Article (December 2009)

Team Cohesion in Water Polo : The Unity for a Purpose

Hooray to the grey patches in life!

So it's been a long time since I bothered to write anything on the blog, and a few people (myself being one of them) has been asking, "So now you've finished your Masters, what are you going to do?"


The simple answer is to aim to become a Sport Psychologist! It's going to take a while though. I'm being supervised under BASES accreditation. BASES are "the professional body for sport and exercise sciences in the UK." Me and a group of other trainee Sport Psychs - under the guidance of an approved senior Psychologist - do our work with athletes (at whatever pace we feel comfortable at over two to three years) in order to meet the criteria laid down by BASES to become effective practitioners.


After a year of study though, I can't afford to try and take on clients straight away and earn a living off it. So I've gone back to my 'old' career and work at a very well .com, helping them with strategy and growth in 2010 onwards. It's a great place, full of clever folk, doing innovative stuff that challenges me. But it doesn't get me as energised and excited as the Psych work I do. I've been trying to think about what the real difference is between the 2 disciplines. Whilst I think it'll take me a while to fully see what the differences are, I came across the blog of one of my favourite bands and what their lead singer said about 'life online' these days. I like it very much.


"So i'm making a record, as previously blathered about, and this means that my horrible, useless website is getting redone by my friend sonya. i mean, it sucks, which was my choice. i was like "can this look more horrible?" i wish i was kidding, but i happen to like crap. i just do. but she's promised to work with me to make sure it's still unwieldy and awkward, which is good preparation for everything else lcdish, and i promise to be less grumpy about things actually being “useful”. it’s just that things that are too “useful”... well, i don’t entirely trust them. i kind of like useless things. for instance—and this is a pretty facile and simplified metaphor here—art is useless, and nazis made lots of useful things. i like dumb meandering things that make me happy and confused, and don’t particularly like “effective marketing tools designed for maximum accurate data capture” blah blah blah. it all sounds so sad and functional. i don’t like the idea of people sitting in a room talking about the best way to word things to get the right reaction from a base of “users” etc. i don’t like thinking that those people used to love to do something, or wanted to be something, and would up measuring the best way to manipulate other people. i honestly don’t judge them, but i feel weird, and sort of sad—not FOR them, in a pitying way, as i have no idea how they fell, for fuck’s sake, and i’m a ridiculous person by the measure of a pretty deep cut of the population—but ABOUT them.


So my take is this. I'm a bloke. One who thinks logically and in a structured way at work, where things are black and white. I'm paid to understand how the business is right now; how it will be tomorrow, how it needs to grow, and how to achieve these things through process. I'm good at process. Not wanting to bite the hand that feeds, but throughout the last 10 years of work in 'business' I feel like this guy at times.


In 'real' life, and in particular in people's sport and exercise, there is definite grey. Where performance and mindset isn't so clear cut (and clinical). Sometimes it makes me uneasy to know what I should do. Should I just listen to people articulate their World? Should I offer advice/judgement and/or intervention? Working that out, with people is really exciting. It requires real effort and appreciation of other peoples Worlds and how they construct them. I only have had limited experience so far. I've been frustrated trying to understand what the role of a Sport Psychologist is. What I do know is that it, deep down inside, when I'm practicing, it feels the right thing to be doing. I'm by no means the finished article. Quite the opposite. But what this blog entry by James Murphy reminds me of is what Tim Holder advises trainee sport psychs. That is you have to get used to working in the grey in this field. To feel uneasy, unsure and take your time in order to be effective.


I'll try and write more about this another time and give some concrete examples. For now though, trust me on this one!

After new year, I'll be writing on:

• What is Sport Psychology?
• What kinds of approaches are there to Sport Psychology?
• What is my approach to Sport Psychology and practice?
• What kinds of work are there in the Sport Psychology field?
• What are the ethical considerations you need as a Sport Psychologist?
• What is 'success' in Sport Psychology?
• and, where I can (within the bounds of confidentiality), I'll write on how practice is going.

Please note - the views contained within this post reflect those of the author and not those of the organisations Stuart works for.

Article (November 2009)

The Will to Change A Cursory Look at the Current Levels of Mental Skills and Action Plans Among Golfers

Article (October 2009)

Behavior Coding

Article (September 2009)

Goal Setting and Periodical Monitoring

Gallery - Students snap images of Earth from space for $150

New Scientist

Great idea for a project. So simple and yet what a fantastic result. Cursing not doing something like this instead of my marathon thesis!

