Posted on

On the Field and Behind the Scenes: Challenges Encountered by Sport Psychologists During Competitions

Peering through the spectator’s lens, it is easy to be captivated by the exhilarating world of sport psychology where professionals accompany athletes to far-flung destinations, bask in the glory of victory, and the cheers of the crowd generates an electrifying aura. While being a sport psychologist is an intriguing and attractive profession, nonetheless, psychologists tend to navigate through a labyrinthine landscape that defies the glimmering facade.  

The current article unveils a gamut of challenges that sport psychologists face amidst competitive chaos, alongside offering recommendations to professionals to consider their own well-being.

Upholding confidentiality in a multi-disciplinary team

Working as a member of the multi-disciplinary team can often become demanding for sport psychologists, especially when it comes to maintaining confidentiality. In organisational settings where the sport psychologist closely collaborates with coaches, physiotherapists and other team members, it is imperative to find adequate balance between information sharing and preserving athletes confidentiality. Therefore, it is essential for practitioners to clearly outline and communicate boundaries regarding confidentiality within the multidisciplinary team.

Under extraordinary circumstances, where essential information needs to be shared with another team member for the athlete’s well-being and development, one should only disclose relevant information of the athlete (i.e., with the player and parental consent) to another member of the team (while respecting privacy and maintaining confidentiality) who requires that specific information to carry out their own responsibilities successfully. For instance, when working with an athlete, sport psychologists often collaborate with medical professionals such as physicians, physiotherapists, or nutritionists. In such cases, sharing specific psychological insights or strategies might be required to ensure a comprehensive approach to the athlete’s well-being and performance.

Incessant attentiveness and consciousness

Being immersed in fast-paced competitive events for extensive hours on the field can lead to mental and physical exhaustion, as it demands heightened alertness and consciousness on part of the sport psychologist. Continuous observations of every athlete’s performance, actively seeking feedback, along with staying attuned to the players’ needs, both individually and collectively, can be mentally and physically draining, impacting the practitioners own performance and well-being. Thereupon, it is crucial for sport psychologists to manage their own energy levels and take frequent breaks to recharge and rejuvenate in order to ensure that they continue to provide adequate support to the athletes.

In addition, when the psychologist travels with the team, stays in the same hotel, and dines with them regularly, such level of familiarity often results in blurred boundaries leaving the practitioner drained. Henceforth, while travelling with the team, it is necessary to fix and communicate clear engagement hours to the players and other support staff to strike a balance between being available to athletes and taking care of one’s own well-being.

Concurrently managing differing emotions

One of the most significant challenges that sport psychologists might experience on-site would be managing the diverse emotional states of athletes simultaneously. Some athletes would be ecstatic and overjoyed after a successful performance, while others would be disappointed and distressed after a loss. Manoeuvring such varying emotions requires one to be highly empathetic, adaptive, and responsive. In the middle of competition madness, providing validation and supporting athletes through their emotional rollercoasters can be emotionally overwhelming and exhausting for the practitioners themselves. Therefore, while being away for competitions, it is important for practitioner’s to stay connected with their social support networks (e.g., colleagues, family and friends) and share their experiences, vent frustration, and seek advice when required. Regular check-ins and communication with friends and family can provide practitioners with emotional support and maintain a sense of connectedness.

Managing one’s own stress in high-pressure and unpredictable situations

The sporting environment is often characterised as stressful, uncertain, and highly competitive and success oriented, both for athletes and the entire support team, including sport psychologists. The heightened stakes and performance expectations creates a highly stressful environment, where psychologists are expected to think on their feet, adjust their interventions last minute, and provide timely support in response to ever-changing circumstances. While sport psychologists provide athletes with adequate tools and strategies to cope with pressure effectively, it is essential for them to adopt similar stress management techniques (e.g., breathing exercises, mindfulness, journaling or any other interventions) to manage their own stress levels.

Lack of structured routines and timings, inadequate diet and sleep deprivation

Sport psychologists often operate in environments that follow unpredictable schedules, with matches or events running late or starting earlier than planned. Such lack of structure can easily make it difficult for practitioners to establish consistent routines, resulting in disrupted meal times, irregular breaks, and limited time for rest and self-care.

More often than not, practitioners might find themselves relying on quick and convenient food options or skipping meals altogether. In addition, irregular schedules and long hours on-site can result in inadequate sleep. Consequently, impairing their cognitive functioning, attention, and decision-making abilities, that can further impact their ability to effectively analyse and respond to athletes’ needs.

To mitigate this challenge, it is essential for sport psychologists to consciously prioritise their own self-care and get adequate sleep, proper nutritious meals, and maintain a routine that supports their well-being during hectic competition schedules.

