90% of success is mental…so why don’t we train that way? 12/24/2011

It never ceases to amaze me the lack of consistency and motivation parents and youth athletes have when it comes the mental aspects of performance. The first and most essential question asked in any and all of my performance consultations is, “So, how much of your success in sport is attributable to the mental part of the game?”…9 times out of 10 I will get a number between 80 and 90%. And so, my follow-up question becomes.  “Ok, so how much of your time is spent training the mental rather than the physical aspects of your game?”…again a consistent 9 out of 10 athletes will give an answer somewhere between 10-20%”. I immediately turn their attention to the drastic discrepency in this logic. If I know that my success is in strong majority due to my ability to handle the mental elements of competition (e.g., motivation, anxiety reduction, focus and self-confidence), then I am certainly going to put the time in to perfect this part of my game. However, time and again do I see parents bring their kids in for one or two sessions expecting the miracle pill, the magic wand to be waved and all the mental skills they need to be taught in 1 or 2 hours of consultation. I am good at what I do…but not that good. I would never expect a swing coach to teach the mechanics of the short game in one lesson or a pitching coach to fine tune the curve in just a week. This is where I struggle to even offer one or two session consultations. I am beginning to feel that unless I can get a 6 session or more commitment from an athlete that I am doing nothing more than taking his or her money. Sure, I can pinpoint some necessary areas for improvement, delve into the reasons for the initial visit and what they are most struggling with. I can offer quick advice and suggested strategies to try. But, in only very rare and specific cases does one session result in a true “AHA” moment whereby the athlete has and can work out all the mental barriers which brought him or her to me in the first place.

I think what frustrates me most is that the main reason for this lack of ongoing consulting and consistency in visits is simply scheduling. Kids are so spread thin between school, practices, games and extracurriculars such as youth groups, school concerts, dances and weekend socializing that they just cannot find time in the week to come in. However, I would argue that they are spending some 10-20 hours a week at training and competitions. Again, lending itself to the obvious disconnect between the willingness to put in time for the mental skills training and the understanding that this is one of, if not THE most important training you can do in elite competition. How can we convince coaches, parents and athletes themselves that giving up one day of physical training to come in for a mental tune-up is a much more reasonable and effective use of time. Try convincing a coach or parent that missing a day of practice to find time for a consult is worth it.

FIZEEK! and the Mayor’s Challenge 11/21/2011

On November 13th, Nashville made a statement and FIZEEK! was an integral part of that. When FIZEEK! started its Fall programming at the Martha O”Bryan Center and Coleman Community Center our primary objectives were  1)  To have fun, get fit and learn, but more importantly, 2) Our staff were preparing the youth for the Mayor Karl Dean’s 5K Challenge.  After Nashville joined Karl Dean in successfully completing 100 miles throughout the Spring and Summer, he upped the ante…and FIZEEK! was ready. The NAZA programs at Martha O”Bryan and Coleman were willing and supportive of our efforts. Not only were we able to provide ongoing fitness and health education during weekly programming, but Soles 4 Souls, a local non-profit who provides footwear to those who cannot always afford what they need, came through in a huge way. We were able to supply every child who needed them with a pair of tennis shoes for the race. Finally, 11/13 was upon us. By race day we had over 50 youth, parents and staff signed up and toeing the line.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The event was an amazing opportunity for the youth to experience Fitness at its Finest. Over 4000 people completed the race, many alongside friends and family. It was a true community effort. The chance to expose our youth to what fitness look like can really set the pace for a lifetime of healthy living. I saw moms and dads, sons and daughters, sisters and friends pushing one another to finish.  After the race, I heard a number of youth and parents already planning their next race! Congratulations to Nashville and to all the NAZA / FIZEEK! youth.

Wrestling Seminar in Franklin this Week! 09/24/2011

On Tuesday September 27th, 2011 I will be speaking at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, TN. My husband Stewart Breeding and I will be covering a variety of physical and mental skills topics including conditioning, performance nutrition, positive mindset and mental skills training techniques as they apply specifically to wrestling. Many of the topics covered will be relevant to all competitive environments but much will be directed at proper off-season and in season fundamentals pertaining to weight control, agility and skill as well as overcoming the psychological barriers which can inhibit success.

