
done to help them. There is also a nice article regarding how to
have a winning attitude.
I hope you all are having a great start
to your summer, and that you have a chance to relax some! Take care!
Angela
Roth
Coaching & Sports Section Editor
"For
Teacher, By Teacher" Activity Plan Contest! |
A WINNING
ATTITUDE
by Coach
Allan Kopel coachkopie@hotmail.com
Every one of you has, or is at least is capable of having and benefiting
from a winning attitude. If we choose to be positive, and if we
choose to find ways to expect the best from ourselves on a daily
basis, we will think, feel, and act like winners. All that is required
to be confident and successful is a consistent determination to
think and act like winners. This is a simple concept, but it takes
consistent effort for most of us to master.
Feeling confident and facing challenges is difficult at times.
The more you let yourself trust and believe in yourself and in "the
possible," the easier it becomes to face subsequent challenges.
It is not wrong to have self-doubt. Self-doubt is more common than
you may realize. Dealing with self-doubt may not be fun, but winning
that battle feels great. You can let your self have fun and be confident.
Choose to believe!
Having self-doubt does not make you weak, and it will not defeat
you (unless you let it). The keys are to recognize when you are
anxious, accept it as part of the process, and find something positive
to focus on and then act with confidence, passion, and determination
to be successful.
One of the toughest things to overcome is the fear that no one
else has doubts, or that people (coaches, teammates) will not understand.
It may not be easy, but it is vital that you believe that you are
strong and that your coaches and teammates understand and care.
No one wants to have self-doubt. Your teammates and coaches will
probably not sit around worrying or complaining with you. The role
of a coach or teammate is to help people have fun, relax, stay in
the now and trust, believe, and achieve. Worrying and dwelling on
one's concerns is fatiguing and counter productive. Focus on something
positive and take positive action. Action that centers the mind
and leads to success is one of the best ways to overcome doubt or
anxiety.
"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness
has genius, power and magic in it. BEGIN IT NOW" (Goethe)
Lincoln’s Road to the Presidency
1831: Failed in Business
1832: Defeated for State Legislature
1833: Second Failure in Business
1836: Suffered Nervous Breakdown
1838: Defeated for Speaker
1840: Defeated for Elector
1843: Defeated for Congress
1848: Defeated for Congress
1856: Defeated for Vice President
1858: Defeated for Senate
1860: Elected President of the United States
Think about it. What if Abraham Lincoln thought of himself as a
loser, or no good, each time he lost an election or failed at something?
Put into a swimming / polo context, we could say that from 1831
through 1858, he did not have many, if any successes (first place,
best time or victory), but he hung in there and had the best time
of all in 1860.
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| Athletes & Low Carb Dieting |
Performance
Detractors: Assessing the low carbohydrate diet and its effect
upon athletic performance. The low carbohydrate diet plan has found
increased popularity among U.S. adults due to its claims of rapid
weight loss. It should be of no surprise that low-carb diets such
as the Atkins, South Beach and The Zone diet have resulted in top
spots among The New York Time's best-sellers. However, these plans
may pose some risks for individuals that exercise regularly or participate
in competitive athletic events. Read more...
Low
Carb Equals Low Energy - Read another opinion on low carb diet
use for athletes. In actuality, diet needs should be based on what
type of sport is being played. Runners and cyclists need the fuel
stores from carbs, but 'bulking up' is a different
story...
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A
major topic that has been brought to my attention is if
student athletes should have to participate in physical
education class the day of a game? I have mixed feelings
about this because the coach in me wants to say let the
student athletes sit out the day of a game because I do
not want them to risk injury, However the teacher in me
says that every student should participate in class regardless
of a game that day. What do you think? Please post. |
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Challenging
Irrational Ideas
(Rational-Emotive therapy)
Our thoughts influence our feelings. If you think people won't
like you, you feel disappointed and withdraw socially. If you think
nothing will work out well for you, you feel sad or passive, and
won't try. If you think you must have help to do something, you
may feel inadequate and be dependent. If you think you are stupid
and incompetent, you may feel worthless and be indecisive and self-critical.
No doubt there are connections between thoughts and feelings and/or
actions.
Rational-Emotional therapy is built on the
belief that how we emotionally respond at any moment depends on
our interpretations--our views, our beliefs, our thoughts--of the
situation. In other words, the things we think and say to ourselves,
not what actually happens to us, cause our positive or negative
emotions. Thus, as Albert Ellis (1987) would say, "Humans largely
disturb themselves... your own unreasonable, irrational ideas make
you severely anxious, depressed, self-hating, enraged, and self-pitying
about virtually anything--yes, virtually anything." This is
a very old idea. Read the rest...
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| Athletes and Drugs/Alcohol |
| Why
do athletes use drugs?
It is generally not something that is talked about, but the fact
remains that some athletes get involved in drugs and alcohol. Why
is this happening? Granted, it tends to come with being in college,
and many kids succumb to peer pressures, athletes or not. Here is
some information as to why some athletes may get involved with drugs
and alcohol, as well as some other resources.
Athletes
and Drugs - This website is a useful tool in helping young athletes
learn more about the dangers of drugs. It displays a scenario for
them to watch, as well as interactive tools for them to navigate
through the scenario. I recommend it for younger aged kids.