S

Publications / Presentations 2009

Publications / Presentations 2009

Internship

Internship Student(s)

Internship Presentation(s)

Internship Student(s)

Name: Leong In Tyng
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 16th May 2011 - 8th July 2011

Name: Liew Cai Yan

Age: 23
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 16th May 2011 - 8th July 2011

Name: Nor Amanina binti Mohammad Shabri
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 16th May 2011 - 8th July 2011

Name: Mohd Faizal bin Lan
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Education: Bsc Hons (Statistics)
University: University Technology Mara
Internship Period: 3rd July - 30th September 2009

Name: Anaurene Roy
Age: 22 Gender: Female
Sport: Basketball
Education: Master’s in Sport and Exercise Psychology
University: University of Jyväskylä, Finland
Internship Period: 1st June - 31st July, 2009

Name: Ong Chong Jie
Age: 21 Gender: Male
Sport: Swimming, Waterpolo
Education: Advance Diploma cum Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise
College: Tunku Abdul Rahman College
Internship Period: 1st July – 28th June 2009

Name: Puah Pei San
Age: 23 Gender: Female
Sport: National Netball Player (Malaysia)
Education: Bachelor Degree in Education and Sport Science
University: University Technology Malaysia
Internship Period: 11th May - 3rd July 2009

Name: Azah Azawi
Age: 22 Gender: Female
Sport: Hockey
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: University Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 4th May – 26th June 2009

Name: Juliana binti Johan John
Age: 22 Gender: Female
Sport: Athletics
Education: Bachelor of Sport Science
University: University Sains Malaysia
Internship Period: 4th May – 26th June 2009

Internship Presentation(s)

Puah Pei San (2009) Dynamic Interaction Among Athlete, Coach and Psychologist : Communication.- presented on 5.5.09.

Noorazah Mohd Azawi (2009) Psychological Issues of Athletic Injury Rehabilitation.- presented on 03.06.09

Juliana Johan John (2009) Joy, Fun and Flow in sports.- presented on 9.6.09

Puah Pei San (2009) Group Cohesion : Social Position with Netball Team.- presented on 11.6.09.

Ong Chong Jie (2009) Team Cohesion in Water Polo.- presented on 25.6.09

Anaurene Roy (2009) Impact of Mental Training on a Strength Task.– presented on 25.6.09

Natural Pacing

Time can be a runners best friend and enemy. Having the goal of a target finish time in a run or race provides the motivation you need, both at the beginning and when you're flagging. Another Marathon researcher, Richard Shipway, from Bournemouth University, is writing an ethnography of distance running for his PhD and has focused on runners obsession with the clock. Get talking to any semi-serious recreational runner and they'll go on at you about their times, Personal Bests, and how you might compare with them via the medium of hours, minutes and seconds. It can come across as one-upmanship on some peoples parts, a source of pride for others, and just plain tedious in some cases.

But it provides a measure for your progress, and as I'd advise anyone, don't let others intimidate you or make you feel inadequate, just because someone else might be faster in a race or at that point in their running journey. The point of taking times when you run is for you to see your progress. Its your journey, and damn the (predominantly) alpha males if they come across as cocky or arrogant.

In my research, I'm interested in the progression of runners development, from when they first start out as possibly nervous but inquisitive joggers, through to completing their first competitive race. Theres then another leap when people go about improving their performance, whether time based or in any other way (cadence, gait or breathing for instance). I'm sure I'd get picked up by physiologists on this point, but its my conjecture that it takes years for people to chip away at their personal bests, dependent of course on the amount of effort or bother people put in and the races they complete. With this in mind I took a run this morning to see what I comfortably run at. Sluggish as I was after a late finish yesterday, I ran my first mile by the watch and consciously did a 8 minute mile (to within a second). It felt alright and I felt up to speed. I then didn't check the watch for the next mile, but ran at what felt comfortable and in a steady rhythm. I eased off ever so slightly for 5 or so seconds, and hey presto, my next mile was completed in 16.03!! I tried to then do the same for the final mile home, but I am pretty confident in saying that it is almost impossible not to speed up when you know the finish is within sight. I did the last mile in 7:43.