To conclude, while working in the sporting ecosystem is fascinating, the challenges experienced by sport psychologists are plentiful. Practitioners embark on a demanding journey, pouring their energy, expertise and unwavering support into the athletes. Hence, amongst the whirlwind of competition, it is important for sport psychologists to practice what they preach and make sure to pause, take a breath, and prioritise their own well-being.

Here’s a gentle reminder for all practitioners spending extensive hours on-ground:

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first”

Image credit: Freepik

Posted on

From Lockdown to Playing Grounds: Psychological Strategies to Help Athletes Cope with the New Normal

The sudden and unforeseen outbreak of the novel coronavirus has deeply obstructed the daily lives of individuals all across the world. While the majority of the population is discussing, debating and deliberating about tanking economies, fluid government policies, overburdened healthcare systems and several thousands of casualties caused by COVID-19, there is also a large population of sportspersons suffering from a sense of uncertainty about their future.

Over the past few months, the cancellation and postponement of major sporting events and the closure of all training facilities have disrupted orderly regimes of athletes and restrained them within the walls of their homes. The sense of confinement that has come from the quarantine period has had a debilitating impact on the psychological well-being of athletes. Sporting legends like Serena Williams, Clarisse Agbegnenou, and Michael Phelps have shared their personal experiences of undergoing a turmoil of emotions, accompanied by instability and confusion.

Nonetheless, now as countries begin to ease restrictions and lift the lockdowns, professional sporting events are recommencing with athletes carefully returning to their playing arenas. With the football leagues, Formula One, golf and cricket restarting its season behind closed doors, players are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

While for some athletes returning to sports might seem like a breath of fresh air, others might be grappling with the mayhem and distress inculcated by the virus. Despite the lockdowns, the number of COVID-19 cases continue to surge rapidly across the sphere, leaving athletes on the horns of dilemma. Moreover, the increase of COVID-19 cases within the sporting fraternity with some prominent athletes like Novak Djokovic and a few others contracting the virus has further magnified the paranoia amongst sportspersons.

However, amid the pandemic, sporting authorities and organisations are making all the necessary efforts and leaving no stone unturned to create a physically safe and bio-secure environment for the athletes to compete in.

While all the necessary precautions are being taken and athletes are preparing themselves to return to sport, it is also necessary for them to work on the mental aspect of their game alongside fine tuning their technique and physically strengthening their bodies in order to manage the psychological demands of the current unprecedented situation.

As a Chartered Sport and Performance Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), I outline the following psychological strategies that can help athletes adapt to the new normal and assist them in getting back to the field successfully:

Establish a re-entry plan by setting realistic goals

The journey of athletes returning back to sports after a prolonged period of sedentariness might be challenging with the path being obstructed with potholes and barriers. For instance, athletes might struggle to get back into their earlier fitness levels and also feel rusty while stepping out onto the field after a long break.

However, to safely return to training and avoid any injuries, it is important for athletes to have a re-entry plan by recalibrating their short-term and long-term goals with the assistance of their coaches and other support staff members.

When resuming practice, some athletes might find themselves feeling disoriented, lacking motivation and experiencing frustration, as the goals that they had set earlier have now diminished. Therefore, re-setting goals will help them navigate their way back into play proficiently, as it will provide them with a sense of direction and clear focus. Further, setting goals will have a positive impact on their motivation levels and will allow athletes to remain energised and productive during training and competitions.

Overall, setting realistic goals and progressing forward step-by-step will prevent overexertion and burnout among players, permitting them to gradually reach their optimal level of preparedness for future upcoming events. 

Control the controllables

In times of such uncertainty, many athletes might find themselves experiencing immense stress and anxiety by focusing on things that are not directly in their control. For instance, When will this end? What if I contract the virus? What impact will it have?

While these kinds of thoughts are valid and understandable, they can result in excessive stress and anxiety, fear, anger and disappointment, as athletes are investing a great deal of their time and energy over aspects that they have no control over. Therefore, it is essential for sportspersons to divert their attention to things they can control in the current bizarre situation.

Instead of constantly worrying about the unpredictable scenario and fearing contracting the virus, the athletes should divert their focus and energy on aspects that are within their control. For instance, athletes should take care of their nutrition and sleeping patterns, focus on exercising and training safely, follow physical distancing protocols and wear a mask and sanitise their hands when required.

During these challenging times, athletes should ‘control the controllables‘ to keep their stress and anxiety levels at bay.

Learn to cope with the absence of crowd during competitions

The sporting events, besides being defined by which player shines or team triumphs, is also characterised by its exhilarating atmosphere with the cheering and elated shrieks of the crowd when athletes exhibit mastery in their performances.

