The body achieves what the mind believes.

When most people think about sports performance, they envision physical training and conditioning. Certainly, a dedicated training plan is critical for any athlete — but the mind plays a critical role in athletic success. Most top athletes emphasize the importance of a solid mind/body connection, and having a strategic mental plan is just as important as the time dedicated to physical training. A strong mind will carry the body places it never thought it could go. Throughout history, countless people have proven that when the chips were down, or when the pressure was on, their thoughts were what helped them succeed. Dr. Jody has helped many athletes develop a “mental map” for optimizing their sports performance.

It’s common for athletes to hear that they must develop a level of “mental toughness.”

While there’s validity to that belief, it’s easier said than done when an athlete feels overwhelmed or defeated. Stress or anxiety will likely impair sports performance. This may be observed in the athlete’s mental calculations, reaction time, etc. No matter how the impairment materializes, it will be noticeable.

While so much attention is placed on the development of physical skills and game strategy, little attention is paid to mental skill development. But in order to reach new levels in any sport, your mental game must also be astute. Educating, individualizing, and developing an athlete’s mental game is essential to long-term athletic success.

Athletes, athletic directors, physical education teachers, coaches, and parents should all be educated on neuropsychophysiology, which is one approach to working with athletes who are performing below their optimal skill level. Tactics, such as shaming an athlete or hoping they will “snap out of it” only compound a player’s already distressed state. For example, research indicates that there is a direct physiological relationship between anxiety, visual disturbances, timing, reflex responses, and motor coordination. Thus, anxiety can impair sports performance in a number of ways.

For twenty years, Dr. Jody has worked with athletes across many sports, including field hockey, soccer, men and women’s ice hockey, cross country running, basketball, volleyball, and cross country skiing. Her goal as an educator, sports performance facilitator, and therapist is to individualize and focus on an athlete’s mental skill development in their sport while instilling the neurophysiology awareness needed for optimal sports performance.

Testimonies from some of the athletes:

Tyler:
(Division I Prep School Ice Hockey Goaltender, Division I and Professional Hockey Player)
Working with Jody I realized how positive and negative thoughts surrounding my ability were strongly and without a doubt impacting my overall sports performance.

Brittany:
(Division II Collegiate Women’s Professional Hockey Player)
Coaches don’t always realize that their words or coaching style may cause their players’ athletic performance to suffer. After working with Jody, I learned physical, emotional, and, most importantly, mental skills that allow me to work at my highest performance level.

Rick:
(Division I High School Baseball Pitcher)
I threw a hard pitch that accidentally hit the batter. The batter was seriously hurt and needed to go to the hospital. After that incident, my pitching went downhill fast. I went from being a Division I all-star that was being recruited by Division I colleges to a pitcher that couldn’t throw an accurate pitch 70% of the time. With every bad pitch, I spiraled down a little further. I could not stand on the pitcher’s mound without the horrible image of hurting someone again. I pretty much gave up all hope of realizing my childhood dream of playing Division I baseball. I was referred to Jody through a family friend. Jody taught me how trauma registers in the brain and how it affects us mentally and physically. I learned new skills to overcome my fears and move forward in making my dreams come true.

Johanna:
(Division III Collegiate Soccer Player)
Before I left for college, I had a few panic attacks that didn’t seem to interrupt my life. Although it only happened once or twice, I honestly did not think much of it. That was the case until I was in the middle of a game my freshman year of college. I felt one coming on and I couldn’t figure out why now? I tried to rally but my athletic performance was disappointing at best. I quit the team shortly after because I was paralyzed with fear that it would happen again. Then I began working with Jody, and things started to change immediately. Jody was able to educate me on how my mind and body work together. She helped me identify triggers and taught me new coping skills to counteract the negative effects on my sports performance. Now I’m proud to say I am the captain of my team and a Division III All American.

Services:

• Team Presentations on how to be proactive in supporting the mental aspect of an athlete’s performance during their upcoming season.

• Private consultations with individual athletes.

• Private phone consultations with coaches to devise a plan to support the athlete.

• Training sessions for parents, coaches, and anyone else working closely with an athlete. Instruction that provide signs for early detection in sports performance impairment. Also offered are goalie- specific sessions for athlete, coaches, and parents.

It’s about more than just believing in yourself.

For more information on how NECASM can help improve your sports performance, contact Dr. Jody today.