1. Chapter 6 Anger: How to Moderate Hot Buttons
By Mitch Abrams and Bruce Hale

2. Anger It is a normal emotion.
Precursor emotions include hate, fear, frustration, and disappointment.
Physiological response is similar to anxiety.

3. Charles Spielberger Anger-in Anger-out
Athletes direct their anger at themselves or attempt to suppress the expression
Kicking the dirt; swearing
Anger-out
Physical or verbal affront to others or to objects
Punching an opponent; destroying a water cooler

4. Types of Violence Hostile Intent to harm an opponent
Spontaneous or planned
Spontaneous violence usually accompanied by anger
Planned hostile violence is deeply troubling
(continued)

5. Types of Violence (cont)
Instrumental
Goal is to achieve external prize.
Physical contact is a normal part of the sport (e.g., a hard check or a heavy tackle).

6. NFL: National Felons League?
Is planned hostile violence in sport criminal?
NHL: Marty McSorley striking Donald Brashear in the head from behind with his stick
NHL: Todd Bertuzzi punching Steve Moore and breaking his neck
NFL: Bill Romanowski punching Marcus Williams at practice and breaking his orbital bone, leaving him partially blind

7. The Myth of the Violent Athlete
Research is equivocal; There is little strong evidence that athletes are more violent than nonathletes in life away from the playing field.
Why does the image of violent athletes persist?

8. Aggression vs. Assertiveness
Aggression: the use of force to reach a goal.
Assertiveness: to insist on one’s rights.
There is no “right to win” in sports. Athletes are not assertive; they are aggressive in reaching their goals.

9. Instinct Theory Freud, Konrad Lorenz. Man = animal.
Aggression is an inborn drive like sex, hunger.
Catharsis: purging of pent-up aggression.

10. Social Learning Theory
Imitating, modeling
Reinforcement (reward and punishment)

11. Aggression and Performance
Bill Morgan: Athletes tend to have lower anger levels.
Yuri Hanin: Anger-in especially has deleterious effects on concentration and focus.
Associated with increases in physiological arousal:
It may move a player out of IZOF.
Many coaches believe that angry players are more aroused and play better.
Aggressive behaviors in sport hurt performance. Also, aggression does not cathartically release anger.

12. Aggression and Performance: Research Needed
Can anger-management programs be effective in sports?
Awareness training
Role playing
Can anger facilitate arousal or enhance an aggressive attitude in sports such as weightlifting, football, boxing, or rugby?

13. Identifying Your Anger Threshold
Warning signs
Nonverbal cues
Stiff neck
Rigid posture
Behavioral cues
Loud responses
Unwillingness to listen
Bodily feelings
Feeling hot
Pounding heart

14. Developing Awareness Hassle log Identify situational cues
Feedback from others
Hostility bias: the tendency to perceive neutral stimuli as provocative

15. Measuring Anger in Sport
No sport-specific measures exist
Spielberger’s State- Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI): 44-item self- report
The POMS

16. Measurement Bredemeier Athletic Aggression Inventory
Sport Aggression Inventory
Scale of Children’s Action Tendencies
Measure aggressive intent, not anger or violence

17. Intervention Strategies
Resistance to anger control in sports may be based on these beliefs:
Athletes are healthy, so they don’t have problems with emotions.
Anger is necessary for sport success, and removal of it will hinder an athlete’s performance.

18. Physiological Interventions
Relaxation
Imagery
Music

19. Cognitive Interventions
Talk it out.
Communicate.
Take a time-out.
Problem-solve.
Evaluate and modify.
Exercise.

20. Implementing Anger-Management Training
Individual interventions
Privacy, more comfortable
Group sessions
With peers
Modeling
Team-building

21. The Role of the Coach
Modeling anger and violence sends the message that losing control is OK.
Coaches who instruct players to act aggressively promote angry aggression.
Coaches who fail to discipline athletes involved in assaults and violent behavior send the message that violence is acceptable.
Model anger control.
Set team rules and codes of conduct.
Be proactive.