Within sports, it is believed that the presence of a crowd can facilitate performance, as athletes tend to push themselves and aspire to perform to their best abilities when friends, family or others are watching them. The presence of an audience is often believed to increase the arousal levels and in turn, enhance performance among skilled sportspersons.

Though the games are commencing after the hiatus caused by COVID-19; this time in the absence of spectators. The establishments are trying to reconstruct an illusionary experience by incorporating fake crowd noise, cardboard banners of fan cut-outs and creating Zoom walls via video calls on big screens. Nevertheless, some players and teams might still experience psychological challenges due to lack of viewers that can have a drastic impact on their performance. For instance, the performance of all the home teams in the German domestic circuit was impacted with them performing poorly compared to pre-Covid-19 games, by having scored fewer goals than they did in jam-packed arenas.

The show must go on

Under such circumstances, it is important for athletes to intrinsically motivate themselves in order to be aroused and stimulated throughout the competition. The athletes should concentrate on improving their performance rather than focusing on the final outcome of the sporting event. For instance, the players should focus on their personal performance goals and challenge themselves to outdo their own previous records. This way, the athletes will feel more in control of their performance and the personal satisfaction of attaining their goals will keep them involved and determined throughout their participation in sports.

First published in Psychreg on 2nd October, 2020

Posted on

We’re Still in the Midst of COVID-19. Here’s How We Can Support Athletes

With the worldwide lockdown and mandates to maintain physical distancing, athletes are quarantined or isolated in their houses in an attempt to curtail the virus. While some athletes are recouping by engaging in activities like cooking, painting and watching films, others might be struggling to cope with the disruption in their normal training routines and experiencing excessive anxiety and stress.

During such an unprecedented time, there is a constant influx of information concerning the impact of the current pandemic on athletes’ mental health and some athletes have shared their concerns as they go from being extremely active to a sedentary lifestyle.

In a recent article, Serena Williams expressed that: ‘Now, I’ve been social distancing for actually a really long time, for probably two weeks now, and every little thing makes me go crazy. And by anxiety I mean I’m just on edge. Any time anyone sneezes around me or coughs I get crazy. I don’t hang out with anyone, and when I say anyone I mean my daughter.’

Also, Clarisse Agbegnenou, French judoka and Rio 2016 silver medallist shared a similar reaction: ‘[The uncertainty about when we will be able to train and compete] is very difficult to handle; I like to schedule things in advance. Being in the fog really turned me down. I’m learning how to be another person, to live day by day, which is not easy. I’m learning how to be patient in uncertainty. This is not easy.’

The sentiments shared by the athletes regarding the impact of the pandemic on their mental well-being is something that athletes all across the globe are grappling with and is a concern that needs to be addressed.

In the current scenario, video technology has come to the rescue and is being used by sporting personnel to minimise the impact of lockdown on athletes who can now be socially connected. For instance, Special Olympic Texas launched an initiative where athletes, coaches and families are staying connected online through conversations, posting entertaining videos and engaging in daily puzzles to eliminate the sense of isolation.

Similarly, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) introduced an online education programme for athletes and coaches, with prominent speakers delivering online lectures on various topics related to strength and conditioning, physiotherapy and injury prevention, sports medicine, nutrition, and sports psychology.

Overall, a novel initiative to keep athletes and coaches engaged in the wake of the nationwide lockdown.

Delivering sport psychology through virtual means

During such an extraordinary time, I as a sport and performance psychologist find myself extending psychological support to athletes through virtual means, such as video calling, phone calls, e-mail or text messages, and web-based programs.

Telepsychology or teletherapy has been around for more than a decade now, but the outpouring of mobile phone users and easy access to fast broadband connections has created greater opportunities to provide psychological support to athletes while adhering to the physical distancing norms. Although, engaging in a traditional face-to-face interaction with athletes is always preferred.

Nevertheless, in the midst of the current pandemic, providing support to athletes by video-call, or simply over the phone helps to mirror the traditional one-to-one consultation to some degree.

Advantages of delivering sport psychology through virtual means

In the midst of the lockdown, the delivery of sport psychology using technology will allow practitioners to provide psychological support to athletes not only close to their region, but to athletes located all across the globe, while they attend sessions from the comfort of their own homes. Practitioners can also conduct team sessions by having teammates communicate and participate on common platforms (e.g., Zoom, Cisco-Webex, and Google Meets), while being thousands of miles apart from one another.

Also, the sudden outbreak of the pandemic has brought a set of challenges for para-athletes and imposes immense strain on them. In a recent article, Sundar Singh Gurjar, the World Para Athletics champion, emphasised to maintain good psychological health during lockdown: ‘Practising at home is different from handling the pressure on the field. It can affect your mind if you are not competing for a long time. Disabled athletes must regularly practice yoga and meditation.’

