Posts Tagged "football"
Oct13

What Do These Words Mean & Why Are You YELLING?

Posted at 12:34 PM • No Comments
Thanks for coming back! I appreciate your viewing.
Halftime Speech

Halftime Speech

Halftime speeches are a staple of American football.  They are there to pump up the team when they are losing, to motivate them to finish the job when they are winning, or to refocus the team when things are getting out of control.  They usually involve one or more people yelling or speaking passionately (sometimes a coach or a player).  The players then respond with more yelling.

All of this sounds great, football is about getting pumped up and excited, right? And when players are not doing there job a rousing halftime speech will change that, correct?

The answer is no.  Football is about controlled emotions.  Many fans think since players jump around and celebrate that the goods ones play with wild emotions.  That is only partially true.  Aggression and high emotions may come out during play but those who are successful can control these emotions.

So what does the halftime speech do?  Many coaches will agree that the right halftime speech is good for moral but that is about it.  The position meetings during halftime are more productive for the players because they can review or modify strategies.

An article in The Philadelphia Inquirer explained that from a high school perspective that there isn’t that much time to make changes and a rousing speech certainly isn’t going to help someone become a better player.  True, but at any level the team that makes adjustments and is able to make the most out of their energy and emotion is often the more successful team.

Article here

Jul17

After Being A Pro

Posted at 12:45 PM • No Comments
This probably looks easy now

This probably looks easy now

It’s hard to have a life and professional athletes.  Just ask Bernie Kosar.  The story comes up time and time again in the news about how athletes either in trouble with the law, have physical and/or mental issues, have financial trouble, or experience domestic problems.  And after reading the article about Bernie Kosar it becomes more apparent that there needs to be some type of support system for former professional athletes after they retire.

Many athletes are retiring by the age of 30, the same age where many people are starting a career.  That disconnect between what the majority population is dealing what a few select people are experiencing seems to be causing a rift in their personal  lives.

Besides the obvious of being hurt and experiencing various physical pain, many players are struggling with how to live life.  There needs to be a better support system created by the leagues to help these players.  While some systems are improving they have a long way to go.  (Look back at a post on “why football players have unique issues”. It gives some insight into why there is such a struggle to live “normally”).

In an upcoming post I will outline my thoughts on how the systems can be structured to benefit the players the most.

signature

For more information about mental performance, as well as overall athletic performance enhancement, check out our websites. Also check out my new workbooks for improving your mental skills.  The links are on the right of the homepage.

Jun22

Beware: Two-a-Day Practices Ahead

Posted at 11:05 AM • No Comments
Are Two-a-days dangerous?

Are Two-a-days dangerous?

Two-a-day pre-season practices are a staple of football from high school through the pros.  They are grueling, challenging, sometimes dangerous, but also necessary.  Recently the National Athletic Trainers’ Association came out against two-a-day practices and many high school coaches are now coming out and disagreeing.

I also disagree for many reasons.  While I usually like to defend those who work in the field and may have scientific evidence, this is a situation where the group (NATA) is off-base.  First, as a former football player and coach I understand the importance of two-a-days.  They allow for the players to improve their conditioning, bond together as a team, and have added time to learn the plays.  For the coaches it gives them extra time to learn about the players, see them in adverse conditions, and teach their schemes in a concise manner.  By having single practices they lose a week of practices (sometimes more because of the flow how both daily practices fit together).  If the regular season (in high school) is 10 weeks and you have a 3 week preseason (which is common in the Northeast) then loosing a week of practices is HUGE.

I also have an issue with NATA for a professional reason.  This is another example of a group trying to fix a problem by stopping everything.  I fully understand the risks and issue that go along with two-a-days BUT it is not a major issue.  Yes, it is a tragedy when players die unnecessarily but it is not like thousands of kids are dropping dead each year during two-a-days (25 H.S. football players have died from heat stroke during the preseason since 1995).  No player should ever die due to heatstroke/exhaustion but NATA does not address prevention, they suggest elimination.  Stopping something is unrealistic, most coaches would never agree to this.  NATA should be providing suggestions/education and improve resources for helping prevent deaths.

