1. Building the Scholastic Athlete Marshall L. Mintz, Psy.D. Clinical and Sport Psycholgy Springfield Psychological Associates, L.L.P. 765 Rt 10 East Randolph, NJ 973-366-9444 and 675 Morris Ave Springfield, NJ 973-467-9409

2. Overview of Presentation Obstacles in Sport: Pressures and Causes of Dropout Fallout from Pressure and Poor Preparation What is Really Important as a Scholastic Athlete Understanding the Five Spheres of Strength How to Build and Improve Your Strengths What is Unique about Being a Female Athlete

3. Estimated Probability of Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level Student-Athlete High School M/Basketball W/Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 549,500 456,900 983,600 455,300 29,900 321,400 Student-Athletes High School Senior Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 157,000 130,500 281,000 130,100 8,500 91,800 Student-Athletes NCAA Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 15,700 14,400 56,500 25,700 3,700 18,200 Student-Athletes NCAA Freshman Roster Positions Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 4,500 4,100 16,200 7,300 1,100 5,200 NCAA Senior Student-Athletes Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 3,500 3,200 12,600 5,700 800 4,100 NCAA Student-Athletes Drafted Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 44 32 250 600 33 76 Percent High School to NCAA Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 2.9 3.1 5.8 5.6 12.9 5.7 Percent NCAA to Professional Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 1.3 1.0 2.0 10.5 4.1 1.9 Percent High School to Professional Basketball Basketball Football Baseball Ice Hockey Soccer 0.03 0.02 0.09 0.5 0.4 0.08

4. Why do Athletes Dropout? Want to do other activities Talent It is not fun Dislike the coach

5. Different Coaching Stressors Too much emphasis on winning No playing time Substitute after a mistake Not talking to team after a loss Relating performance to self-worth Making “friendship” conditional on performance Playing Favorites What then are the strategies or steps to take

6. Intensity Performance Curve Poor Optimal Performance Intensity LowModerate High Level Of Excellence Arousal Regulation

7. “WE’VE GOT THEM” GEN. GEORGE A. CUSTER, ON BEING ATTACKED AT THE L ITTLE BIGHORN, 1876 THE DESIRED RESULT OF PROPER PREPARATION IS OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE Once Comitted to Play… What Next

8. BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE IT HAS UPS AND DOWNS I CAN DO IT MYSELF ONLY HARD WORK WILL DO I AM NEVER AS GOOD AS I WILL BE PRACTICE AS IF YOU ARE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP HAVE A PLAN LEARN FROM WINNING, LOSING, AND SETBACKS FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS

9. STAY TUNNEL VISIONED AND NEAR SIGHTED But What Can Happen If It Fails?

10. The Foundation of Successful Performance

11. Essentials for Success in Retail Location

12. ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS IN PERFORMANCE Awareness

13. PERSONAL AWARENESS  Personal awareness refers to your ability to know yourself as an athlete and person.  When you possess this quality, you are aware of your strong points, limitations, and developmental needs.

14. STRONG POINTS, LIMITATIONS, DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS Strong points are the mental skills and physical skills that help you perform during training and competition Limitations are the skills that you do not now possess, but need to have to improve in your sport and performance. They also have to do with your physical makeup such as height, weight, strength, coordination, etc. Developmental needs reflect the specific mental and physical skills that you must work on to reach another level and become better. You can always develop your strong points further. What are the Areas of Focus?

15. EMOTIONAL PHYSICAL SPIRITUALITY SOCIAL INTIMATE RELATIONS

16. CHECK YOUR BETS BEHAVIORS: THE MOST VISIBLE SIGN OF STRESS OR CONFIDENCE EMOTIONS EMOTIONS: EXTERNALLY AND INTERNALLY OBSERVED, THE WILEY FORCE THOUGHTS THOUGHTS: INTERNAL AND THE FORCE TO MANAGE THE MOMENT What is Unique About Female Athletes?

17. The Male vs Female Cultures Males identity defined by a sense of living separate from others as opposed to Feminine identity defined by a basic sense of living connected to others. (e.g. the greeting, finish line)

18. Qualities of Male/Female Competiveness Both want to win and both want results HOWEVER Males learn to view the world as a hierarchical social order, valuing independence Boys battle to achieve success

19. Qualities of Male/Female Competiveness Females view the world as a web of relationships, with views of oneself linked to ones place in that web Girls come to the training site seeking to bond as the means to success. They want to be cared about as people not just athletes. Women enter a workplace predisposed to connect to achieve goals. Men compete to achieve goals

20. Differing Values and Fears Males value autonomy, latitude, and winning Females value attachment, intimacy, and interdependence Males fear helplessness (just ask them to listen to a problem) Females fear rejection, isolation, and abandonment which equal lonliness/failure Males bond through activity, females through conversation (action vs interaction)

21. Outcomes vs Process Outcomes identify winners and losers and label successes and failures. Process is continuous and ongoing, a journey rather then a destination Which gender values which orientation?

22. Competitive Behavior Female: Acceptance-Struggle-Performance Male: Struggle-Performance-Acceptance Awareness, Self-Confidence, and Managing Focus

24. Orientation Impact on Training Female teams train more effectively using drill based training, males in competition They want a competition while the girls want a bonding, interactive experience. This contrast in style can impact competition in which males feed on the competitive setting and women are more easily distracted.

25. Role of Conversation For Males: good natured sparring, teasing, comments are declarative/combative, stories of action not emotion, problem-solving focused For Females: an opportunity for sharing, develop relationships, much more empathic, stories cover emotions, observation, reactions. Subtle nuances. Solving the problem not crucial