My goal? Why am I doing this? I think for my next half and full marathon I don't want to be too much of a slave to the watch. It distracts your focus, but you need to know how you're making progress. My goal, is to be able to 'feel' a mile without having to really check the timepiece. I don't think I'm too far off knowing what that is but I'm going to practice. Give it a go. Sometimes runs get pretty tedious going round the same old routes and neighbourhoods. When you can let go and know you're on steady autopilot you can relax a bit more. And that is when running is most fun.

Second marathon of the year

Nope - fear not. I'm not running one, but mentally, I'm bang in the middle of one. I've spent the last month writing my thesis up. Its been long and arduous, but like doing a marathon, I'm not asking for your sympathy. I got myself into this situation out of choice.

The next week is that bit where you've passed the wall (miles 15 to 21 when your bodys glucose level go through the floor :-) and I'm not *quite* within sight of the end. The confidence from knowing I've cleared most of the course is building up inside me and I'm thinking about what I do when I cross the finish line.

I'm reminding myself to enjoy this run but its not always so easy to do. One thing I will say about training and running marathons (as well as researching them!) is that I feel mentally tougher now. Sure, I want to give up now and again, but finding out physically about mental toughness and now writing about it, I'm interested in how we put ourselves through and successfully negotiate difficult challenges. I think I've found the quote to start it all off with. Took a while to locate but see what you reckon:

"The marathon is a rich and appealing domain of psychological study. In certain ways, the marathon may act as an encapsulated mechanism representative of life challenges." (Buman, Brewer, Cornelius, Van Raalte and Petitpas (2008:178).

Personally, I think its pretty accurate. Right. I've got to get through Blackfriars tunnel! x

Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars

On Wednesday, July 29, CNBC takes viewers back inside the Octagon with "Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars," revealing how the UFC continues to grow - even as other professional sports face financial crisis. While the recession is putting a beat-down on the economy, Ultimate Fighting's revenues are up 30%. CNBC's Scott Wapner travels to Germany for the UFC's first-ever event in mainland Europe and speaks with Dana White, as well as billionaire backers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta. Hear what they have to say about the sport's successes, challenges and growth. And, in just 18-months since CNBC first took viewers inside the UFC, see how this controversial sport has flexed its muscles worldwide to include major sponsors, product endorsements and brand extensions. You can check out a Preview Clip and explore some of the Web Extras if you're interested.

UPDATE: July 24 2009

Here are three new video clips from the documentary:

Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars -Clip #1

Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars -Clip #2

Ultimate Fighting: Fistful of Dollars -Clip #3

Crazy Sunday afternoon leaves heroic Andy Roddick a broken man - Times Online

Crazy Sunday afternoon leaves heroic Andy Roddick a broken man - Times Online

My song of the weekend has to be the Kinks 'Lazy afternoon'. I went to a wedding on saturday where after the nuptuals, we decamped to an old barn, converted to a function room for such events. A lovely sunny afternoon with friends, sipping pimms and the odd glass of bubbles on the grass whilst we waited for the dinner to be ready and the happy couple got their pictures taken. Later when the band played the Kinks as one of the first songs of the night it topped off the day.

Cue sunday and it went from lazy afternoon, to crazy as this article neatly shows. I've heard some people crow about the quality of the tennis played compared to last years final, but I'm sorry, look beyond the aces from 2 strong servers and there was some brilliant ground strokes from 2 players giving it their all. And this is where it got interesting. 10 sets worth of tennis? Federer only breaking Roddick at the last. It came down to a game of poker at the finish and who was going to relent and who could hold their mettle. Roddick was a giant and was so unfortunate to lose. I was asked 'What was going through their minds at the finish?' by a friend.

I can't answer that, you'd have to ask both. But Federer always appears fresh on a court and maybe people don't see how athletic he is in the true sense of the word. But I bet his experience of winning grand slam finals and the hurt of last years loss helped him out, provided motivation and gave us a great finish. How tough on Roddick. I hope he comes back and wins a major. He was truly gracious in defeat. Hopefully he got his motivation yesterday.

The Power of Breathing

The Power of Breathing
By Dr. RandyBorum

(Article first appeared in Black Belt Magazine, July, 2009)

Author's Note: This article marks the end of Black Belt Magazine's "Psyched!" column. It has been a pleasure writing for them the past couple of years, and I appreciate the opportunity to share information on sport psychology with fighters and martial artists. Thanks, also, to all of you who read the column. - RB

It has been said that “Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life.” It is also a very powerful tool for the martial artist. The use of breathing and breath control has a long history in the traditional arts. From the tradition of budo and the Japanese arts, the “kiai” is thought to enhance one’s power in executing a strike or technique. The Korean arts similarly use the “Kihap.” While the kiai is often thought of just as a shout that accompanies physical movement, it has a much deeper design.

