Starting today AMPED Sports will take on a new look. We will now be in magazine format, providing articles about athletic performance for athletes, coaches, and parents. As for now it will be monthly but as we grow that may change.
We also have an additional area with various materials. They are all focused on health and performance and include things like, a video self-analysis area, mental skills quiz, healthy recipes, a workout tracker, and other information.
There is also a storefront with recommended sport training products and coming soon we will have two new workbooks for athletes of any ability to improve their mental skills and become better athletes.
Lastly, keep up with the regular articles on this blog. Articles will be posted regularly as always.
Go checkout the new site and feel free to provide feedback in the comment section or here.
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
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.
My Take on the NY Times Article: Putting the Pressure on a Diagnosis
Posted at 5:09 PM • No CommentsA recent article in the NY Times discussed the rise of anxiety cases in baseball. As you read through the article my thoughts are italicized in orange. Original Article Here
The Dontrelle of Old
Putting the Pressure on a Diagnosis
By Jim LuttrellIt used to be that people would question whether a player could handle the big stage in cities like New York and Boston. Now, though, there appears to be plenty of pressure off Broadway as well.
An excellent point here due to technology and media. No matter where I am in the country I can follow my favorite team and players. There is so much scrutinizing of these players through channels like ESPN, blogs (I try to always be constructive but I am still critical), and social media sites that have now added pressure to perform. Somebody is ALWAYS watching.
This season, Dontrelle Willis of Detroit and Khalil Greene of St. Louis have been on the disabled list with social anxiety disorder. Cincinnati’s Joey Votto went on the D.L. last week for a “stress-related issue.” And of course, Zack Greinke of Kansas City, currently having a breakthrough season, battled social anxiety disorder and depression early in his career.
Social anxiety disorder may be a misdiagnosis. It sounds more like generalized anxiety disorder. Semantics, but none-the-less important from a professional viewpoint. Dontrelle Willis completely imploded last year and has worked his way back to the majors. Of course he’s feeling more pressure. He went from one of the best pitchers to almost being out of baseball to being back. That’s scary, frustrating, and anxiety inducing for anyone. Let’s not forget that athletes are people too. Think about your own job and if you were in a similar position, how would you psychologically respond?
While few doubt the pressure of playing at the major league level, at least one mental-health professional raised an eyebrow at the growing number of social anxiety disorder diagnoses.
“I’m very suspicious of that diagnosis,” said Dr. Allan Lans, a psychiatrist who practices in New York and has worked with athletes throughout his career, most notably as a member of the Mets’ staff. “It’s not like catching the chickenpox; there has to be a history.”
Wrong. You can develop it at any age. While Dr. Lans is correct about not catching it like chickenpox (bad analogy by the way), it can develop through changes in one’s life. The players might be dealing with off-field things we don’t know about. They could be having marriage issues, family fights, issues with team management, etc. It’s not simply about baseball. Again, THEY ARE PEOPLE TOO!
Lans said social anxiety was a real ailment but was being overdiagnosed. Once a player reaches the majors, Lans said, the issue should not be a surprise.
Why not?
“What happens in baseball is that players, day after day, are performing in front of varying size crowds,” he said. “At a certain point, they blank out all that stuff and concentrate on their jobs. Repeated exposure is one of the most successful treatments. So for a guy who has been in the public eye to suddenly have social anxiety disorder is a little off the wall, in my book.
See the last 3 comments above.
“In baseball, you don’t hit most of the time and you make errors some of the time. You learn to deal with it. A person with social anxiety disorder would never have played to begin with.”
That’s inaccurate again.
A spokesman for the Tigers said the team could not discuss details of Willis’s case because of privacy laws. The Cardinals also declined to comment on Greene. But Brian Britten, the Tigers’ spokesman, said that Major League Baseball has its own doctors and will not allow someone to be put on the disabled list without cause.
