Maintaining the Vision

Keeping a winning edge throughout the postseason
by: Aaron S. Lee
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Legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Vince Lombardi once muttered, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” And even though that particular ideology throws political correctness completely out the window, it does, however, remind those who play the games that victory is – without a doubt – the desired end result.

The game of football is a primary example of the win-at-all-cost mentality that bonds coaches, players and fans together. The problem is not necessarily finding ways to win, but rather finding ways to keep winning. For example, the now defunct Houston Oilers of the National Football League were perennial playoff stalwarts that seemingly every year collapsed during postseason play after successfully navigating through their regular season schedule. The Oilers reached the playoffs during seven consecutive seasons only to fall short each year, four of which were in the first round. Granted, the Tennessee Titans did reach Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999, but even the Titans, a later reincarnation of the Oilers, could not grasp the championship ring as they lost 23-16 to the St. Louis Rams after linebacker Mike Jones stopped receiver Kevin Dyson 1-yard short of a possible world championship as time ran out.

“Choking” is not limited to just football teams. Just look at Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves. No team has dominated the regular season throughout the last decade like Atlanta, yet with 10-straight postseason appearances – excluding the strike-shortened season in 1994 – and five World Series invites, the Braves have only been able to muster one world championship trophy - a victory over the Cleveland Indians in 1995.

So again, the question is not so much how to win but how to keep winning. Perhaps traditional coaching methods are simply not enough. Perhaps the fire-and-brimstone speeches simply do not get the job done anymore. And perhaps no amount of field time or weight room activity can prepare a team enough for them to reach their ultimate goal - the championship.

This is where the world of sports psychology comes in. After all, serious athletes spend countless hours training their bodies to perform at peak levels, so why not spend at least half that amount on training their minds. According to famed Florida sports psychologist Dr. Patrick J. Cohn, of Orlando, sports psychology is part of the larger field of sports and exercise science. Its goal is to help athletes perform their best by improving their mental attitude and skills necessary to excel in sports. Sports psychology also studies human behavior in the sports environment and the effects of sports on the participant.

Coaches are psychologists whether they like it or not, it is simply the nature of the beast. So, the best step for coaches to make is to simply embrace this philosophy and run with it. Winning is a motivator which often breeds more winning, however, while successful regular-season performance does usually provide postseason invitation, it does not always guarantee postseason success. The Oilers and the Braves are perfect examples of just that. Preseason goal setting is a key fundamental in taking the right path to victory that should help keep your team primed entering into postseason play.

The Miami Dolphins provide an excellent case study on this theory. Dr. Cohn, of Peak Performance Sports, held a seminar with the Dolphins prior to the 2001 season and he asked the AFC East team to set their goals for the upcoming season. Head coach Dave Wannstedt, in his third season after replacing Jimmy Johnson, and his squad believed that a successful year would culminate in a playoff berth. According to Dr. Cohn, this was a shortsighted goal that would eventually fail.

“A coach must ask where do they set their goals – playoffs or championships,” Dr. Cohn said. “By setting a goal that falls short of the ultimate prize, you limit your team’s expectations. In preparing a team for the upcoming season, a coach must first find out if the team simply wants to avoid losing games or do they want to capture a championship trophy.”

Ultimately, the Dolphins finished the 2001 season with an overall record of 11-5 while earning an AFC Wild Card playoff berth, however, they struggled in the first round with a 20-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

“The Dolphins attained their initial goal of reaching the postseason,” said Dr. Cohn. “ But once that goal was attained, then what?

“Once the team reached the playoffs they changed their goals, but by then it’s usually too late. A winning team must be challenged with certain goals that will enable them to reach their full potential.”

Dr. Gary Beale also believes that the success or failure of winning games in the postseason is a direct reflection of “process vs. outcome” thinking.

“Outcome is the worst possible thing to focus on,” said Dr. Beale. “If a wide-open receiver focuses on the outcome of the reception, such as a first down or touchdown, he stands a much greater chance of dropping the ball. Whereas a receiver in the same situation that focuses on the process of catching the ball stands a much greater opportunity to make the reception.”

“Players play best when they are not thinking, just reacting,” said Dr. Alan S. Goldberg, author of Sports Slump Busting: 10 Steps to Mental Toughness and Peak Performance. “Coaches who hype the big game also set up a number of athletes to fail. Coaches should simply stress process goals that emphasize execution and assignments.”

Both Dr. Goldberg and Dr. Beale agree that coaches who keep their team grounded mentally have a higher success rate than those who ignore the mental preparation process entirely. Teams that reach the postseason have already proven that they possess athletic prowess and sound fundamentals. Additional running and weightlifting may not help the player deal with the complexity and finality of postseason play. The weight and magnitude of each game can overwhelm the athlete once victory seems unattainable.

“Goal setting” and “process thinking” may not help your team past the first round, but it should help maintain the winning edge that got them there.

Five Steps to Maximize Player Potential

Football players of the 21st century may look like they did way back in the 1900s – you know, three years ago – but let’s face it, times have changed. In order to fully maximize both the coaches’ and players’ potential, sports psychology can play an important role in certain facets of the training process. After all, football programs have become more complex and the demands on the players have become even greater.

The following five easy steps are proven methods that American Football Monthly has doggedly compiled that will help you maximize your player’s hidden potential:

1) Know your player’s names: Face it, “Hey, you” just doesn’t get the job done when addressing someone, much less an impressionable youth that is constantly looking for affirmation and individuality. Get to know your players personally and understand that each athlete is different with their own personality and their own response triggers. Develop relationships with each player. The most successful teams view each other as family.

2) Think positive: Negative reinforcement did not work when you were an athlete and it still doesn’t. The only things gained from a good tongue-lashing are strained vocal chords and bruised feelings. Positivity not only inspires winning, it will also create more confident players with a deeper sense of respect for themselves and for the coaching staff. A light pat on the back is always better than a swift kick in the pants. And remember, if you act like a winner, talk like a winner and think like a winner – guess what?

3) Build character, not champions: Eddie Robinson once said “I am in the business of building better Americans, not better football players,” and all Coach Robinson ever did was win 408 games, the most in college football history. Coincidence? No! Robinson new what very few coaches do, character builds winners and winners win championships. Football philosophy has often been compared to real life, but more often than not, real life philosophy could be easily compared to football.

4) Lose the losing streak: Hey, it happens. Sometimes you just find yourself on the downside of an 0-9 record. So before it becomes 0-19 and you have to update your resume, learn to break the cycle. It is a scientific fact - somewhere - that losing streaks maintain themselves. It’s the whole “Here-we-go-again” mindset that ultimately dooms floundering teams. The key is not focusing on winning or losing, but rather on fundamentals and procedures. Concentrating on the task at hand and not the scoreboard will provide for a much more productive player and outcome.

5) Sweaty palms, swooshy stomachs: Want to get ready for the big game? Get nervous. That’s right, according to sports psychologists there are three kinds of nervousness and each one of them can make the difference: A) Good nervousness: Adrenaline is the ultimate energy source and guess what – your own body produces it. B) Bad nervousness: You’re scared – enough said. C) Not nervous enough: Can you say upset?

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