Hope to see you there on Tuesday

6-9pm at Battle Ground Academy sponsored by Lion’s Pride Grappling (www.lionspridegrappling.com)

The Youth Obesity Push 09/20/2011

We are still in the throes of this epidemic and we are still not seeing the progress and focus this cause deserves. FIZEEK!, my youth fitness initiative (www.fizeekfitness.com) is growing. We are now serving three sites this Fall in Nashville including Coleman Community Center, Martha O’Bryan Center and Wright Middle School.  I have been so impressed by the interest and enthusiasm of the afterschool program staff. WE had the kick-off event at Martha O’Bryan last night. The staff participated, offered support and were engaged with the youth which is the key to success and participation from the youth. Our staff building a significant relationship with the young people throughout our time at these facilities, however the onsite staff our their rock, the stability and consistency they need and crave. If they are not supportive and able to endorse the concept of health education as essential in the program curriculum our job becomes much more difficult. I thank them for this.

This support and participation which is so prevalent in the community centers is all but absent in the school environment which we have seen at Wright Middle school. Save one amazing and passionate school nurse, all the staff are less than interested in growing such a unique and potentially invaluable opportunity to integrate consistent and ongoing fitness opportunities into the school day. I would only hope that when you have people who have no affiliation or intimate tie to a school but are putting this aside in an attempt to promote a better quality of life in your community that you could put all personal needs aside a lend a hand for 30 minutes twice a week. The presence and support of faculty, staff and parents is an invaluable addition to a youth program’s success. They need to know what they are doing matters and that people recognize their efforts. This is a call to Metro Nashville faculty, staff, parents and even administrators to be invested. Contact me and get involved in Wright’s program or let’s initiate your own! It will be well worth it, I promise.

It All Comes Full Circle. 08/29/2011

I just cannot believe how many different times in the last several weeks I have run into people in the health and fitness industry who all seem to be connected in one way or another. Initially I simply dismiss it as Nashville, which has always been a small town trying be a big city. But then, at some point I have to consider that the universe is telling me something. The problem is, I do not know what that something is! Is it telling me that all these connections, all the networking and initiatives I am working on will eventually come full circle and connect in a unique and successful way?  This is what I would like to believe. Or, is it telling me that this industry, as much as it has grown over the last several years, is still in its infancy and everyone is working with the same concepts, the same research, the same ultimate goals. Neither alternative is a bad thing, but it does leave you thinking about how everything you are doing could fit in so many different boxes and yet have such similar outcomes. For example, the youth fitness program I am developing could easily exist under the roof of our fitness facility, could easily exist as a private business within the medical clinics and facilities of pediatricians offices, and of course is a lucrative non-profit initiative. The Executive Fitness program I am helping design could be a great program run out of Focus Fitness for our “executive clients”. While I am participating in a corporate challenge, a colleague mentions that we could use the testing procedures in so many other effective ways with employees, private business and other fitness facilities. It is just so interesting, when you are interested in bettering people’s lives and helping others, the work just seems to seep into all areas of you life.

Parent Training 08/10/2011

Well, it is not news that parents are uber-invested in the success, performance and development of their children, as well they should be. What is becoming increasingly prevalent is the amount of money, time and energy is spent making these pieces possible. The number of performance coaches (fitness, psychology, sport-specific, positional) kids have today, in addition to the number of hours spent watching, playing, studying, talking about sport is really obscene. If your vacations, family outings, weeknights, dinner conversations, and every waking hour are spent dedicated to some element of your child’s sport then it may have gone too far. Think about the time you spend together. Are weekends spent watching college or professional baseball, while vacations are centered around Spring training, and weekends are at the batting cage, ballpark and/or supporting the local minor league club, dinners are spent analyzing the pitch count, the error at second, the decision to steal home?  Are you finding “other” ways to spend your time?  Are you allowing everyone, parents included, a break from the sport-related culture?  We coach kids on not watching too much television, not letting pop culture dictate dress, attitude and beliefs, yet we allow sport to infiltrate nearly every crevice of our/and their existance. How much is too much?