Properly used, the kiai connects the mental and physical elements of a technique, and serves both defensive and offensive functions. The meaning of the term itself denotes a concept of a unified or integrated (“ai) spirit or mind (“ki”). Breath control is an integral part of its execution.

The kiai involves a forceful exhale and contraction of the abdominal and diaphragmatic muscles. Defensively, the exhale prevents the wind from being knocked out of you and the muscle contraction helps to shiled your internal organs. Offensively, the shout may frighten or distract and opponent – as emphasied by samurai Miyamoto Musashi, while the contracted core musculatrure strengthens the kinetic chain, enhancing the power of the blow. With the kiai or hihap comes an exaplsive relaease of inner energy, not just a shout.

Another simple advantage of kiai, of course, is that reminds you to breathe. That alone makes a valuable tool for the martial artist. When someone new to the arts or to combative sports first begins sparring, it is very common for them to hold their breath and tense their muscles. It’s a kind of natural reaction to having someone else trying to punch you in the face. But it can be a bad habit.

Your muscles need oxygen to function properly. Tense muscles require even more oxygen, because tension is a muscular action. Your body gets most of its oxygen from the air you inhale. If you are not inhaling, you are not providing a steady supply of oxygen to your muscles or to your other vital organs that require it – like your brain and eyes. This produces a higher “oxygen cost” and ultimately causes your mind and body not to perform as well as they should. Holding the breath for too long can also spike your blood pressure and cause dizziness. Your muscles definitely get tired more quickly. The result is that you become winded in a very short time. There are other problems too, but you get the idea.

Tactical police and military operators realize the need to breathe and integrate it into their training. Sometimes referred to as “tactical breathing” or “combat breathing”, these strategies are designed to be applied quickly even in high risk encounters. If you are clearing a building with an unknown number of bad guys – or even anticipating an ugly encounter on the street – you probably don’t want to fold yourself up into the lotus position, close your eyes, and do a breathing exercise. But you definitely should breathe.

David Grossman, who along with Bruce Siddle is one of the founders of the “Warrior Science Group” often teaches a very simple form of combat breathing that involves inhaling for a four count, holding for a four count, exhaling for a four count, and pausing. They point out that this will help to keep your heart rate in a better range (which also reduces your perceived anxiety). Research also shows that the exhale – or “expiratory response” - especially sends calming signals throughout your body.

Within the reality-based martial arts, Systema has probably the most active focus on the importance of breathing – and learning to breathe – in a threatening encounter. In their training and in their book and DVD “Let Every Breath”, Vladimir Vasiliev and colleagues advocate a technique known as burst breathing. Rather than long and deep breaths, burst breathing involves a regular series of sharp exhales through the mouth at the moment of any impact, followed immediately by a sharp inhale through the nose. They find this method is more applicable to hand-to-hand and close quarter combat situations, but produces the same benefit in reducing tension and upping the oxygen intake.

There are many ways to breathe “correctly” and many uses for different breathing techniques and exercises. The most important thing is not to hold your breath, to have a regular pattern of inhaling (through the nose) and exhaling (through the mouth). For purposes of training, having some system or method to follow – regardless of which one you choose – will help. You probably will not get very far just tying to tell yourself not to hold your breath. Instead – just breathe.

Not talked about it online, but of course you have to have been living in a cave to have missed the sad death of Michael Jackson last week. It was good to hear his music getting aired everywhere in the summer sun since. Enjoy this tribute from Terrence Parkers weekly podcast. Click this link to listen to it: http://terrenceparker.podOmatic.com/entry/2009-06-29T12_35_16-07_00

An alternative view of 2012

Given the career choice I'm now pursuing I often, because of where I live in East London, get asked whether I'll get to work with Team GB athletes in time for 2012. My usual response is that its unlikely - most of the sports psych positions will be filled already no doubt - but working with younger athletes in my club, who knows for certain?

