Dr. Christopher Stankovich

Variables Impacting Athletic Performance

2009-11-03T14:10:00.000-08:00

Almost every day sports fans read about various professional teams doing everything they can to improve their team's athletic performance. Whether it’s a manager/coaching change, a trade for a new player, or the addition of a strength & conditioning training guru, trying to figure out the "right formula" for success is every General Managers goal. Some GM's believe there is a science to sport success that can be measured through various performance markers, like Yards per Game or a Batting Average, while others feel it is more of an art when putting together the right personaliities to work together on a team. And of course, there are others that feel it's a little bit of both science and art!

So what are the most salient variables that impact athletic performance? Based on my experiences in sports, I offer the following list of the most important features for teams to consider when looking to improve athletic performance:

Athletic Skills
This is an easy one – like the saying goes “ya gotta have the horses to win.” Having talent, of course, is always going to help a team find success, but is having talent alone enough? Think about how many teams at the start of each season look great “on paper,” yet finish the season far below expectations? We see this all the time, from the pros all the way down to youth sports!

Coaching
How much does coaching play into team success (or lack thereof)? This is a question of great debate, frankly. Some people feel that getting the “right” coach is often the missing link, while others feel as though coaches often get too much credit for winning, and too much blame for losing. To the degree that the coach impacts a team’s success can certainly be debated, but most would agree that finding the right coach for a program can - and often does - make a big difference. In my opinion the fit of a coach to a team is probably more important than how successful a coach has previously been.

Mood State and Confidence
A player’s mood state and level of confidence are major factors when it comes to athletic success. An athlete may have all the skills in the world, but if he is constantly worried, nervous, and afraid to play all-out (and instead plays to avoid losing), then it really doesn’t matter how good he is "on paper." Unfortunately, not enough General Managers and front office personnel look at these factors, and instead spend a disproportionate amount of time looking for better players, rather than spending resources on developing what they already have. When players regularly feel good about the team culture, and are confident in their own abilities (as well as their teammates), then it is quite likely the team will play at a high level.

Incentives
What does the athlete have to play for when it comes to competition? Pro athletes play for lucrative salaries, college athletes play for a chance to get drafted by the pros, and kids play for, well, they actually play for a number of reasons, including simply pleasing their parents. My point is that the more incentive an athlete has to play hard, the more likely the athlete will be motivated, resulting in the athlete playing above what she is supposedly capable of doing. When teams have a true incentive to improve and succeed, this often allows them to over-achieve, usually leading to a successful season.

Resiliency
How quickly do athletes bounce back from bad plays, terrible games, or even forgettable seasons?! Defeated athletes will lose motivation, confidence, and interest in playing hard, resulting in under-achievement. Conversely, motivated athletes play “over their head” and harness positive adrenaline to help them bounce back from tough days. In sports, resiliency is mandatory if success is to occur. Teams that quickly bounce back from adversity win more games, resulting in stronger team climate and culture.

Of course, there are many more variables that mediate athletic success, but in my experience the ones I have listed here are vitally important for teams to play at their highest levels. Saavy GM's realize these "intangibles" I have listed here are vitally important to team success, and they often bring in outside resources and personnel so they can create a positive, winning culutre for their franchise.

Take a closer look at your favorite team and see how they stack up ---- if nothing else, perhaps my article today will help you at that next fantasy sports draft when sizing up your players on watch!

Sports: The Universal Common Denominator!

2009-11-02T08:38:00.000-08:00

These days, there are plenty of reasons to look at our country with pessimism and despair. Whether it’s the current recession, the ongoing wars, or the daily fighting between politicians, just about every day can turn into a bummer and quickly begin to look very bleak. Add in racism, gender inequalities, and differences over global warming and healthcare options, you can easily see how divided we have become.

Still, there is one common thread that holds us together: sports.

I cannot think of too many things in life that bring people, who are otherwise completely different, together. Fans cheering in the stands are from different races, religions, and political parties. Athletes playing on the court come from different backgrounds. Yet, during sporting events, all these boundaries and differences disappear, and everyone unites. Racists cheer the opposite race, heterosexuals cheer homosexuals, and Republicans cheer Democrats. Fans unite and jump from their seats together, regardless of who is sitting next to them, and athletes from different backgrounds work together as committed teammates fighting for the same goal. At least for a couple hours, we are all one.

Everything goes out the window when we become intoxicated with excitement from our love of sports. We do not “qualify” who we are high-fiving, and we go nuts when we win – regardless of the makeup of the players that got us the victory. Our pride and overall outlook on life often ebbs and flows with respect to how our team is doing in the standings. When it comes to sports, we don’t care about being different, but we instead pull together as one for a common goal - victory.

Not only do we win together, but we commensurate over losses together as well. When our team loses, it doesn’t matter who it is that extends their condolences; we genuinely appreciate the gesture. While a liberal Democrat might not have anything in common with a conservative Republican, the two will join together in synchrony in a “we’ll get ‘em next year” afterthought following a heartbreaking loss.

