DML Sport Psych Blog

It is important for coaches to build relationships with their athletes in any sport but can those relationships become detrimental? Imagine partaking in the same routine for a prolonged period of time and then suddenly have it stopped, what would you do to cope? That is the predicament of the Manchester United Football Club, a solid relationship built between Sir Alex Ferguson and his players for his 27 years and then to have it shattered by his retirement; it's quite similar to the circumstances of an orphaned child whether it be by death or abandonment. It is the attachment of those players to Sir Alex that has kept them alive for so long. The bond that he built with that club and those players, I believe will never be matched, but is that such a bad thing? In a sport where trophies count, was such a fall from glory really worth it? David Moyes came along and attempted to fill these enormous shoes and couldn't but was it really his fault? Can he be blamed for the decli...

It has been just over a year since the completion of my MSc. Programme and 10 months since my return to Barbados. After my last blog post, I put my head down and deliberated on how I could make the best of my situation at home recognising the under-development of the field of Sport Psychology here in Barbados.  After much thought, a light in my head switched on (cliché I know) and I decided to take the chance and host my own seminars to educate Barbadians, athletes, coaches, PE Teachers and Sport Directors on the benefits of the field.  The DML Sport Psychology series comprises of five (5) in depth Sport Psychology discussions centered around SP education, leading into the specifics of Mental Skills Training (MST). This event is scheduled to commence November 4, 2013 and conclude on November 8. It has also been endorsed by the National Sports Council and Academy of Sport Cave Hill (UWI) due to its contribution to Sport Education and Development. Spaces are limited...

All of the studying, the hard work, the dedication, long hours, papers written, presentations given, leading up to that one dissertation, then to graduation to bring me to this point. What next? To return home to a country that does not recognize the importance of sport as a profession could go down to date as one of my biggest regrets. Should I just throw my hands in the air and give up? Should I stay committed to the cause that drove me to pursue these academic qualifications and trod on? These questions still remained unanswered. Truth is, I'm an academic, to study and to continue to mould myself into the type of professional I want to be is my aim. I've been told by many that I'm too young to seek a Doctoral qualification in sport; suicide they call it, yet I press on. I'm not too down-hearted, I still have some faith left but with each passing day and each missed opportunity, that slowly dwindles away. If I intend to stay, I have to make a way. I need t...

For years, we have neglected the importance of psychological preparation in sport and for that we have been disappointed continually with the lack of success at the international level, whether it be in our national athletes or our regional cricketers. One reason for this is the seeming lack of sport professionals in the Caribbean region, but who can blame them? We live in a region where it seems to be a pain to finance a sport development venture and yet we expect the very few athletes that we select to win gold meals and do our countries proud. At often times, we do not know what some of these athletes are faced with and people in administration don't care to understand. We constantly cry down cricketers claiming that they're overpaid and unskilled but yet this is the only market available in the region where we can have access to a sample of professional athletes to get a better understanding of the psychological construct of athletes of that status. Until regional ...

Photo credit: nationnews.com  Have a read! http://www.nationnews.com/articles/view/building-team-spirit-in-cricket/ ~Dawn~

Everyone has to be individual in their own right but in a team setting should that individualism be converted to selfish competition among team members? It is my belief that this type of behaviour breaks down team unity and causes tension among team members. What can be done to curb this behaviour? How can we stop this rivalry among team members and build cohesion to enhance overall team performance? Is this type of individualistic behaviour engrained in us or does it develop out of our interaction with the various environments that we are placed in. Whatever the source, it is something that needs to be eliminated if a team is to function effectively. Not everyone possesses this competitive attitude and it takes away the enjoyment derived from sport participation and lessens the camaraderie associated with the interaction of people who share a common interest. I personally believe that athletes should be assessed adequately before entering a team setting as we may be a...