The view around peers when I've spoken about the Olympics, tends to be optimistic. That it will be great for the area, house prices, a flagging London economy, a neglected part of the East End, a legacy for the future, and a feelgood event that the Worlds eyes will be upon. However, you do get dissenting voices. What about the cost? Likely to be more than current estimates, and likely to be funded by more taxes - but lets not get into that debate for now... the area where the Olympics is and has been contentious is a more philosophical one. For the record, I like the ideal of individuals pitting themselves in competition, to excel at what they can do physically, and as an inspiration for people (think Usain Bolts amazing performance and time in Beijing), and kids in particular. Part of the reason for pursuing this change of career that I thought about this morning, was the upbringing I had, where football, motor racing, tennis and other sports were encouraged, debated at the dinner table, attended and participated in by my family.

However, the philosophy and sociology of sport is something that I've become more interested in over the last few years. It can be positive, but also negative. Blood doping in cycling taints the Tour de France more than anything. Its so exciting to watch, but yeah, loses its lustre when leader after leader is thrown out after being caught. People rightly ask, "Is it the rider or the enhancers that lead to that winning performance?" The same too with the Olympics. The chase for victory leading to many instances of drug cheats and corrupting the 'ideal'. And similarly, a pet bugbear of mine, but one that is so prominent you have to remind yourself these days of - the commercialisation of sport. I could write a whole section on the blog about this but I read today about a sports writer who died this week and who asked those difficult questions about sport, gave his opinion (bilous at times) and didn't just tow the party line. The Guardian printed this as an obituary on their site and as an example of his pieces the article below on the loss of the Olympic ideal and what is wrong with the games. I don't apologise for his language or the courage of his convictions. Corporate Steven Wells wasn't. Forthright he was. Let his belief and conviction be his testament and example to us all, whatever your views. RIP.

On why we should boycott the Olympics Steven Wells - 22 July 2008.

"The history of the modern Olympic movement is one long, sad litany of imperialism, racism, exploitation and oppression. But that's not why I think we should boycott the Olympics. And I do think we should boycott them. Not just the Beijing games. All of them. Forever. Why? Because of the total disconnect between what the Olympics are supposed to be about (grace, beauty, athleticism, sportsmanship, solidarity, brotherhood and the human spirit) and the sordid reality — as superbly illustrated by what the preparations for the 2012 London games are doing to the Manor Garden allotments.

"Ask yourself this question: are the drug-riddled, debased and corrupt Olympics worth the demolition of a single 80-year-old community institution that genuinely and continually promotes health, mental wellbeing, exercise, neighbourliness and fresh vegetables? And (while we're at it) was it worth ripping up the much-loved and heavily used five-a-side football pitches in East London's Spitalfields market just so the City of London could have yet another identikit shopping/office development? (If you answered yes to either question, stop reading and trot off and fellate a stockbroker, you dominant ideology humping Tory bastard).

"Don't get me wrong. I dislike cockney gardeners just as much as the next professional Northern bigot ... but when I see our socialist heritage of collective gardening trampled underfoot by the size-900 Adidas bovver sneakers of soulless corporate sport, I'm there on the front line, jabbing at the scaly, baby-eating, corn-syrup spewing monstrosity with a dung-smeared pitchfork, glotally whining in my best Thames Estuary accented sub-English: Bugger off back to whichever focus-group driven hell spawned you, Nikezilla. Ils ne passeront pas, me old cock sparrer, ils ne passeront bleedin' pas.

"What are these Olympics anyway? Every square inch of its corporate jism-soaked soul is fully owned by one crap-peddling multinational monster or another. And all the major events are dominated by freakish, faceless, unreal, disconnected, socially-crippled identikit meta-humans, most (if not all) of them as keenly engaged in an ever-escalating techno-war with the drug testers as they are in actually running, jumping or throwing stuff.

"Why should I cheer these freaks on? Because they supposedly represent the patch of dirt I was born on? Is it not absurd that an event so wedded to the increasingly redundant 18th-century notion of the nation state should be owned lock, stock and logo-plastered barrel by nationless corporations, all of whom automatically shift production to anywhere the grateful peasants will work for a dollar a day (and all the rice and rat meat they can eat) at the drop of a spread sheet?

"The fact is that we have irrevocably lost the Olympics to the dumb, piggish maelstrom of corruption, blind self-interest, amorality, blandness, hypocrisy and lowest-common-denominator aesthetics that is corporate capitalism. And no amount of hand wringing or faux-nostalgic bleating about Corinthian values is ever going to bring it back.