It’s really quite amazing when you think about how sport brings people together. The same people who use words like “hate” and “despise” to describe certain types of people outside of the stadium are, ironically, the very same people who pay big money to cheer these people on when they’re competing as athletes. The players we watch somehow magically lose their skin color, their religious beliefs, and even their sexuality as fans emotionally cling to them and pay no attention to the differences that exist. What endeavor other than sports wipes away our differences and allows us – albeit for a brief moment in time - to unite as one?

Sports are the universal common denominator that brings us together!

Sport Superstitions & Pre-Game Rituals

2009-10-27T14:04:00.001-07:00

I was recently interviewed about my thoughts on sport superstitions and how they differ from pre-game rituals. I thought the question was a good one, and it actually prompted me to think about the differences (and whether there truly were any), as well as the importance of doing one or both

As you have probably already heard by now many athletes engage in odd, quirky, and sometimes just weird activities before going out to compete. Some of these behaviors include eating the same type of food on game days to wearing the same t-shirt or shorts under the uniform for good luck. The goal for an athlete engaging in superstitious behaviors - even if he or she doesn't describe it this way - is ultimately to get in the best, most focused mindset and positive mood state possible, leading to more confidence and, you guessed it --- greater likelihood that the athlete will perform to his or her highest level.

While superstitions are often viewed as a little "different" (putting it lightly), pre-game rituals are usually seen as quite normal --- and athletes who do not have a pre-game ritual are sometimes viewed as being too aloof and not tuned in for competition! Interestingly, pre-game rituals, while usually seen as "normal," are essentially designed to do the same thing as superstitions do -- that is, help prepare the athlete with better focus, confidence, and mood state!

So what are the similarities and differences between the two? I have comprised a list below to help sum it all up:

Similarities:

Both are designed to help prepare athletes for competition
Both are usually done without the assistance of others (and often done privately)
Both are usually completed in a relatively short period of time
Both are unique to the athlete
Neither are designed to disrupt the team, and rarely does the athlete doing the pre-game ritual/superstition recruit others to do the same

Differences:

Superstitions are usually perceived as odd, quirky, or downright weird
Pre-game routines are usually more "mainstream" and can be things like going through a specific shooting routine, or simply looking over a goal sheet for the season before going out to compete
Superstitious behaviors are typically designed to help "align the stars" and recruit the assistance of other, outside variables that could help the athlete succeed, whereas pre-game routines are usually seen as simply a part of getting ready for a game, and not something that needs to be done in order to bring in outside forces to help the athlete play well
Superstitions are a lot of fun to identify and talk about (especially for fans and the media), while pre-game routines are typically viewed as boring and mundane - and not a lot of fun to talk about

Of course, these are just my thoughts about the similarities and differences between superstitions and pre-game routines, but I guess what I find most interesting is how they are essentially designed to help athletes do the same thing - that is, take control of the situation and their surroundings, minimize their stress levels, increase their self-confidence and enhance mood state, all resulting in allowing the athlete to begin the game in the best possible mindset he or she can develop before the first whistle blows.

One final note -- I do advise all athletes to develop a pre-game routine that is unique to the athlete --- whether it meets the criteria of a superstition is left up to the individual!

The Sport Doc's 5 Tips for Sport (and Life) Success!

2009-10-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

#1 LOVE What You Do!
In order to increase motivation, persistence, and resiliency you must love what you do! Finding reasons why you want to do something increases intrinsic motivation, better enabling you to work through tough times and keep your head up when things don’t look so good. It is vitally important that you find something – anything – within the tasks that you do so that you find value in doing them. For example, if you are an athlete and not receiving much playing time, it would make perfect sense for you to become bored and disinterested in putting much effort into practice. However, by finding something about playing sports (other than simply getting more playing time – that’s obvious) you will increase your mood state, allowing you to continue to participate at a high level. So what “other things” might keep you invested in participating? How about getting great physical workouts, being with terrific friends, or simply enjoying the learning experience you are receiving that will allow you to excel when your number is eventually called!

#2 Set Goals
In order to be successful you must develop “road maps” in life to follow. Goal setting is really an exercise in road mapping, as setting goals allows you to specify targets and mobilize and sustain your efforts toward them. Goal setting research clearly shows that when people set specific, measurable goals they always outperform people who set no goals, as well as people who set “do your best” types of goals. These scientific findings have been witnessed across settings, including in sports, school, and life. Furthermore, setting goals can dramatically help with self-esteem and self-confidence, two additional variables closely linked with peak performance.

#3 Focus
The ability to focus – to put all your energy and perception toward one target, while at the same time eliminating outside, irrelevant factors – is quite an ability indeed. Outside distracters are all those little things that take our attention away from the task at-hand, including what we need to do later in the day, the voices in our heads that remind us that we “aren’t good enough,” or that last play 2 minutes ago where we screwed up and seemingly let the team down. People excel in life when they are able to devote all their attention and energy toward the important aspects of success, while refusing to acknowledge things that A) don’t matter, or B) things that have already happened and cannot be changed.