Therefore, in such challenging times, providing psychological support to para-athletes is also necessary, and can be done through an innovative online platform called Microsoft Teams, which with its various unique features makes it accessible not just for persons with restricted movement but also for individuals with vision or hearing disabilities.

Indeed, Nipun Malhotra, the CEO of Nipman Foundation, and a disability rights activist endorsed that: ‘Having tried at least half a dozen such video communication technologies, I find it safe to say that Microsoft Teams is miles ahead when it comes to accessibility and persons with disabilities.’

Disadvantages of delivering sport psychology through virtual means

Though online delivery has its advantages, nevertheless, it comes with its own limitations. For instance, there might be instances where poor connectivity and technology glitches interrupt the session, hence, compromising the quality of these sessions and resulting in an exasperating experience for the athlete.

While technology is empowering, it can also be restrictive, especially in a country like India, where the digital disparity is so stark that access to technology for athletes living in rural areas is a challenge. In a conversation with Viren Rasquinha, the CEO of Olympic Gold Quest and former Indian hockey captain, mentioned that: ‘Most athletes that I have seen, specially in sports such as boxing and wrestling, do not come from privileged backgrounds, and internet connectivity is a problem in rural areas.’

Moreover, online sessions might not be for everyone, as some athletes might find it challenging due to lack of space and privacy in their homes. Whereas, others might find it uncomfortable to interact with the sport psychologist for the first time through a mobile or computer screen.

This view was concurred by Viren as he stated that: ‘Some athletes find the first session difficult online without knowing the sport psychologist from before, which impacts their working relationship. Also for some, privacy is a concern, especially for those who are based in an academy or hostel.’ Further, it becomes difficult for the practitioners to observe non-verbal cues during an online session that otherwise can aid in building rapport and gaining a more accurate understanding of their needs.

Although the amalgamation of technology with sport psychology practice presents unique challenges, nevertheless, sport psychology sessions’ being digitally accessible to the sporting population is currently the need of the hour and the ‘new normal’ of the lockdown period.

First published on Psychreg on 21st May, 2020.

Posted on

Nanaki’s View on the Role of Sport Psychologist During Critical Time of an Athlete’s Rehabilitation.

strategies for athletes in the time of covid 19

It will be an understatement to say that India missed two of its best sports performers, javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and gymnast Dipa Karmakar, at the world championships of their respective sport this month. They are on a rehabilitation timeline, recovering from injuries that needed them to undergo surgeries – Neeraj on his right elbow and Dipa on her right knee.

From the distance, their current mindsets are as vastly different as their sports. Neeraj Chopra was reportedly keen to compete in the IAAF World Atheltics Championships in Doha while Dipa Karmakar did not take part in the trials to select the team, aware that her recovery process has remained incomplete. Make no mistake, both want to be on the rebound and in competition.

It is hard to say how much help either has received in terms of training their mind to bounce back stronger from injuries. But it is not surprising that Delhi-based sports psychologist Divya Jain of Fortis Healthcare says only a small percentage of her clients are those seeking psychological support during rehabilitation after an injury and a surgery.

So, what could be going through the minds of top Indian athletes who are in different stages of rehabilitation after surgery? Ideally, it is athletes who provide answer to the questions. Nanaki J Chadha, a former top 10 player on the Indian Golf Union charts and now a sports psychology researcher, says a lot of irrational thoughts can dominate the mind.

“Injuries are a traumatic, unpleasant experience for any athlete. For, an injury impacts an athlete mentally quite a bit. A lot of thoughts can crowd the mind: ‘Will I be able to make a comeback?’, And if I do come back, will my body be the same?’ Such things lead to irritation and frustration, too. Worse, an athlete’s self-esteem and self-confidence can take a dip,” she says.

It ties in with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s confession about the time he was out after surgery to mend his tennis elbow. “I wondered if I would be able to play cricket ever again. After the surgery, the doctors had told me that it would take time and I needed to be patient. But like any other sportsperson, I was impatient and wanted to return to action as early as possible,” he had said.

“I went through tough times. I could not sleep at night. I thought my career was over and that I did not have the strength to hit a cricket ball again. All those thoughts started creeping in my mind. I prayed to God: ‘Give me one more chance to play the game. I want to play cricket and I can’t stop’,” Tendulkar had said.

Divya Jain, who is Head – Psychological Services, Fortis Healthcare, says the fear of losing one’s own identity is a significant factor in the mental make-up of an athlete going through lengthy rehabilitation. “Most athletes are known only for their sporting achievements and do not involve themselves in too many other things. They do not have a fall back areas of interest,” she says.