"... When the corporations start to sniff around the edges of these events (as they already do, the bastards) we should kvetch like billy-o. No, not because it'll do any good, but because not to do so means to accept cultural brain-death, to become sports Tories, to march in corporate sponsored official replica shirt-wearing lockstep into a new serfdom where our only functions are to slave and consume.

"I give you the NFL, the NBA, the Premier League and every other professional league on the planet, all of them to a greater or lesser degree on the slippery slope to soulless shut-up-and-consume McSports status"

"KECEDERAAN BUKAN SEKADAR KESAKITAN"

“Sejurus selepas mendapat kecederaan ini, perkara pertama yang terlintas dalam fikiran ialah tentang kedudukan saya dalam pasukan ini kelak. Adakah saya akan diketepikan selepas ini?”



Petikan ayat ini merupakan hasil dari temuduga secara tidak formal yang dijalankan ke atas seorang atlet yang pernah menjalani pembedahan di bahagian lututnya dan kini sedang mengikuti sesi rehabilitasi di unit fisioterapi. Apakah maksud sebenar di sebalik kenyataan itu?



Secara umumnya perkara utama yang paling sinonim dengan kecederaan ialah kesakitan. Tetapi secara khususnya, kesakitan hanyalah sebahagian daripada respon terhadap kecederaan. Oleh itu, artikel ini akan membincangkan tentang respon terhadap kecederaan dari aspek psikologi seterusnya dapat sedikit sebanyak merungkai maksud sebenar kenyataan di atas.



Dari segi psikologi, respon terhadap kecederaan akan menjadi pelbagai berdasarkan beberapa elemen-elemen tertentu. Sebahagian daripada elemen yang dimaksudkan itu adalah faktor umur, jantina (gender), faktor tingkahlaku individu, personaliti serta emosi.



Pada kebiasaannya, atlet yang masih dalam peringkat awal penglibatannya dalam sukan akan lebih merasakan impak negatif terhadap kecederaan yang dialami berbanding atlet senior. Hal ini kerana, atlet-atlet muda ini merasakan seolah-olah karier mereka sudah berada di ambang kehancuran manakala atlet senior mungkin akan lebih tenang menghadapi situasi ini kerana pengalaman lepas banyak melatih golongan senior ini untuk lebih bersedia menghadapi kecederaan. Selain itu, mereka juga mungkin sudah pun bersedia untuk bersara. Justeru, perhatian yang sewajarnya perlu diberikan kepada golongan junior.



Selain itu, menurut kajian yang telah dijalankan, faktor jantina (gender) juga mempengaruhi respon terhadap kecederaan. Hasil kajian itu menyatakan bahawa lelaki akan merasa lebih tertekan apabila mengalami kecederaan berbanding wanita terutamanya apabila mereka menghadapi para penyokong, ahli pasukan yang lain dan juga jurulatih. Maka, sokongan dari semua pihak amat diperlukan.



Dari segi tingkah laku pula, atlet yang bersikap negatif terhadap kecederaan mereka biasanya akan lebih terdedah kepada kecederaan berulang (repetitive injuries) terutamanya apabila mereka menafikan kecederaan itu dan tidak mahu menjalani proses rehabilitasi dengan betul. Cara yang terbaik untuk mengatasi masalah ini ialah dengan memberi informasi yang menyeluruh tentang kecederaaan mereka sehingga mereka benar-benar faham tentang situasi yang sedang dialami.



Bercakap tentang personaliti pula, terdapat 2 personaliti yang berbeza dalam menghadapi kecederaan iaitu *extrovert dan *introvert. Bagi seorang yang extrovert, mereka biasanya kurang bersabar dan mempunyai toleransi terhadap kesakitan yang tinggi, maka kemungkinan untuk golongan ini menafikan kesakitan dan kembali beraksi (lebih-lebih lagi ke pertandingan terdekat) adalah amat besar. Manakala bagi golongan introvert, mereka adalah sebaliknya dan mungkin tidak akan kembali beraksi dalam masa yang terdekat. Oleh itu adalah amat penting untuk mengenalpasti personaliti seseorang atlet itu untuk menangani mereka ketika cedera.



Dan sebagai garis panduan, berikut merupakan tanda-tanda amaran yang menunjukkan atlet tertentu sedang mengalami sindrom ketidakmampuan untuk mengadaptasi dengan kecederaan secara positif;

• Takut untuk kembali beraksi yang melampau kerana dibimbangi akan cedera lagi.
• Mengasingkan diri – berasa ketinggalan dan tidak berdaya.
• Menafikan tahap kecederaan dan respon terhadap proses penyembuhan (‘denial’)
• Tidak sabar dan tidak berasa senang.
• Mood yang tidak stabil.
• Rasa bersalah yang melampau kerana telah mengecewakan pasukan.
• Obses dengan persoalan untuk kembali beraksi.
  