#4 Don’t Give Up
Persistence and resiliency are two key pieces to success! This very simple suggestion (Don’t give up) is arguably the biggest tip to success, as most people endure stress, frustration – and even failure – before finally succeeding and reaching their final long-term goals in life. Unfortunately, most people do not hear of these tough stories, and instead wrongfully assume that when people become successful, it happened easily and without any problems. Like the old saying goes, “It’s not how many times you fall down, but how many times you get up!” If the goals you have set for yourself are currently not working, take a step back, regroup, and “build a better mousetrap” for tomorrow!

#5 Evaluate and Learn
Regardless of what happens to you, whether you “win or lose,” or whether you succeed or fail, it is most important that you allow a little time to pass (and let the emotions settle), then revisit the event that recently happened and learn from the experience. Unfortunately, far too many times people do not do this – especially when they fail at something – and instead allow the emotions of what just happened to get in the way of using logic to learn form the situation – and improve upon it in the future! Keep in mind that logic and emotion are on opposite ends of the continuum, and in order for true learning and growth to occur, you must flush out the emotions, become “level-headed” again, and work diligently to better understand what you can do differently and better the next time out!

Follow Me on Twitter!

2009-09-29T15:45:00.001-07:00

So I have broken down and finally joined the Twitter World --- actually, its not that bad and really sort of fun ---- feel free to follow me at:

http://twitter.com/drstankovich

Thanks for your continued support of my work!

Addressing the Number of Growing Issues in Youth/Interscholastic Sports

2009-09-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Youth and interscholastic sports continue to evolve all the time, and we must work collectively to ensure that kids are consistently involved in a safe, fun, and meaningful sport experience. Long gone are the days of pick-up games, short season schedules, 3-sport letter winners, and nominal league fees - today the youth sport landscape consists of plenty of structure, tons of games, sport "specialists," and very expensive league and operating fees. Of course not all of this is bad, per se, but it does require adults to stay up on things and work diligently to ensure kids are having a great experience playing sports!

Some kids today play year-round, and some elect to specialize in one sport. Other kids play in travel leagues, and some even play in multiple leagues at once! While most families who experience these types of situations deal with them successfully - even if it is challenging at times - there are increasingly more families not so lucky.

Youth sport burnout is a major concern to families across the country, and occurs when kids play sports so much that they begin to lose interest in playing. In other words, their intrinsic motivation decreases, yet mom and dad sometimes don't see this, and instead continue to push along without much concern. Unfortunatley, for many kids, instead of speaking up and asking their parents to take a break and slow down some, they elect to remain silent as they watch all the time, money, and energy their parents devote to youth sports.

When kids get burned out from playing sports, it is not that quitting the sport is the answer --- actually, taking a short break can remedy most problems right away. Unfortunately, without any breaks, some kids internalize their stress, leaving them at-risk for dangerous coping behaviors including drinking, drug use, and other dangerous things.

For this reason it is important for all of us to pay attention to the changes in youth sports, respond to them as quickly as possible, and watch for when kids may be at-risk for youth sport burnout. Sport participation should be considered as part of a child's overall development, but when it becomes the only activity a child is involved with (and at the expense of other growth opportunities) it can lead to youth sport burnout - and possibly bigger problems as a result.

Keep an eye on all the changes in youth sports and step up when you see problems developing - together we can all make a positive difference!

New Website is Live!

2009-09-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking in -- if you haven't visited http://www.drstankovich.com/ recently, please take a few minutes and examine the new website! The new streamlined design, easier navigation, and increased product line are just a few of the exciting changes that I hope sport enthusiasts, coaches, parents, and athletes will benefit from in the future.

Soon you will see a growing list a "free" articles and videos, as well as additional sport performance products that will be available at reasonable prices. All products are designed to maximize the sport experience, and help kids use sport as a vehicle for life success!

Another new addition to the revised website is a greater emphasis on my Life training products. Currently, audio files are available for "everyday" people designed to help with stress appraisal and recovery, changing habits for life success, and leadership. In the near future new videos on these topics will also be available as well.

Please stop by and visit, and let us know what you think. If you have any requests for additional information please email information@drstankovich.com

Thanks!

Exciting News!

2008-06-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I have some exciting news to report pertaining to the current issues/problems with training requirements for one to become an interscholastic coach in Ohio. Recently I met with State Senator Steve Stivers and discussed the current minimal training required for one to coach in Ohio, with the hopes that we could collectively do things to improve upon this situation. I am very excited to report that as a result of this meeting Senator Stivers has decided to work with me in developing new legislature that will one day hopefully result in a new statewide law that will better prepare coaches through professional training opportunities. Obviously this is only a starting place, but it is a positive step in the right direction!

Most people are unaware of the current minimal standards nationwide when it comes to delivering appropriate training to coaches. My findings have shown that state athletic boards seem to spend an inordinate amount of time on first aid training, but rarely ever guidance when it comes to the everyday, psychosocial concerns coaches are far more likely to face (trust me, coaches spend far more time communicating with kids and their parents about "life" issues than they ever do providing first aid care). Unfortunately, even when previous training efforts have been made by schools and state boards, these programs typically miss the real issues and instead focus on things like sportsmanship and creating enthusiasm for athletics within the school. While these issues are certainly important, coaches really need to be trained for things like identifying youth burnout, steroids, performance supplements, and HGH; helping families with the realities of college scholarships and professional sport opportunities; and establishing appropriate "boundaries" with student athletes and their parents (to name a few things).