Sport Psychology for Kids 08/01/2011

I am starting to see so many consistencies in my youngsters and I am just starting to think, what is and what should be the primary purpose of this service I am offering. Is it sport related mental skills they lack or simply mental skills for coping, perceiving, processing and dealing with the emotions and pressures of performance?  I don’t know how I feel on this one. I know, it seems a crazy suggestion being as my career, my passion and my profession are built around the notion that youth need sport psychology training. However, I would be doing my own practice an injustice if I did not learn from my experiences and continually question how I can really best help my clients…adults and youth.

The more and more I work with the young competitors the more I explore ways to reach them on their level of mental capacity. I don’t like to “talk down” to anyone, yet when you are dealing with 11 and 12-year-old minds you do have to modify your methods…just as I would not prescribe the same weight training program for an adult and a child. Developmentally they are just different. I use more visual cues, more anecdotal examples…more “pictures” and fewer words. However, I am still not sure they are really struggling with sport anxiety, sport perfectionism, on the field concentration…I would argue in a majority of cases they are struggling with anxiety, perfectionism and/or concentration across all domains (social, academic,  interpersonal and, of course, athletic…which is why they end up in my office). What I end up discovering 9 times out of 10 is that the behaviors they display are not isolated. Nervousness before games mimics nervousness before tests, mimics nervousness in unfamiliar social situations. When I find this is the case I wonder how much pressure a young, developing mind can withstand. I think back to my own experiences…I was in a highly academic school, I was continually struggling to “fit in” as all kids do in their own way, I was a highly competitive athlete, I was a member of my church youth group, I was a girl scout, and for many years I played the piano. When did I do anything that did not demand concentration, a competitive attitude, and an ability to perform in front of an audience. If I had not been able to cope with these elements of my activities and everyday experiences, I would certainly have had difficulty experiencing any sense of success and confidence, as I was given no opportunities in which failure, mistakes or an “off day” did not result in a significant negative outcome. I either failed a test, lost a game, was left out off the “guest list” or embarrassed myself on stage. Whew, I don’t even think I could handle that now, imagine doing that as a teenager. We think we are overworked when we have to leave the office a little past 5 o’clock, or go in a little early to get a headstart. Yet we ask our young athletes to juggle an 8 hour school day, practice (sometimes more than one), homework and any semblance of a social life (and not just with their teammates, but other circles of friends as well). Sounds familiar. We hear all the time about a “work-life” balance. Shouldnt our kids get the same opportunity?  I urge you as parents to look at your child’s daily schedule. I am in no way saying that staying busy and active is a bad thing, it is one the most important and exciting part of being young and energetic. However, are all their activities high performance? Do they do some things that do not require scores, acceptance, high marks?

Parental Labeling of Youth Athletes 07/11/2011

I have been in business for over three years now…working more and more with competitive youth athletes. I see kids a young as 11 years old come into my office. So scared they are fighting tears back, so uncertain as to why they are there, so concerned that there is “something wrong with them” that I take the first session trying to make them feel comfortable and understand that performance enhancement is something everyone can use to improve. Usually after about 10-15 minutes they have settled in, let their guard down and we can actually start to make some headway about what they are struggling with.