  

Kesimpulannya, kecederaan adalah perkara yang biasa dalam sukan. Oleh itu, para atlet perlulah bersikap positif dalam menghadapi situasi ini. Pihak lain terutamanya jurulatih dan orang yang terdekat pula haruslah memainkan peranan penting dalam memberikan sokongan moral terhadap atlet-atlet yang tercedera.

*extrovert : golongan yang bersikap terbuka, senang bercampur gaul , dan bersikap peramah.

*introvert : golongan yang lebih selesa bersendiri, kurang selesa dengan interaksi sosial dan lebih pendiam.

Oleh: Norazah Binti Mohd Azawi, Pelajar praktikal dari USM, Pusat Psikologi Sukan, ISN

The research process for a Sports Psych (trainee)

So I've escaped to the sun and am diligently reading and writing to move the thesis on. It's a long process, but hugely enjoyable and lovely to do it poolside rather than in a small room in Stoke Newington. As per my last post I am going to be updating this blog so that it explains to the unitiated just what the hell Sport Psychology and mental skills training entail. To demystify, debunk and reach out to the wider World.

Last week I attended the 3rd International Qualitative Conference at my University and was inspired by other researchers presentations, findings, and encouragement. I'm determined to write a great bit of research and present it at a similar event in the future. The thing it left me thinking, other than that I am doing the right course of study and career, is that we have to make the work we do relevant to 'the man in the street' (or at least in the running club, football team, gym, office or factory). This doesn't mean dumbing down, but to transfer where the relevance of what is found in the field to everyday life.

I'll be telling you what Sport Psychology is; why its relevant to you; what I do, am aiming to do, and my theoretical orientation, amongst other useful starting points.

In the meantime, I'm using this medium to track my progress with my work, for as a novice researcher, I have to keep a reflexive journal to ensure I'm doing justice to the research being generating. Thats why I kept the 100 day log of training for the marathon. It tells me how I felt, what was going on, what factors were affecting my thinking and work. This needs to continue whilst I complete my work on 'the mental skills of marathon runners' that I captured at this years London Marathon. Got a lot to get through between now and tomorrow. I'll post up more on this in the next few days.

What I'm up to for June

These days you can use the web in so many ways to announce what you're doing, where you're going and when you're free. Moving to a more freelance lifestyle, though its all a bit 'look at me', you have to in order to get work, pitch for work and keep on top of things.

This week is crunch for me as I'm trying to get thesis work done and finish a web job whilst working on the marketing for my sport psychology practice before going on holiday. Obviously i have this blog and i'm on email and twitter (username stuholliday). Facebook I tend to keep for staying in touch with far away friends and for all of my music promotion work (electric elephant as you ask: www.electricelephant.co.uk).

so, if all goes according to plan, by the end of June I'll be:

1) up to the results section of my thesis
2) be able to build any web sites anyone requires
3) have a website, flyers and business cards for the sports psychology and physical training consultancy
4) pimp myself out on spare days for web usability, office admin, project managerial work; mystery shopping; & dog walking (i'm joking about the dog walking)

From the 13th to the 23rd of June I'm in spain. If you're out there then I'm barcelona for the weekend of the 20th & 21st.

This process has been useful. I'm going to put a calendar on my website to show my availability! cool.

Till next time...
s
x

Watch Your Head!

Watch Your Head!
By Dr. Randy Borum

(Article First appears in Black Belt Magazine, June, 2009)

Sport-related concussions once again have hit the headlines. It is estimated that at least 300,000 of them occur every year. Martial artists who do full-contact sparring are certainly at some risk for these injuries. But are concussions really such a big deal?

Medically, a concussion is considered to be a mild traumatic brain injury. It is caused either by some type of blunt trauma – such as a punch or kick- or by forces accelerating or decelerating the brain within the skull. Typically, there is no discernible damage to the structure of the brain, but concussions do temporarily disrupt brain functions. As a result, concussions are diagnosed and graded based on their symptoms rather than by neuroimaging. Basically, the severity of concussive injury depends on the nature, duration and extent of disrupted brain functions, not on the shape, size or color of what shows up on a brain scan.