My approach to developing this exciting bill in Ohio includes the following ideas:

Training must be non-punitive! We need to develop and deliver future training in non-punitive ways so that coaches can embrace these ideas rather than view them as simply "one more thing to do." oftentimes when people are required to do things the initial knee-jerk reaction is just that (or even worse) -- with this new idea I hope coaches will see how a minimal amount of psychosocial training geared toward the real issues they face will only make their overall coaching experience that much more enjoyable and successful.
The three core areas of training will include coaching philosophy, contemporary issues, and "hands-on" situations. The coaching philosophy module ill prompt coaches to examine why they coach and the goals they have for working with kids; the contemporary issues module will examine issues like performance supplements, sport specialization, and other psychological issues student athletes will likely experience; and the hands-on module will help with things like developing appropriate boundaries with kids and diffusing potentially volatile situations with parents.
We need to get more people/groups on board! Obviously keeping kids safe by assisting coaches with up-to-date training has far-reaching effect and impacts literally millions of families nationwide! My experiences have shown me that nearly everybody I have spoken to about this issue wants to see things improved upon as soon as possible - unfortunately, few people have known where to start or what to do. As we continue to move this idea along this summer and throughout the rest of the year I hope to continue to provide updates on this blog and urge you to consider finding out how you and/or your organization can get involved and help!

Thats the summary of news for now - please continue supporting youth sports and help out your child's teams this summer as much as you can!!

Strategies for Keeping Employees Happy, Healthy, & Productive!

2008-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

As times change, and we continually become more integrated with technology and the digital revolution, it is imperative that business leaders remain open to change and adjust their leadership styles, interpersonal dynamics, and wellness training to change with the times.

As business people today continue to substitute “old school” face-to-face communication with email, instant messaging, and blackberries, it is important to note how easily it has become for us all to lose touch of the importance of professional business relationships and taking care of the people who take care of us.

With face-to-face meetings quickly becoming an antiquated notion, many business leaders today are losing touch of important training and development needs – not because they are disinterested in these concerns, but simply because there are not as many opportunities to solicit feedback on what employees want and need with respect to job happiness and satisfaction.

Please consider the following reminders when working to keep your employees happy, healthy, and productive:

>Communicate and resolve potential conflicts with
your employees before problems arise!
By not ignoring the “elephant in the room” and responding to concerns immediately as they emerge, employees will feel more secure in your leadership style, experience far less anxiety, and ultimately gain the confidence needed that they truly are important pieces to the overall success of the organization.

>Empower employees by providing opportunities
for their insights, observations, and ideas.
Most people I know have terrific ideas to share – but often do not share their ideas simply because they do not feel as though they would be met with interest or enthusiasm. Create dialogue with employees by using open-ended questions for feedback (i.e. “What ideas do you have for our company to improve?”) and assure them their ideas will be considered unconditionally, regardless of their current job title or position. As a leader, an authoritative approach (democratic in nature) is almost always preferred over an authoritarian approach (a dictator style) when it comes to increasing team cohesion and team success

>Work to instill intrinsic, not extrinsic, motivation in your employees.
As people we almost always initiate action and sustain effort toward a goal if we feel attached to the overall value of the goal (and that we have something to do with the likelihood of achieving the goal). When we are intrinsically motivated to do something, the task is not viewed as “work,” but instead a valued interest that has meaning far beyond simply task completion. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is doing something only for a reward or recognition – and is usually the type of motivation that is short-lived and less intense.

>Create stress breaks!
Burnout and fatigue are huge concerns for many workers today, and it is often difficult to take time off the clock for downtime without feeling guilty (or that the work will never get done!). A fatigued, stressed-out worker is not a good thing! In fact, countless studies show that when people become mentally exhausted, they inevitably run the risk of making more mistakes, becoming angry and hostile towards others, and are more at-risk for substance use and abuse. The good news is that an ounce of prevention truly will result in a pound of cure!

Think about ways that you can get employees off the clock – without fear or guilt – and create opportunities for fun and blowing off steam! It really doesn’t matter what you decide to do, as long as you genuinely offer these much needed breaks your employees will truly appreciate your efforts!

Related to creating stress-breaks, keep in mind many physical aches, pains, and illnesses (and associated employer costs) are related to mental anguish, exhaustion, and feelings of hopelessness. In order to keep people fresh, constantly look for ways to change routines and allow employees to try new things and develop new skill sets. When people feel as though their efforts are not recognized (or valued), or that their work duties are never-ending, quite often feelings of despair trigger physical reactions within the body that will lead to physical pain and illness. Fortunately, many of these problems can be minimized by simply increasing awareness and communication with your staffs needs.

What Have Colleges Become (Minor League Training Grounds)?

