Where I disagree with Coach Saban
Sep 17, 2022 1:59 am
Welcome to the Weekend,
Particularly as Fall starts, our student-athletes have a lot to be anxious about. Check out my interview on the Sports Project Radio Show to find out what that is and how to best manage it.
Coach Saban has had great success and some of that can be attributed to his take on how to handle pressure and mental health. I include that video below with highlights on where I agree ... and disagree! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this (hit reply to let me know).
The article in TODAY goes deeper into perfectionism and suicide risk, and I include that link as well.
And finally I have a prayer request for you at the bottom.
Many thanks,
Dr Eddie
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Athletes & Anxiety
Athletes have a lot to be anxious about.
“Am I good enough?” is a common question when moving from JV to Varsity. It is harder. There is more pressure.
High school stars may ride the bench during their first year of college and fall short in (unfair) comparisons against the starters.
“Coach doesn’t like or respect me,” could be the conclusion when negative feedback is given.
And after injury “Will I lose my spot?”, “Can I trust my healed body part?”, and “Will I get hurt again?” are all questions that you should ask.
Anxiety is designed to warn you about potential danger. And how you respond to these warnings determines the quality of your performance under pressure.
Contrary to popular opinion, the solution IS NOT to simply calm down or not think about it. In fact, attempts to control the anxiety can actually make it worse.
𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 with Steve Project on The Sports Project and find out how to best respond to your anxiety to enhance your performance rather than hurt it.
If you want additional training on how to overcome performance anxiety, join us inside Success Stories Membership at www.dreddieoconnor.com/membership
LISTEN HERE: https://dreddieoconnor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/The-Sports-Project-Anxiety.m4a
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Coach Saban on Pressure and Mental Health
Watch this outstanding interview with Coach Saban regarding how he manages athlete pressure and mental health. I welcome feedback on my comments below regarding where I agree and disagree with what he says.
The interview starts with a powerful statement by Coach (unintentionally) paraphrasing my tag-line “Overcoming Obstacles to Excellence” by saying, “We are all going to have bad things that happen, but our ability to overcome those negatives is going to go a long way in helping us be successful.”
BOOM. I love it. I truly believe that the path to excellence is through adversity.
He goes on to explain how “all pressure is self-inflicted” and encourages a switch from focusing on the desired outcome (which creates pressure) to focusing on the process of what it takes to get there (which creates results)… but I disagree with what he says next:
“ … because you control your thoughts, you control your feelings.”
Ummm, sorry Coach. That’s not true.
And I’ll prove it to you:
Think of where you work or go to school. Now forget it. Can you do that?
Fall madly in love with the next stranger you see. Can you do that?
No, of course not. But if we had absolute control over thoughts and feelings we could.
I don’t want athletes feeling to blame for their perfectionism, stress or worry. We don’t control many automatic thoughts and feelings, particularly in stressful situations where those “negative”experiences have some value to warn of us potential danger.
Are you really supposed to go into a big game and not feel nervous with so much on the line? That doesn’t make sense.The pressure is a signal that we care about what we are doing and are invested in the result. We worry about what could go wrong as a protective instinct. Therefore, the best response is to take steps to prepare for that threat or correct that mistake.
We have control over our response to these normal but intense thoughts and feelings. Mental and emotional skills can be developed to better manage our reactions and improve both mental health and physical performance.
Great to see their sport psychologist, Dr. McCabe, and Alabama’s behavioral health team highlighted in the interview. I was very happy to hear that Saban’s athletes are much more open to asking for and receiving psychological help.
I look forward to being that resource for you.
Replay to this e-mail if I can help you manage your stress, performance anxiety or injury.
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A Prayer Request
A few months ago I mentioned I was headed out on a DeColores Christian retreat. Well, just as I was set to go I tested positive for COVID and had to miss.
They encouraged me that retreats are matched up with God's timing and the message he wants attendees to hear, so I am excited for this week as I prepare for and attend this week's Men's retreat.
Please pray for my healing, that I be brought closer to God so that I can hear His will for me to follow, and ask that he bless my mission to help all of you with a clear vision to guide my steps.
I firmly believe He has great things for us ... and I believe I am knocking on the door this week.
Many thanks for your support and prayers,
Dr E
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Dr. Eddie O’Connor
