A Speedy Solution: Working with an Underperforming Athlete - Essay Example

? A Speedy Solution: Working with an Underperforming Athlete   by School A Speedy Solution: Working with an Underperforming Athlete In meeting with the client, it is of vital importance to garner as much background knowledge as possible within a short time period. The young athlete in question has been underperforming on a consistent basis and it is for this reason that I was asked to assess the situation. There is a disconnect between himself and his team mates and a lack of trust between himself and his employers. The fact that he claims he would not even be a part of the sport if it were not for the money means his problems are severe enough so as to impact his future as a speedway racer. It is imperative, therefore that I attempt to utilize my cognitive-based philosophy and several select interventions in order to correct the situation. According to Kathleen Berger, author of The Developing Person Through the Life Span, the cognitive theory is very important when it comes to learned behavior as it “emphasizes the structure and development of thought processes” and how “these thoughts and expectations profoundly affect attitudes, beliefs, values, assumptions, and actions”(Berger, 2008, p.43).My philosophy as a sports psychologist is formed by the cognitive theory which deals primarily with changing the thought processes of a person. My philosophy presents a structured approach to handling a client’s problems or issues. There must be cooperation and collaboration between both the sports psychologist and the person that they are working with. This is important because it helps identify both the problems and the solutions to these problems. In order to create a more customized approach, my philosophy requires that the client continue working on their problems, goals, and solutions well after the initial session has finished. This is important because it creates a realization in the client that they have the power to fix these issues by themselves. The sports psychologist’s role is simply to provide them interventions and strategies that they can apply to many different situations which may arise within their careers as athletes, but also in their personal lives. Applying the cognitive theory to Ian’s case, it would seem that he is experiencing high levels of stress perhaps due to feelings of pressure about his performance ccording to an article entitled “Stress and Anxiety,” an athlete can “feel pressure to succeed, pressure of failing, fear of injury, fear of re-injury, or anxiety about overcoming an injury (Wettig, 2006). In this particular case, Hawking does not appear to be afraid of injury, according to the case notes. It is much more likely that he is feeling both a pressure to succeed and pressure to not fail. There are several specific stress management strategies that may be used for this particular case. Cognitive therapy is going to focus on changing his thought processes in order to lower his stress levels. According to an article entitled “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-Based Stress Management Interventions (SMIs): Investigating the Mechanisms of Change,” the two most common interventions for stress management are “cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, and problem solving”(Flaxman, Bond, 2004). There is also the option of “Acceptance Commitment Therapy” which is an approach made popular by psychologist who favor the mindfulness approach (Flaxman, Bond, 2004). These are the two intervention paths. In looking at Hawkins case in particular, cognitive restructuring and relaxation training would be the most helpful stress management interventions. According to an article entitled “Cognitive Restructuring,” cognitive restructuring is basically helping a person realize that their thought processes greatly impact their emotions and their behavior (Strayhorn, 2011). The overall premise of this intervention is that by thinking positive thoughts, there will be positive outcomes in return. In this case, he is struggling inwardly with extreme stress which is impacting his racing and behavior. Therefore, it is imperative that he begin to think positively in regards to his races such as “I will win” or “I can do this.” Positive affirmations in particular are very helping in cognitive restructuring as the more a person affirms a statement, the more they integrate the thought into their cognitive processes. Such a positive change to his thinking is likely to lower his stress levels over time. Another stress management intervention is relaxation training. Relaxation training is comprised of a variety of techniques. Mindful meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation are particularly effective relaxation exercises, according to an article entitled “Relaxation Techniques for Stress Relief”(Segal, 2010). Relaxation techniques are more geared toward the physical side of stress management rather than the mental. Mindful meditation is basically living in the moment. A person should not be thinking