2008-04-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Its no secret that over the years college athletic departments have grown by leaps and bounds when it comes to revenue and media exposure. In fact, today's BCS college football programs earn upwards of 20 million dollars per school - not to mention the millions of additional dollars earned through licensing and merchandising. Yes, we as Americans love our college sports, and watching "amateurs" compete at the highest level is incredibly entertaining!

I have a very unique perspective that stems from my work in the field of sport psychology (working as a clinician), my role as a college educator, and my role as a professional educational consultant. Through these terrific experiences, I often get to view situations through various points of view, and sometimes things jump out at me that just don't make sense. Today's blog entry is an example of one of these concerns I have - and that I have learned is also shared by a great number of people.

What is a College Supposed to Be?

Having worked diligently through a Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degree, - and subsequent to my personal education I have worked for almost 15 years as a college educator- I feel as though I do have some perspectives on what I think a college should be. In my opinion, the role of a college education should be a place where students can learn, develop, and grow as people - where students can learn practical information through theories, research findings, and related applications that will one day help them in their careers and in life. The experience of college also offers additional opportunities to learn about life through social interactions with others, especially different cultures and ethnicities. College should be about learning, and to that point I feel it is imperative to protect this pursuit and keep it as the #1 goal of what college should be about!

If you are in agreement with me about the purpose of higher education, then you will probably also agree that the faculty, staff, and administration is responsible for making all this happen - and should be rewarded for their efforts accordingly. If these people are truly the "front line" to a college, and the heart and soul of the institution - the ones who spend countless hours teaching, mentoring, and supervising students to not only become better scholars, but better people - then it would be quite reasonable to expect they would be receiving compensation and recognition accordingly. Sadly, they are not.

Instead, in today's world we continue to portray that colleges really are still about these qualities I mentioned above, but is this truly the case? Can we really say our top priorities are education and development of students, when a growing percentage of college coaches (i.e. football and basketball) continue to make astronomical salaries that are often ten times that of the average professor on campus??? Please note that this is not an attack on coaches, as they are only making as much money as the system will bear - I get it. I also do not think coaches are bad people in any stretch of the imagination for negotiating bigger contracts every year. I also get that. I do, however, really scratch my head when I think department chairs, deans, and even college presidents make substantially less money than university coaches!!

In "corporate America" you would never see a low level employee make substantially more money than his/her CEO. In schools across the country today, you never see a classroom teacher make more money than the principal. In fact, I cannot think of a single instance where a lower level employee makes more money than the boss - and never a disparity quite like what we see today between college coaches and college presidents. My question is who is really running the show - and is "their" agenda anywhere near what the agenda of a college should be???

To learn more about this very troubling situation please click the link below:

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/comm/rep/Z/ecstatreport2007-08

When we allow colleges to use superficial, transparent, and often ridiculous excuses as to why things are the way they are (in the article from the link above you will see several rather silly 'apples to apples' comparisons), we inevitably send a loud and clear message to college students that their education pales in comparison to how much money the college can make through athletics, period. The takeaway for the average American student today is colleges are really minor league sport systems that also happen to have classes and curricula, too (in that order).

What Colleges are NOT Supposed to Be

Quite simply, colleges are not true capitalistic "businesses," nor are they minor league recruiting grounds for future potential pro athletes! When you consider less than 2% of all college athletes will ever play professional sports, yet work for FREE as "amateur" athletes (yet the college rakes in millions upon millions of dollars), doesn't this all seem like a farce to you?

While your average professor might make upwards of a $100,000 a year (most make far less than this, coincidentally), and your average administrator makes a little more - yet your college coaches make in the millions of dollars, I again ask what are colleges in the business of doing today?

Colleges also regularly benefit from using player images to sell tickets and merchandise - yet the "trade" is that the student athlete can take classes at a reduced rate (or a full-ride for the lucky ones), make NO money from their likeness on jerseys, and constantly be offered the "Kool Aid" of how it will all work out in the end when they get drafted (yes, all 2% of them). This is a very unlevel playing field, but the people making all the money do not seem to be inclined to jump in and change things any time soon (why would they?).

Why This is The Way it Is

Quite simply, money. We LOVE sports (me included), and we as fans are willing to pay to see our favorite teams play. But somewhere along the way integrity and the overall mission of what a college should be got whisked away with boatloads of money funneling into college athletic departments like a fire hydrant just untapped. Everybody makes more money, keep selling the dream to current and prospective student athletes (and also look the other way when they are taking classes that in no way will ever lead to a meaningful degree - or even a degree, in some cases), and the rest of the student body gets duped into thinking how great their college is because of their athletic programs! So how much longer can this go on? Where will all this lead to?

College athletics are not going to get smaller, nor are they going to make less money. In fact, the opposite is likely to occur. When college coaches begin to make more than 5 million dollars a year, will any eyebrows be raised then? Will 10 million dollars do it? When that same coach drives home to a castle while riding in his Ferrari - and the professor is left to get excited about another 3% raise - will people begin to wonder about the disparity then? Are we really saying the football and basketball teams are more important than what professors do everyday to help young people grow, develop, and prepare for making our country the great place that it is???

