When I started out, I
intended to list here a wide range of different types of
problems student-athletes
face. It soon became apparent that even a basic list would
consume an immense amount of space and information. To make the
analysis simpler for the student, I decided to take a different tack.
Before we begin any sort of action to correct
difficulties we are experiencing, it is important that we know what
those difficulties are. I hesitate to use the word "problem",
because it has a negative connotation, but I'd ask you to see it in the
same way that we see a math problem. We have a set of data and
variables which we must analyze carefully in order to understand an
appropriate answer. When you see 2 + 2 = ?, you analyze the
problem and recognize the values the numbers represent, the meaning of
the symbols presented, and the procedure desired, as well as the
answer. The complexity occurs when we realize that human beings,
with
all their
possible physical, emotional, and
intellectual responses to situations, are a
much more complicated
equation than anything we've ever faced in math class. In order
to improve on our performance, we need to work that equation a little
bit, and see what it might tell us.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
Let's approach the problem in stages. Before
you go any further, I want you to make a list for your notebook.
Write down what
you
think are the 5 most
stress-producing
concerns for student-athletes like you. Put this list in your
notebook, and then move on to the next section.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
The next thing to do is to look at yourself as an
individual. You're going to take a look at your own
problems. (I am always reluctant to give examples for these kinds
of exercises, because I want you to look at yourself objectively, and
not simply reword my examples to fit your situation. Please bear
with me.)
In looking for your answers to the following
questions, it might be helpful to know
where to look.
Problems that inhibit our athletic performance have to come from one of
two sources (or a combination of them), either internal or
external. Internal problems come from our physical limitations,
feelings that make us unhappy, or thoughts that "get in the way" of our
ability to do our best. We're going to try to use what you are
learning in this class to improve your functioning, regardless
which of those internal
problems you are experiencing. External problems come from our
environment: family, friends,
coaches, teammates, school situations, etc. Our relationships
with others often prevent us from focusing correctly on our
performance, and lead us to an inferior result. It is important
to be aware of the ways those situations effect us, and techniques from
this class can be helpful in that regard too.
For this assignment, I want you to make a list of
everything you can think of
(yes, we're
brainstorming again) that keeps
you from achieving your full potential as an athlete. To reword
that, make a list of every thought, feeling, or physical inhibition
that prevents you from becoming everything you think you
can be as an athlete,
including relationship problems. Make the list as long as it
needs to be to get all your ideas out on paper.
ASSIGNMENT
3:
Take the list you just made in Assignment 2, and
prioritize it. You don't need to rewrite it, just take a
different color pen and put numbers out in the margin that will show
which ones are more important than the others. Base your ratings
on how often these difficulties occur, how much they effect you, and
the amount of good it will do you to have them resolved.
After these
assignments are done, and before you go on, come talk with me about
your results.