Athletes
and drugs: A separate pace? By PT
Staff
Summary: Offers a look at the problem of athletes and drugs. Disturbing
use about drug use; Athlete reported believing that deals are cut
all the time with federations and governing bodies; Big-gun athletes
get passed over in the drug testing; Ben Johnson got caught; Many
athletes discouraged with the prolific use of anabolic steroids
(HGH); General feeling among elite athletes is that most Olympians
are using performance-enhancement drugs.
Teen
athletes and performance-enhancing substances: What parents can
do - Is your teenager involved in athletics? If so, you need
to know about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs and supplements.
Find out why.
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The
"Little Guys" - Today, coaching the little guys, 5th,
6th, and 7th graders (most are playing football for the first time)
is an exciting and fun way to enjoy retirement. The fun comes from
watching and listening to the antics of the little guys. There are
chuckles galore!
Coaching
Kids - Every youngster's development as a person and as an athlete
is important because kids are important.
All kids should be coached the way you would want your son coached
- anything less is unfair to kids. Coach someone's son or daughter
by...
Summer
Time Blues…Keeping your team motivated through the summer.
Football season is less than two months away in some states, no
more than 10 weeks in most states. As a coach you are counting on
new players to make an impact, seniors to really break through,
and that surprise kid to grow two inches and add 20 lbs of muscle!
Winning
The Mental Game - Momentum…what is it…can you stop
it…can you regain it? Hard to define, elusive, yet you know
when you have it, and you know when you don't. Momentum. Change
is one way to define it - changes in physical effort, emotional
levels, positive and negative thinking. Each one impacts the other
and comes together to forge momentum.
I
Believe - The most valuable lesson I learned about coaching
came from Frank Howard, Clemson's legendary head football coach
who led the Tigers for thirty-three seasons. It was a simple thought
which forced a re-evaluation of my immature approach towards coaching
college football. Now, years later, I wish I had a dollar for all
the times I used the wiley Ol' Coach's admonishment to drive home
the same point with other coaches. See "I
Believe" #2.
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Alcohol and Drug Abuse Will Not Take Away Your Fears,
by Stan Popovich
It is not easy to deal with our fears and anxieties, however
trying to avoid them through alcohol or other substances will
not work. Avoiding your fears and anxieties will not make them
go away. Your fears and anxieties will always be there. The best
way to deal with your fears is to find effective ways to overcome
them. As a result, here are some techniques a person can use to
help manage their fears and anxieties.
The first step is to learn to take it one day at a time. Instead
of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week
or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us
with different opportunities to learn new things, and that includes
learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on the present
and stop trying to predict what may happen next week. Next week
will take care of itself.
 Remember that no one can predict the future with 100% certainty.
Even if the thing that you feared does happen, there are circumstances
and factors that you can't predict which can be used to your advantage.
For instance, let's say at your place of work, that you miss the
deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few
months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss
comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended
and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor
changes everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent correct
in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent
to make a world of difference.
Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook
of positive statements that make you feel good. Whenever you come
across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down
in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your
pocket. Whenever you feel depressed or frustrated, open up your
small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage
your negative thinking.
As a layman, the important thing is to get the proper help by
seeing a professional. Avoiding your problem through the use of
alcohol or other substances will do nothing in the long run in
fixing your problems. It will just make things worse. Managing
your fear and anxieties will take some hard work. Be patience,
persistent and stay committed in trying to solve your problem.
BIOGRAPHY: Stan Popovich is the author
of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity
and Non Resistant Methods" - an easy to read book that presents
a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing
persistent fears and anxieties. For free articles on managing
fear please go to: http://www.managingfear.com/
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| Some Problems Facing Athletes |
Athletes'
Hunger To Win Fuels Eating Disorders - Disordered eating - reported
by one-third of female athletes in college - is just one element
in a spectrum of health problems many confront. Despite the opportunities
that have opened up to women since Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972 banned sex discrimination in schools that receive federal
money, universities report that an increasing number of these competitors
are suffering from depression and anxiety disorders.
In
Praise of Fresh Athletes
The average aspiring athlete's adage is "train ... and train
... and train some more." Although it sounds logical, it can
be a prescription for disaster.
Athletes'
Injuries Go Beyond the Physical - A suddenly sidelined athlete
doesn't have to be competing on the world stage to feel depressed.
Even injured weekend athletes are susceptible to depression, anxiety
and other psychological symptoms, including nightmares, flashbacks
to the accident, moodiness, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, weight
gain and low self-esteem.
Athletes
and Eating Disorders - Athletes and dancers may face a greater
risk for the development of an eating disorder. The incidence of
eating disorders among athletes continues to be on the rise especially
for those involved in sports that emphasize being thin.
Steroid
addiction a risk for young athletes
Withdrawal can cause depression, suicidal behavior -"What we
worry about most is people getting so depressed that they become
suicidal," says Dr. Kirk Brower. "Adolescents are more
vulnerable to steroid withdrawal because they're already at a high
risk for suicide." Suicide is the third leading cause of death
among young people 15 to 24 years of age.
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