What Needs to Be Done

Really, we just need a little fairness and common sense. College presidents need to begin to have dialogue about this train running off the tracks and come up with ideas of how to slow it down - and efforts less than that will result in increasing numbers of professors, administrators, and even students becoming more and more vocal about what colleges have been turning in to.

I'm not a college coach, nor am I a FT professor. I do not dislike college coaches, nor do I lose sleep over the current salaries of college professors. Honestly, I do not have a personal gain or benefit by speaking out about these issues. In fact, almost all of the college coaches, professors, and administrators I know are really outstanding people! The problem is the system, and the "sell job" colleges are using today in their attempts to claim they prioritize learning, yet they financially reward athletics at an alarming, disproportionate rate!

I say lets call it what is is (or isn't), and the facts dont lie: Todays colleges are far more interested in successful athletic programs and the related revenue stream than they are with your son or dughters educational experience and quality of instruction he or she will receive in the classroom.

Get Ready for Spring Sports!

2008-03-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

As we approach the end of March and leave behind a winter, now is the time to start getting excited about spring sports that are just around the corner! Before you know it, we will be outside again cheering on our favorite sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews as they sprint around soccer fields, slide into bases, and run around the local high school track - and soon after that we will begin to get into even more sporting activities with the summer season beginning immediately after school lets out for the year. Some of you reading this blog have multiple kids - leaving you with multiple practices and games to plan and attend, varied travel routines requiring out of town lodging, and a seemingly endless need to purchase equipment and other sport-related needs.

So are you ready for some action?!

As you already know by now (especially if you have ever read any of my previous articles), youth sports can be a full-time job these days --- and it is very easy to overlook or forget some of the basics that every parent should consider when beginning a sports season. For this reason I am taking time out to offer a few basic thoughts and suggestions designed so that you and your family may get the most out of your youth sport experience - and have a lot of fun, too!

1. The #1 reason kids play sports is to HAVE FUN !!!!!! If you remember this every time you go to a practice or game and make every effort to ensure your child is HAVING FUN I promise you will have a terrific experience together! While some adults might think 'winning' is why kids play sports, research findings do not support this assumption (in fact, winning is pretty far down the list on must surveys completed by kids). Challenge yourself to design a sport environment for your kids that allows them to enjoy all the wonderful aspects of youth sport participation!

2. Remind yourself that the coaches and officials working your child's sport events are AMATEURS. Most coaches are volunteers, and most officials are making pennies on the dollar (if they are not volunteers). What this means is they will make mistakes and blow calls (but keep in mind professional coaches and officials do this, too). We are facing a real shortage today in our country when it comes to coaches and officials, so be sure to do your part this spring and show your appreciation for all the long hours and often thankless work these people do to ensure kids have a positive experience in sports.

3. Develop appropriate ways to handle your emotions. Cheer as much as you can and hold yourself accountable to not become verbally abusive at any time. Learn ways to cool down by taking a walk for a few minutes or reminding yourself that is really is "just a game." Without a doubt you will become emotional at games - we all do - but its how you handle your emotions that counts.

4. Process the sport experience with your child. After games try to use open-ended questions (i.e. "how did the game go tonight?") and allow your child adequate time to respond. As your child discusses the game, try to identify and discuss athletic transferable skills he or she can use in other areas of life (i.e. staying calm under pressure, bouncing back from adversity, being a good team player, etc). Athletic Transferable Skills build self-confidence and allow kids to become better in all areas of life, not just sports!

Certainly there are more things to consider when it comes to going to youth sporting events this spring and summer, but I promise if you master the four I just described it will be almost impossible for this year not to be a great one for you and your family!

So without further ado ladies and gentlemen let the games begin!!!!!!!

Kids and Performance Enhancing Supplements

2008-03-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

If you are a parent, coach, or any other adult responsible for providing mentoring for kids involved in youth sports, please pay attention to a very serious concern we are seeing in youth sports across our country today - that is, the increasing amount of kids who are using various performance enhancing supplements used to improve on-field performance. Included in this catch-all category of enhancement aids are anabolic steroids, Human Growth Hormone (HGH), creatine, and just about every other protein powder, energy drink, and vitamin supplement on the shelves at your local general nutrition store. In my experience there are many concerns and "gray area" issues that need to be acknowledged and addressed regarding this issue so that kids can continue to safely and successfully participate in youth sports.

Admittedly, it is incredibly difficult to say exactly how many kids are using supplements today, as this data is very challenging to obtain (many kids simply won't admit to using them). Having said that, there is no doubt in my mind that more kids are using supplements every year and I have arrived at this conclusion through one-on-one sessions with youth athletes, as well as countless conversations with coaches, parents, trainers, and various other athletic personnel. There are many reasons for increased supplement usage amongst youth athletes today, including the following:

1. Terrific Marketing: Have you ever walked into a nutrition store? If not, make it a point to do so soon - once there, look around at all the fabulous marketing aimed at getting consumers to believe that many of the supplements available will help speed up training, reduce recovery time, and ultimately help you get into the best shape of your life in little to no time! Sexy people, big muscles, and 6-pack abs on the fronts of packages will have you chomping at the bit to bring some home for yourself, I promise (throw in an energy drink with some power-monster name and your head will spin!).