As a scholar/practitioner group they have a responsibility to explain how to manage this potential issue and not cause false outrage.  Some parents will hear this report and panic if their kid’s school keeps having two-a-days.  Some media outlets will also run with this report and cause additional panic.  These reactions are a part of our life now (as much as people complain, the media continues to do the same thing).  With this knowledge it is up to organizations in the future to be more responsible in the information and recommendations they produce.  When they do give their recommendation it should solve problems, not just suggest abolishing something. (NOTE: see an expanded version of this article in Issue 2 of the AMPED Sports Magazine)

signature

For more information about mental performance, as well as overall athletic performance enhancement, check out our websites. The links are on the right of the homepage.

Jun12

The NFL & Why Pro Football Players Have Unique Issues

Posted at 4:07 PM • No Comments

Quick Definition & Preface: Conflict theory is a social theory which emphasizes a person’s or group’s ability to exercise influence and control over others, thereby affecting social order. It posits that individuals and groups struggle to maximize their benefits. The NFL and how it is run relates strongly to this theory and may be part of the reason why professional football players have issues unique to them versus other sports.

The NFL is heading towards mini-camps and while most people are focusing on how good their team might be there are some issues that should be considered.  Unlike other sports, pro football is more than just working to get better/get a bigger contract.  The sport consistently tests its players mentally and physically on and off the field. Due to this, different stages in their careers provide different issues but they often lead to bad outcomes.  There are a large number of players not taken care for or who get into trouble after their career.  These issues may begin as early as the draft.

DRAFT:

Beginning with the draft process football players go through the Combine which is distinctly unique.  Every sport tests its athletes in some form but not to the extent the NFL does.  It’s interesting because football does not have the highest average contracts, actually they have the lowest (NFL-1.5 million / NBA- 5.2 million / MLB – 2.7 million /NHL – 1.8 million).  The players go through medical exams, IQ tests, physical trials, interviews, and have their collegiate videos reviewed over and over again.  On top of this their private life is also looked into.  This not only determines their draft status but essentially determines how much money they will make.  Of course, after making a team they can raise their value when their contract is up but there is still a lot of potential lost earning.  If the rookie contract is 4+ years then their is a good chance that is all they will earn because the average NFL career is 3 1/2 seasons.

For some players it is the opposite.  They get drafted high, get a ton of money upfront and now have a different set of unreasonable expectations put upon them.  This system isn’t promoting better play or better performances, in many ways it is hurting them.  It’s also adding new life stressors which can be detrimental to performance.

So how is the player going to have any control or power when the circumstances are already pitted against them?  Does this contribute to the overall well being of the players?  I don’t believe it does, instead it puts an unnecessary pressure on players.  Something that will continue throughout their career.

TRAINING CAMP:

Training camp is also unique to pro football (All sports have a pre-season but nothing to this extent).  It is about a month of long, hot days and exhausting workouts.  Players are separated from friends and family, which may be a change to some rookies.  While this takes a toll on the athletes mind and bodies it does serve a function.  Training camp is a weird function because it helps the team (and players) in many ways, such as team bonding, repetitive practice, and a crash course in the teams offense  or defense.  But training camp also potentially hurts the individual.  They are more susceptible to injury and may set themselves up for playing with pain most season.  Constant injury may lead to a shorter career and more physical ailments after their career is over.

CAREER:

Throughout the player’s career they may experience relative fame, money, and special attention.  This is the crossover to other sports but there is a bigger difference with the NFL than other sports.  When the end of the player’s career happens it is often ungraceful and not on the player’s terms.  Players can be cut at anytime (in most situations, if they are cut they are not paid) and it is not necessarily because they can’t play anymore.  It is often for financial reasons.  Many are then left with dealing with previous concussions and other assorted injuries.  Football, which was their earning potential, is gone.

I argue that this last issue is both the player’s fault and the league’s.  The player’s need to work harder for a better system to help players.  What if you don’t meet the eligible requirements for a pension before you get cut? What if another team does not pick you up?  The end of a football career is not set-up to support the player.  Look at how many players get in-trouble each year.  While in the league they have a support system, once they are out then what?  The current system of the NFL is far from support the individual.  I realize this is a team sport but there are too many issues that are become unique to only this sport.

Looking at the incidents/arrests their seems to be a clear problem of providing support and positive opportunities for the players by both the league and the teams.

Arrests and Citations involving NFL players since 2000

NFL Crime blog

Joe Spano

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.