Sport Psychology Myths
MYTH:
Sports Are At Least "90% Mental" At Higher Skill Levels.
FACT: Yogi Berra, the legendary baseball great, was known to once say, "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical." So much for mathematical science. It is true that in the upper levels of a sport, the mental game becomes more critical. After all, beginners in a sport are simply struggling to achieve a basic competence in physical skills. Thinking about complex game strategies and competitive psychological issues are the least of their concerns.
Another common statistic (spoken with such conviction as to sound downright scientific) thrown around is that humans use only 10% of their brain power. How can anyone possibly measure or prove a statement like this? Because these percentage-based statements are impossible to verify, they add little credible discourse to sport psychology.
Here, though, is one never-ending oddity. If at least 90% of all athletes and coaches state that the mental arena is vital, and absolutely critical at the higher reaches of a sport, then why do they also admit that they rarely practice mental skills? Perhaps they don't know how to practice these skills, or are not psychologically minded enough to seek assistance in this area. There still remains, in many sports, a stigma associated with an athlete who is "too mental". That's unfortunate.
FACT: Yogi Berra, the legendary baseball great, was known to once say, "Baseball is 90% mental -- the other half is physical." So much for mathematical science. It is true that in the upper levels of a sport, the mental game becomes more critical. After all, beginners in a sport are simply struggling to achieve a basic competence in physical skills. Thinking about complex game strategies and competitive psychological issues are the least of their concerns.
Another common statistic (spoken with such conviction as to sound downright scientific) thrown around is that humans use only 10% of their brain power. How can anyone possibly measure or prove a statement like this? Because these percentage-based statements are impossible to verify, they add little credible discourse to sport psychology.
Here, though, is one never-ending oddity. If at least 90% of all athletes and coaches state that the mental arena is vital, and absolutely critical at the higher reaches of a sport, then why do they also admit that they rarely practice mental skills? Perhaps they don't know how to practice these skills, or are not psychologically minded enough to seek assistance in this area. There still remains, in many sports, a stigma associated with an athlete who is "too mental". That's unfortunate.
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MYTH:
Sports Psychology Can't Make A Loser Into A Winner.
FACT: Labeling people as losers is not a helpful endeavor. However, countless individuals and teams with a record of predominating losses have started winning with the help of sports psychology.
FACT: Labeling people as losers is not a helpful endeavor. However, countless individuals and teams with a record of predominating losses have started winning with the help of sports psychology.
MYTH:
Sports Psychology Works With Athletes Who Are Mentally Ill.
FACT: The definition of mental illness implies there is a serious psychological disorder present. Sports psychology is, in part, focused on the performance deficits of a person's sport experience. There certainly are athletes with mental illness who need the care of a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist and who continue to participate in sport, but mainstream sport psychology does not focus on or work with individuals who are mentally ill. These individuals are referred to a proper mental health professional. Athletes who are mentally healthy are the focus of sport psychologists. An athlete who needs help improving mental skills undertakes sport psychology training from an educational perspective, not a mental health one.
FACT: The definition of mental illness implies there is a serious psychological disorder present. Sports psychology is, in part, focused on the performance deficits of a person's sport experience. There certainly are athletes with mental illness who need the care of a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist and who continue to participate in sport, but mainstream sport psychology does not focus on or work with individuals who are mentally ill. These individuals are referred to a proper mental health professional. Athletes who are mentally healthy are the focus of sport psychologists. An athlete who needs help improving mental skills undertakes sport psychology training from an educational perspective, not a mental health one.
Source
http://www.mentalgamecoach.com/articles/SportsPsychologyMyths.html