2. Pluralistic Ignorance: this is the "everybody is doing it, so it must be good" heuristic people fall prey to when making personal choices. With supplements, many kids end up trying things because they see other kids on the team getting stronger and faster and immediately think they should jump on the bandwagon, too - which leads us to point #3....

3. Erroneous cause-effect assumptions: So do these supplements really work? Can we with 100% certainty say that the juice, powder, or pills your child is ingesting is responsible for his/her improved strength and speed? It is almost impossible to make this claim, as there are other competing hypotheses to consider when making that assumption. More specifically, the placebo effect and self-fulfilling prophecies must be examined when looking for cause-effect relationships. Think about it - when a young person begins using a performance enhancing supplement he almost certainly believes it will "work," and with this excitement the child will almost always begin to put in even more effort and hard work in the weight room, the track, and anywhere else he can improve his strength! I have never once met a young person who has gone on to use supplements and gotten lazier - but I have consistently met kids who while using work longer and harder.

Of course not every child today is using a performance supplement, and regarding the efficacy of supplements I cannot say with 100% certainty that they don't "work" beyond a simple placebo effect. However, regardless of whether they work or not, there are many reasons why you should be concerned about the rates of usage these days, including some of the following:

1. Kids bodies are still growing and when they use untested, unapproved supplements not scrutinized by the FDA there are many things to be concerned about! In fact, many of the products available today have only been around a very short time, and consequently, we have no long-term data regarding side effects, withdrawal effect, or even interaction effects if your child is currently on another medication.

2. There is an erroneous assumption of "legal = safe." Many of us believe that if a product is legal it has to be safe -- unfortunately that is simply not always the case (cigarettes are legal but most would agree they are not safe).

3. There is a real gray area when it comes to responsibility and oversight of kids who choose to use supplements. In conversations that I have with parents and coaches, I regularly hear parents tell me coaches should know what kids are using (and determine whether its safe or not), while coaches tell me parents should know what their kids are using and how safe their decisions are! Making this even more challenging is the fact that these supplements are legal, leaving schools virtually handcuffed when it comes to instituting polices and procedures to guard against usage.

The bottom line is this: Most experts in the sport sciences will tell you that there is no substitute or shortcut to motivation and hard work. They will also advise you to help your child learn how to improve his or her athletic talents by putting the time into their sport, rather than to look for faster ways through pills, powders, or sports drinks. When you consider all the risks involved with kids who choose to use supplements, and with the reality of less than 7% of all high school kids going on to play college sports (and an even smaller percentage on partial/full-ride scholarships), you have to again ask yourself is it really worth all these risks??

For more information on performance supplements, including my new podcast, please visit http://www.drstankovich.com/

Interscholastic Coaches and Issues Concerning Lack of Training, Oversight, and Development

2008-02-27T16:25:00.000-08:00

One issue that has received considerable national media attention over the last few years has been inappropriate relations between adults and children (more specifically, teachers and students). Interestingly, in this day and age where we have (sadly) become desensitized to school shootings and Dateline's "To Catch a Predator" type programs on television, one very unique and terribly dangerous situation has somehow flown under the radar:

Appropriate Training, Development, and Oversight for Interscholastic Coaches.

In central Ohio a series of stories ran in the Columbus Dispatch last fall that graphically detailed countless teachers across Ohio who had been caught for a variety of unprofessional, inappropriate, and sometimes even deadly activities between themselves and the innocent kids they taught, supervised, and mentored. These activities included sexual relations, alcohol, and drug usage, to name a few. While reading these stories and using the Dateline series as a contextual backdrop, it began to dawn on me that while these horrible adult-child situations do still exist, there appears to be very prudent, proactive efforts to help curtail these types of things from happening again in the future. Society has become hypersensitive to teacher activities, and schools are doing their part by locking doors during working hours and placing greater accountability on teacher efforts and activities. Admittedly, a "bad person" is still going to find ways to do bad things, but at least we are taking collective steps together to pay attention to things we never did in the past!

Teachers today are held accountable for their activities in a number of ways, including how they are trained (they must earn at least a four-year college degree, obtain a teaching license, and attend continuing education courses and training for their entire career). Again, there are still those who will do all these things and still should not be allowed to work with children, but at least most of us would agree the task to become a teacher can be quite arduous and most certainly eliminates many pedophile (or irresponsible adults) from ever working closely with children.

But What About Coaches???

Currently in Ohio (this is where I live and work and know the most - although I'm quite certain the other 49 states are very similar) the rough estimate of coaches in high schools who come from outside the school system (meaning they are not teachers and most likely have never been formally trained to work with kids) is about 60%. This means that the teachers I just described above - the people who have been trained to work with kids and have earned the right to do it - comprise only 40% of interscholastic coaches today (and that number is shrinking annually). Are you starting to see a problem here??

