Surfing and planing a dinghy in waves is exhilarating and fast. High school and college sailors know that to make your boat take off, you must learn the art of the ooch. Ooching serves two basic purposes: Getting the boat surfing or planing and keeping it there. The principle is simple. The crew acts like a spring: when the [...]
We put the question to Tim Herzog, a top sailor and coach who has studied group dynamics, and here is what he told us: It is no surprise that some of the best teams consist of spouses, siblings, or even multiple generations. Good relationships serve as the foundation for a successful team because of solid communication over the team's [...]
Authors: Tim Herzog Reaching Ahead PLLC Kate F. Hays The Performing Edge Abstract: This article addresses the challenging conundrum of when to offer psychotherapy versus mental skills training. To highlight aspects of this dilemma, we describe actual cases that illustrate different ways in which clients present and practitioners may respond: (1) mental skills training shifting to therapy; (2) therapeutic [...]
Fifteen years ago, as Hobart Coach Scott Ikle was launching the US Sailing Level 3 Certification program, he invited me to speak to a group of coaches at Annapolis Yacht Club, who were attending the Advanced Coaching Symposium. I gave a talk that was inspired, in part, by a Sailing World article that Betsy Allison had written describing a pyramid of [...]
To reach the next level in your chosen sport, there is, of course, the old manner of simply "training harder." Clearly this approach works to an extent. But think of the times when you had your best performances. Were you trying hard? Probably not. The media often refers to these peak performances as functioning in "the zone"; physiologists and [...]
You’ve run shuttle and you’re sliding into your boat at the put-in. The water level is about what you expected and you can see the entry to the first rapid, remembering that you need to start left and then cut right after the big hole. You feel confident and quickly get on the water so you can experience some [...]
Downhill mountain bikers have “a higher threshold for adrenaline and fear,” says sports psychologist Julie Emmermann. Other PhDs say mountain bikers should “have their heads checked,” “pray,” and “not fall off.” And some say that fear simply isn’t a factor, only fun. Achieving optimal physiological arousal, the psychologist’s phrase for “getting psyched up,” is a big part of the [...]
Article by Tim Herzog and Wendy Bay Lewis, published in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle I don’t mean your company’s regulations… I mean yours. Huh? “Self-regulation” refers to a state of calm but alert, possessing situational awareness and feeling even-keeled. Dysregulation, on the other hand, is a state of narrow focus, where (whether you want to admit it or not) [...]
A periodized mental training plan, customized to align with the training needs of the team, is formulated through discussion with coaches and adapted over time. The preparatory phase consists of interactive seminars, where each week builds on the previous session. A fundamental knowledge (and vocabulary) of mental skills is developed. Following, an individualized mental skills training plan is developed [...]
Sam had a resume as varied, but far more interesting, than a Eurasian restaurant menu. She knew Mandarin, had studied Confucian literature, was a tour guide in Italy, and captained multiple transpacific voyages. She was certain that her dilettante past would be a barrier to beginning a “professional” career. Research indicates that people tend to leave employers after four [...]
Every sport has its own unique mental components. In a sport like golf, we control the pace of much of the action, but in a sport like freestyle skiing, with its aerials and moguls, the pace is so fast that skiers are that much more at the mercy of the mountain. They have to accept what is coming their [...]
If you’re experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it’s important to understand how the different parts of your brain function. Post-traumatic stress is a normal response to traumatic events. However, PTSD is a more serious condition that impacts brain function, and it often results from traumas experienced during combat, disasters, or violence. Your brain is equipped with an alarm system [...]
It’s a good idea to have a choice of coping strategies to meet the specific needs of each situation you face—some “problem-focused” and some “emotion-focused.” During severe stress, you might find that your old ways of dealing with problems aren’t doing enough to help. For example, your preferred way of coping in the past might have been venting to [...]
This column is inspired by my dear friend and colleague, Wendy Bay Lewis (1949-2013). Through the vehicle of this column, Wendy and I often tried to share wisdom or insights with our community. Our column started out titled, “Work Matters,” and became “Business Matters.” If we kept it going, we might have lobbied for “Life Matters” and “Death Matters.” [...]
During the pinnacle of his career, Tiger Woods said in reference to his peak performance moments, “…for me, it just happens, I just get out of my own way and let the training just take over.” Sometimes referred to in the media as “being in the Zone,” athletes are often recognized for experiencing “Flow” states. Flow is the research [...]