Three recent cases involved players who were struggling, possibly for the first time in their careers. Greinke had had only one dominant season in the minors when he was rushed to the majors at 20. Willis, 27, has been unable to duplicate 2005, when he was one of baseball’s most dominant pitchers. Greene, 29, a former first-round draft pick, is in his second season with an average in the low .200s.
Players could be “finding an excuse for why your performance isn’t what it was before,” Lans said. “Look, there are certain instances where it is a real issue, and you’d probably find it’s been there all along — going back to childhood, 7 or 8 years old. So I don’t want to say it doesn’t exist. But you can’t suddenly develop it because you’re not having a good year.’’
Why is it an excuse? There is so much stigma still attached to mental health you would think a psychiatrist would say “yeah mental health is a real issue, athletes are susceptible too”. Need more examples of athletes dealing with mental illness read this. There is no study that says anxiety issues have to develop as a child. If that is the truth then why can’t some players play in bigger markets? (I’m looking at you Edgar Renteria.) I’ll tell you why, added stress which leads to more anxiety! It’s disappointing for me to be part of the psychology field and still deal with peers who fall into this old school way of thinking. It’s time to start looking at situations for what they are and accept athletes as people not some strange mutant that is immune to life.
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.
What To Do With David Ortiz – An Analysis of a MEGA-Slump (Part 2)
Posted at 2:37 PM • No CommentsI finished the first post on this topic by stating that part two of this post will explore how to take a break when you are part of a team. This is a significant issue because it is not as easy just going away. There is accountability to the other players and coaches. (At the pro level there is accountability and financial concerns with management.) So as a player in a slump so bad that time off is needed, there are some important components to handling this appropriately.
If time off away from this team is going to occur there initially needs to be some clear guidelines that both the player and the team should follow. It is important to remember that this is the responsibility of both parties, not simply the player or just the team. This is an big step to take during a slump. The guidelines will shape both the time off, as well as the player’s return.
For the player:
- Understand what this short time of is. It is to clear your head, relax, and get away from the sport. It is not a time to train harder, work on a side project, or party.
- You may be anxious to get back to your sport but don’t rush it. Rushing only potentially exacerbates the situation.
- Take time to set some new goals for when you come back. Start fresh. Treat your comeback like a new season.
- This is not the time to fix mechanics. You will do this when you come back.
For the team:
- It needs to be made clear that this is NOT a punishment. It is for the players benefit. Yet it should be emphasized that it is not a “spring break” type of vacation, it is a relax and take it easy vacation.
- The player should not feel as if there place on the team is threatened. If they were batting 3rd in the lineup when they left, they bat 3rd when they come back. Otherwise the player will be resistant to the break and/or more stress will be added.
- Regular contact should be made to check in but the player should have some space. Again, the goal is to allow the player to get away from the sport.
After the short time away the player should start slow. Set small goals (for example, just make solid contact during a few at bats, then look for hits) and focus on the basics. Treat it like a new season with no expectations. You cannot change the past (and it may be too much to completely make up for), so focus on the present. Slumps are difficult to manage but with some patience and an attention to your mental skills any player can work through it.
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.
Thoughts on the NBA Playoffs – Eastern Conference (Follow-Up)
Posted at 12:54 AM • One CommentJust a few quick notes to follow-up on my early post:
- Cleveland did a great job early on by having multiple people contribute. They let Orlando catch-up because they let up on defense and allow Orlando to dictate play.
- Cleveland ultimately won because they actually had contributors down the stretch (Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, Delonte West). Orlando did not (Dwight Howard fouls out, Rafer Alston 1-10, 7 of those shots were 3s).
- During the 4th quarter Orlando did not continue what they did during the 2nd and 3rd quarter. They needed to stay consistent with their play and follow with what was working. Instead they started firing up 3 point shots for no reason (Reggie Miller even noted this on the broadcast and we all know how much he loves shooting 3s).
- Lastly, Lebron embraced his role and his team allowed him to takeover at the end of the game.
*While I realize these observations seem obvious, refer to games 1-4.
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.
