In our lifetimes, we’ve never experienced anything quite like the current pandemic, its toll on health/lives, mental-emotional well-being, social ramifications, and economic impact. Rather than pretending that everything is “fine,” it’s more useful to be honest (with boundaries, determined by what feels right to you) and to model feeling, expressing, and managing emotions. Another way of putting this is [...]
I first published this on 3/12/20, but will continue adding links, particularly regarding mental health and coping in the face of COVID-19... First off, let me share some useful (and reliable) links about Coronavirus, so that you can learn more about what it is, how it is spread, and how it can be contained. This article and video from [...]
Like it or not, all sport careers eventually end. Age, injury, family decisions, or other factors will determine how your competitive athletic career will end or be adapted. Like many athletes, especially elites, you may feel that the transition is abrupt. Your life and identity may revolve around sport. Your loss may cause emotional, financial, or personal challenges that [...]
“Who am I?” “Who do I want to be?” These are questions commonly asked by adolescents as they work to form their self-identity. Between pre-teen and young adulthood, life is riddled with decisions regarding paths and roles. Young people may find themselves identifying as a “kid”, “a student”, and a “friend” during this time. Some pursue sports, music, or [...]
Taking ownership over training, development, and performance can help athletes feel more in control, boosting their enjoyment and motivation. For athletes to feel more in control, it requires cooperation with parents, coaches, and trainers, sometimes sharing ideas (once) and sitting back while young athletes make what may feel like good or bad choices... resisting urges to intervene. Obstacles to [...]
Emotional pain from your injury will typically heal once rehab is complete. When emotional changes trickle into life outside of sport, lasting beyond rehab, you may be showing signs of greater mental health concerns. If you’re struggling with mental health issues post-injury, you are not alone. Frances Altick, a professional and NCAA tennis champion struggled with intense depression, anxiety, [...]
Check out the article discussing continuing education in ethics that featured Dr. Herzog and colleagues in the July 2019 AASP Newsletter! Tim Herzog, EdD, LCPC, CMPC, BCB – Reaching Ahead LLC Chelsea Wooding, Ph.D., CMPC – National University Amber M. Shipherd, Ph.D., CMPC, Texas A&M University – Kingsville Ethics allow us to dig into deeper level phenomena regarding the [...]
You’ve probably heard of mental imagery for performance training. This well-researched technique enhances performance by “practicing” technical skills (in the mind’s eye) and simulating environments to boost familiarity in specific contexts (e.g., a soccer field in France, a sailing venue in Tokyo, or a basketball court in the next town over). Imagery also improves motivation, reduces competitive anxiety, and [...]
Athletic injuries can take a toll, not just on the body, but also on the psyche. For some athletes, their identity revolves around their sport; being injured can lead to feeling lost and big questions such as “Who am I?” Why are your emotional reactions to injury important? The body is attached to the brain and the heart. In [...]
Mindfulness and meditation are techniques often interwoven in mental performance training for athletes. Athletes tend to be kinesthetic learners. Because sport is all about movement, training techniques don’t just happen in the office; ideally, they’re integrated directly into physical training. In line with the Reaching Ahead Mental Performance emphasis on self-attunement, martial arts have long been a physical means [...]
Heading Towards Accomplishment? Let’s say you want to drive to Rehoboth Beach or somewhere else for a fun weekend get-away. Without finding Rehoboth on a map or with GPS, most of us would not know the best route. The sheer desire to go to the beach will not take us there; but the map or GPS that helps us [...]
What: BCIA Webinar: Sport Psych Meets Biofeedback When: September 21, 2018 at 2:00 pm Why: “Old school” sport psychology emphasizes ideas consistent with traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): “Control or suppress negative cognitive processes and everything will fall into place, emotionally, physiologically, and in terms of behavior/performance.” Recently, sport psychology has finally been catching up with third wave CBTs (e.g., [...]
“Baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical.” Most athletes, and even casual sports fans, have heard this famous Yogi Berra quote at one point or another. As a former swimmer, somebody who competed in an individual sport for the entirety of their athletic career, I think the numbers are closer to 99.9% mental and 0.1% physical. My swimming [...]
Hello readers! My name is Vadim Jacobson and I am thrilled to announce that I will be helping out Dr. Tim Herzog as an intern for this upcoming year. I will be learning about how to run a consulting practice, and will be directly assisting with marketing, social media, and writing a weekly blog about various topics in sport [...]
Hey! I’m Raegan Geldart, Reaching Ahead’s new intern. I am excited to be working with Dr. Tim Herzog on several projects this summer. One of which being this blog! Here I will talk about several mental performance skills or ideas in relation to girl’s lacrosse. This subject hits home for me for many reasons. Having grown up in the [...]