Just because there are no signs of physical damage, doesn't mean that no harm was done or that the injury isn't serious. Medical researchers don't know for sure what happens to the brain during a concussion and what causes the brain functions to be impaired, but it seems to be linked to damage that occurs at a cellular level. When the concussion is caused by abrupt rotational forces, risk increases for damaging areas of axons within the brain. This is known as “diffuse axonal injury.” Axons are the pathways that allow neurons to communicate with each other. Disrupt the pathways, and you disrupt the function.

The cumulative effect of repeated concussions is a subject of ongoing medical inquiry. For many years, the medical literature has reported cases of “pugilistic dementia”, sometimes called “punch drunk syndrome” due to its effect impairing speech, coordination, and cognitive functions. These cases have mostly been reported among professional boxers after about 15 years of competing. The more contemporary term used to describe the phenomenon is “chronic traumatic encephalopathy” (CTE).

CTE has recently been in the news because of claims that it is linked to deaths of several retired professional athletes, primarily football players. Researchers at Boston University's School of Medicine have established the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy to better understand the problem by examining the brains of affected individuals after their death. Studying the brains directly after death, neurologists can see damage that does not appear on traditional scans. The youngest case they have studied is that of 18-year-old high school football player who had suffered multiple concussions.

In these brains studies, researchers have found deep structural abnormalities called neurofibrillary tangles caused by the build-up of “tau”, an abnormal and toxic protein. Interestingly, neurofibrillary tangles have also been implicated in Alzheimer's dementia. Signs of CTE may start with memory problems or disturbances in mood or behavior, such as depression, mood swings or erratic/impulsive actions. Incidentally, in a survey I conducted of more than 400 combat sport athletes, those who had a history of multiple concussions were much more likely to be seriously depressed than those with no concussive history.

Researchers believe that problems associated with CTE get worse over time. As the protein accumulates, the effects get progressively worse, eventually killing brain cells; in some case, ultimately leading to a full-blown dementia. Once the build up occurs, the cell damage may progress and the brain functions may continue to deteriorate even years after the repeated concussions have stopped.

Of course, most people who get concussions – even more than one – do not seem to develop this severe and progressively worsening condition. There seems to be no reliable way right now, though, to distinguish in advance those who will from those who won't. The risk of concussions is not unique to martial arts and combative sports – in fact there are a larger number that occur from football-related injuries. But those who train or compete in full-contact martial arts should be aware that sustaining repeated concussions – at least in some cases - can have serious consequences. Any single impact may seem like an insignificant “ding”, but the cumulative effects, particularly over years, can be quite troubling.

If you train or compete in full-contact sports, there are a few things you can do to educate yourself and mitigate your risk. First, learn to recognize the signs of concussive injury. Sometimes people think if there's no loss of consciousness or memory, there's no problem. That's not necessarily true. While loss of consciousness and amnesia (memory loss) are often related to the severity of the injury, neither is a necessary condition to diagnose concussion, and neither is a good isolated marker of its effects. Experts suggest that symptoms – and possibly cognitive and postural testing - be assessed and monitored at the time of the event and afterwards. Common signs at the time include confusion, feeling “foggy”, clumsy or uncoordinated movement, dizziness, balance problems, headache, nausea, and vision problems. If you are with someone who may have had a concussive injury, you can ask a couple of simple questions. Check whether they know where they are and what day it is, whether they remember the hit and what preceded it, whether they can remember new words you give to them and repeat a series of two or three numbers backwards. These questions don't provide a diagnosis. That's not what you're trying to accomplish. But failing these basic tasks could suggest the person has sustained some injury – however minor – and at least should sit out the day and perhaps consult his or her healthcare professional.

Second, after sustaining a concussion, give your brain plenty of time to recover. It is tempting for some fighters to try to tough it out and go immediately back to trading blows, but getting a second concussion while the brain is still recovering from the first can seriously compound the severity and damage. Studies have shown that, on average, it takes approximately seven days for athletes to fully recover from symptoms of a concussion. At a minimum, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association recommends that athletes who experience a head injury resulting in loss of consciousness or amnesia should refrain from participating on the day of the injury, and that management should be more conservative for athletes who have a history of prior concussions.

You can find additional information about sport-related concussions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/ncipc/tbi/) or the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (sportsmedicine.upmc.com/ConcussionProgram.htm).