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Sport and Competition

Qualities of the B (aka Bench-Warming) Player

By Hilary Levey Friedman, Ph.D. on April 12, 2013 in Playing to Win

Even if your child isn’t a star player, they are developing crucial life skills to help them succeed throughout life. Read More

The Home For Man and Beast

By Nigel Barber, Ph.D. on April 11, 2013 in The Human Beast

Winning at home may seem a bit like a pupil who excels at lunch. Yet, there are real advantages to the sense of confidence and security accruing to time spent at home. The underlying psychology has deep roots in evolution. Read More

NHL Wakes up to Sleep Problems

By Michael J. Breus, Ph.D. on April 10, 2013 in Sleep Newzzz

Sleep problems are a serious issue for professional athletes, whose intense training, rigorous schedules, and frequent travel across time zones put them at high risk for disrupted and insufficient sleep. Pro athletes share risks for sleep problems with other high-frequency travelers and people who work non-traditional schedules. Read More

Shame on Rutgers — Shame on Us

By Marilyn Price-Mitchell, Ph.D. on April 10, 2013 in The Moment of Youth

Rutgers basketball coach Mike Rice was fired for mistreating his players. But will it change the practice of shaming athletes to fight harder for the win? We are all responsible for the culture of youth sports. It's time to improve the game by stopping the shame. Read More

Why Changing Others’ Minds is So Hard

By Carolyn Kaufman, Psy.D. on April 9, 2013 in Psychology for Writers

It can be really hard to step outside of our own beliefs and values and see another's point of view. Here's why and what you can do about it. Read More

22 Funny Words

By Susan K. Perry, Ph.D. on April 9, 2013 in Creating in Flow

Are you addicted (if not clinically) to playing Scrabble and such word games? Games can get you into a flow state where time stops. Prepare by learning some fun words... Read More

Football Follies: N.F.L. Plays Defense in Court

By Helen M. Farrell, M.D. on April 9, 2013 in Frontpage Forensics

Players seek retribution from the N.F.L. for head injuries sustained during play Read More

The Exercise Challenge

By Romeo Vitelli, Ph.D. on April 8, 2013 in Media Spotlight

While we all know the importance of regular exercise to keep our bodies healthy, doing nothing seems to come much easier to us. And we pay a price for that. A sedentary lifestyle can also mean a shorter lifespan and increased medical costs due to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and depression. The costs to society are enormous. Read More

Sports: A Source of Strength and Healing in College?

By Julie K. Hersh on April 7, 2013 in Struck By Living

A question sparked on a long training run. Do high school athletes realize the protective factors of sports teams when they transition to college? Could lack of a exercise/support community in the college environment be one of the causes of depression? Read More

The Bible and Psychology -- David's Oil

By Matthew Shanahan, M.Sc. on April 5, 2013 in Living It

This psychological portrait of the Biblical figure of David focuses on his intensity and passion: zeal in all that he did. Read More

Abusive Coaching is Not About Anger, It’s About Approach

By Mitch Abrams, Psy.D. on April 3, 2013 in Sports Transgressions

The video that went viral of Rutgers Men's Basketball Coach Mike Rice abusing his players was, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. The line between intense and abusive coaching may be blurry to some, but society and athletics need to make it clear that going over that line won't be tolerated. Fear and intimidation are not at the core of effective coaching. Read More

Living a Calling via Athletics Aesthetics

By Bryan J. Dik, Ph.D. on April 3, 2013 in Vocation Vocation Vocation

17 years ago, Paul Lukas took a calculated risk. The rest is uni-history. Read More

Build Up Your Guns

By Pirkko Markula, Ph.D. on April 2, 2013 in Fit Femininity

What should men's exercise program look like if designed by women? In a recent issue of the British GQ, Olympic gold medalist Jessica Ennis draws from her experiences as a female elite athlete to give men workout advice. Jessica's program focuses on building a six-pack and the 'guns' in addition to weight loss. Is this the ideal male body that women prefer? Read More

What a Slugger Can Teach You About Rebooting Your Career

By Camille Sweeney and Josh Gosfield on April 1, 2013 in The Art of Doing

What can the cognitive choices made by a struggling MLB slugger tell us about how to remember what we love about our work? Read More

Sports Team Gang Rapes: Are We Breeding Sexual Offenders?

By Robert T. Muller, Ph.D. on March 31, 2013 in Talking About Trauma

The sexual assault case involving several members of the Steubenville, Ohio high school football team has been covered by major news outlets throughout the world. However, a larger question remains: Does the culture of masculinity and brotherhood present in many sports teams lead to violence and gang mentality? Read More

Using Athletics to Close the Gender Gap in Politics

By Christopher Bergland on March 28, 2013 in The Athlete's Way

Gender inequality is alive and kicking in America. A woman earns 78 cents to a man’s dollar. Only 16% of Fortune 500 board seats are held by women. We have only 6 female Governors and 20 female U.S. Senators. Yet, a new study found there is "a substantial and persistent gender gap in political ambition; men tend to have it, and women don’t." What can we do to change this? Read More

This Is Your Brain on Baseball

By E. Paul Zehr, Ph.D. on March 27, 2013 in Black Belt Brain

It’s springtime and the excitement of a new ball season is in the air. But what is in your brain? Read More

Love, Athletics, and the Case of Tiger Woods

By Kelly Campbell, Ph.D. on March 27, 2013 in More Than Chemistry

Athletes perform better when in love, such as the case with Tiger Woods and Lindsay Vonn. Being in love is characterized by intense passion, increased energy, and obsessive thoughts, which parallels the qualities experienced by high performance athletes. Given the overlap, do athletes perform better or worse when in love? Read More

The Psychology of Tiger Woods

By Jill P. Weber, Ph.D. on March 26, 2013 in Having Sex, Wanting Intimacy

Emotional control is as important in romantic relationships as it is in life in general. Tiger Woods is an interesting example of that because he has operated at the outer extreme. Woods has gone full circle now with his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational which means after his spectacular career stalled he is again ranked number one in the world. Read More

Parental Passion Refined

By Adam Naylor, EdD, CC-AASP on March 22, 2013 in The Sporting Life

Sports parenting is tough. There is a fine line between supporting and smothering. It was exciting to see a room of passionate sport parents reflect and refocus on how best to play positive roles in their children's growth and development. Read More

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