One major reason why we are seeing fewer teachers want to coach these days is that they are not as intrinsically motivated to do so. Interscholastic coaching has never been a big money job, but in the old days it was an easy sell ---- working with kids and sharing in all the wonderful "teachable moments" sport affords coaches was motivating enough to offset the poor pay and crummy hours (yes, coaches give up a ton of nights and weekends - and sometimes even holidays). Sadly, with more and more parents acting out with anger over things like playing time and lost college scholarships their kids are missing due to 'poor coaching' (wink, wink), increasingly more teachers are saying the heck with coaching. The end result? If schools still want to keep their athletic teams they are then forced to find willing and interested adults in their communities to take on these positions!

So that brings us to today and the issues associated with interscholastic coaches and appropriate training and oversight. In Ohio, here's the requirement needed to coach:

To complete a 4-hour first aid course once every three years.

Of course many adults who coach are extremely responsible (in fact I would even say most), and many school districts do take the necessary time to explore the applicant pool for an open coaching position ---- and some even go through the trouble of doing a criminal background check. But if this is your high school daughter we are talking about here, are you comfortable with those lottery odds?? I'm not, hence the reason for this blog.

It is imperative that as I go on with this discussion that you take into account some critical points:

Most coaches I know are very good people and do very good things for the kids they coach. They impact their lives in a very positive way, both in sports and life!

Schools are often seriously challenged to fill coaching vacancies and often are left with very small applicant pools to choose from - leaving them to make very tough decisions when it comes to hiring.

Athletic Directors are supposed to provide oversight once coaches are hired, but they (AD's) are often so overworked they simply do not have the time to do this on a daily basis. Making things even tougher is the fact that many AD's are simply not trained themselves in the critical, contemporary issues in youth sports today - so how can they in turn mentor their coaches??

Think About Where Coaches Go with Student Athletes that Even Teachers Don't...

Now for the really scary part: while we are so compulsively concerned with the safety of kids between 7AM and 3PM, we are virtually on cruise control when it comes to our complete lack of concern when kids go off to practice!

Bus rides.

Locker rooms.

Hotel rooms.

Vacant hallways after school hours when nobody is around....need I go on?

Every day we collectively hold our breath and cross our fingers that the coaches we entrust with our kids in these very private situations do the right thing and act responsibly. Essentially, what we have done as a society is pull out a monster magnifying glass on teachers during school hours, and turned our backs and simply ignored what happens after kids hear the final bell for the day ring. We pretend there aren't any potential problems on the horizon, or we quickly dismiss the need for coaches to go through rigorous training and oversight for a variety of reasons (i.e. they would be upset, they don't have time as it is, etc). Are these good enough reasons for you?

You may be wondering how I have come up with these observations, and why I am writing about them here. Working in the field of sport psychology I have been most fortuitous to have developed countless wonderful relationship with student athletes, coaches, parents, AD's, and school administrators. I have also kept abreast of state laws and mandates, as well as the ever-growing list of contemporary issues in youth sports (btw, youth burnout is out of control). It is from these relationships and experiences that I draw on - the private, intimate conversations where people regularly tell me "whats happening," not to mention what I learn in private, confidential sessions with clients. When you then go and look at the minimum threshold of what is required to become a coach, you don't need to be a rocket scientist before you begin utter 'uh-oh' under your breath.

So What Do We Need to Do?

First, we must all realize this is a national problem and concern and allowing adults to go out and coach simply because a district needs an adult in place and has passed a criminal background check is simply not acceptable! We have got to recognize that this is a major big problem - and for every news story that 'breaks,' there are tons of other stories out there where the kids are too afraid to speak up and talk about what is going on.

We need to realize the impact coaches have on student athletes, and develop initiatives that require coaches to obtain minimal annual training so that it does not become cost- or time-prohibitive (online training is key). Teaching coaches about the emotional damage a child can experience through improper coaching is essential. Additionally, these efforts should not be punitive in nature, but instead sold as a valuable asset to coaches.

Finally, and most importantly, we need to realize these concerns are everywhere, not just the town 'over there.' We need to work together and offer professional assistance to those who want to coach (and yes, we need good coaches), as well as provide outlets for coaches to go to when things get tough (i.e. an irate parent waiting to attack a coach after a game). We need major reform, but before that can take place we need to make people aware of what is really going on. It is really that bad out there (recently I asked my college sport psychology class of 35 students how many of them knew of inappropriate relations between coaches and student athletes when they were in school and between a third and a half of the hands immediately went up - enough said).

I again want to emphasize that the vast majority of people who coach are outstanding individuals! With that said, when there are minimal requirements, minimal expectations, minimal school/state thresholds and laws --- combined with terribly risky situations coaches are often in ---- you can see how even good people can make temporary bad decisions based on these circumstances.

Kids stand in awe of us as adults - especially their coaches. They routinely assume the positions they are in with their coaches are 'normal,' even if it feels a little funny or wrong.

Isn't it our job to address this current dilemma and step up to the plate when it comes to our kids safety and well-being???