about anything except for the immediate present. For an athlete like Ian Hawkins this is particularly helpful because if he trains himself to mindfully meditate he will be able to focus his mind on the moment at hand such as a speedway race. He will not think about the outcome of a race or what he did leading up to the race, instead he will be focusing on what he is doing at that specific moment. In conjunction with mindful mediation, Ian Hawkins could bring muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises into a stressful situation like a race. Both deep breathing and muscle relaxation help with the physical side of stress management rather than the mental. Additionally, these particular techniques would be best applied immediately before a race in order to maximize its effectiveness on any stress Hawkins might be experiencing. Problem solving is an intervention that I would use for the business and money problems that Ian is experiencing. According to the case notes, Ian Hawkins does not feel like he can trust his employers to pay him. He also mentions that the business end or racing caused him to have trouble with sleeping and that he often feels pressure to keep the sponsors happy. Problem solving is the best approach for Hawkins when it comes to these issues. One method of problem solving involves identifying a current problem, what keeps this problem going, what the person wants to change, and how they can about changing it. This is a good way to handle more practical problems such as business because it breaks the elements down into workable pieces. So, for Ian Hawkins, his two main practical problems are money and the business side of racing. The main thing that is keeping both of these problems going is a lack of communication on the part of both Ian Hawkins and his employers. He can go about changing these problems by setting up a meeting with his employers and discussing how to create a more positive, trusting environment between the two sides. There is also the element of a mental block when it comes to Ian Hawkins’ poor performance in Poland races. According to an article entitled “Sports Hypnosis and Sports Psychology,” sports hypnosis utilizes traditional hypnosis, but for the sole purpose of helping an athlete overcome a particular issue (The Centre for Sports Hypnosis, 2011). Sports hypnosis has been deemed to be effective in areas such as: “competition nerves, mental blocks, overcoming slumps in performance, building confidence, and improving focus and concentration” (The Centre for Sports Hypnosis, 2011). It seems that Ian Hawkins could be struggling with either a mental block or competition nerves when it comes to his races in Poland. He might be psyching himself at these races as he is likely coming into the situation with the belief already firmly in place that he is going to lose. Performing sports hypnosis on him by a certified sports hypnotist could help him overcome these negative thought processes. In this case, the only ethical quandary that may be faced is confidentiality. According to the article entitled “Ethical Issues in Psychology,” anything that is revealed to a psychologist is to be kept private and the only time that it cannot be kept private is if there is the possibility of a client harming themselves or others (CSB/SJU, 2011). Additionally, it is very important that the client be made aware of these confidentiality guidelines(CSB/SJU, 2011). In this particular circumstance, a sports psychologist who is hired by the speedway racing company may face an ethical dilemma as they have a conflict of interest. The client is Ian Hawkins and anything he tells a psychologist is going to fall within a realm of confidentiality. The psychologist is bound by confidentiality laws and can only provide a basic evaluation to the company because of this. References Berger, K. (2008), The developing person: Through the life span, Worth Publishers, New York. The Centre for Sports Hypnosis. (2011) Sports hypnosis and sports psychology. http://www.sportshypnosis.org.uk/hypnosis [Accessed: June 2, 2011]. Csb/sju (2011), Ethical issues in psychology. Available from: College of Saint Benedict./Saint Johns University, Psychology Department Web site: http://www.csbsju.edu/Psychology/Student-Resources/Issues.htm [Accessed: June 1, 2011]. Flaxman, P., and Bond, F.(2004). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-Based Stress Management Interventions (SMIs): Investigating the Mechanisms of Change. http://www.ejtassociates.co.uk/Cognitive.pdf [Accessed: June 1, 2011]. Smith, M., Jaffe-gill, E. & Segal, R. (2010). Relaxation techniques for stress relief. Available from: The Help Guide, Web site: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm [Accessed: June 2, 2011]. Strayhorn, J.(2003).Cognitive restructuring. Available from: The Psychological Skills Press: http://www.psyskills.com/cogther01.htm [Accessed: June 2, 2011]. Wettig, J. (2006.) Stress and Anxiety. Available from: Sports Digest: http://thesportdigest.com/archive/article/stress-and-anxiety [Accessed: June 2, 2011]. Read More