What happens 9 times out of 10 (except in the case of a highly mature young person who has requested help on their mental game), is that the parent has suggested, or in many cases mandated that they child come talk to me. I do not think they is necessarily a bad thing. Afterall, at 11 years old it is unlikely a child will recognize what is causing their inability to move past a mistake, to maintain concentration, to accept loss and poor performance as part of the game. When I see youth younger than 17-18 years old I strongly urge (one tier shy of requiring) one or both parents sit in on the initial session. Unfortunately sitting in usually turns into taking over. Questions directed at the child are answered by the parents, questions about the child’s experience, perceptions and feelings are interpreted by the parent. What I see most often is the parent “labeling” the child. For example, “He is just like me…he is a perfectionist”…”He is just a people pleaser”…”She is just so sensitive and emotional”. Is it me or are these things that a child does not need to hear. Yes, this may be an accurate description of the child, they may in fact possess such characteristics, but when a parent emphasizes such qualities, uses them to explain irrational or ineffective behaviors, then the child will more than likely identify with these characteristics and may even start to alter behaviors in order to fit this mold or label.

What if, on the otherhand, a parent were to say…”He is so cool under pressure”….”She really excels in the face adversity and is very level-headed”…would a child then embrace these behavioral and emotional labels thus enhancing his or her ability to perform well in high pressure situations. Parents, be careful what you say in front of you kids. Be careful how your perceptions can become theirs, how your labels and evaluations can manifest themselves in the form of behaviors and emotions that are consistent with the way you describe them to others…

1st Annual FIZEEK! 5K a Success 05/16/2011

The Nashville weather forecast called for rainy skies but my outlook remained optimistic as we prepared for the first annual NAZA Showcase and Amazing Race, what I will affectionately call the first annual FIZEEK! 5k… I was not sure how many runners to expect as there was no formal registration or fee required for participants. Being the first year for the event we wanted to make it as informal and inviting as possible for youth and their families. All the event needs were all but covered through program funding and the generosity of local supporters including Kroger, Costco, Smoothie King, Joslin Signs, I Run for the Party, EZ Silkscreen, Modular Designs and Athlete’s House to name a few. We received discounts, donations, free giveaways and monetary contributions.

Just as registration commencement approached the cloudy skies began to part and sun began peeking through to reveal a perfect morning for a 3.1 mile run…or walk. Buses arrived carrying dozens of young people eager to sign up and get moving. My heart swelled with excitement and pride that the event we had been planning for nearly 3 months was finally here and WE HAD RUNNERS!!  When all was said and done and 8am was upon us, nearly 50 participants toed the line for the start. We had parents, youth, program staff and local supporters all there to watch, cheer and participate. The event truly lived up to its name…it was AMAZING!

The most incredible part of this whole experience for me was working with the committee that made this all happen. The group formed spontaneously as we all traded emails about an end of the year event to celebrate the Nashville After Zone Alliance and its enhancement partners as well as allow the families to see what the youth had been creating throughout the semester. As the recreation partner in South Central Zone, I suggested a running event….which then became the AMAZING RACE, and other brought ideas to the table, including art displays, live performances and parent resources/information booths. Thank you to the “best little committee ever formed”: Jane Fleishman of Martha O’Bryan Center, Candy Markman of the Mayor’s Office, Jim Williamson of the PENCIL Foundation and NAZA, Stevon Neloms Director of the Coleman Community Center, Angie Booker of Coleman Community Center, and Rayni Griffiths with Glencliff High School!

WRIGHT FIZEEK! 05/08/2011

We are growing! FIZEEK! Fitness is starting a morning PE program at Wright Middle school on May 12th. For the remainder of the school year FIZEEK! in conjuction with Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Coordinated School Health Program will be facilitating 30 minutes of sport and fitness for all interested students.  Visit www.fizeekfitness.com to read more about the programs we offer and how we are “shaping” the lives of youth in Nashville.

Our hope is to motivate the kids to get to school early, get active and then stay for a healthy and much needed morning meal. FIZEEK! and four of the Wright Middle school staff will offer resistance training, sport skills, general fitness education and support as the kids learn how to get fit and honor their bodies with healthy behaviors and choices. Wright Middle is home to students from over 40 different countries and multiple cultural barriers which leave them in many cases unable to engage in healthy daily activities. Our goal is to show them that fitness can be fun and can be incorporated into your day….even in the morning.

Email me if you want to see FIZEEK! become a part of your culture. tiffany@mindbodydoctor.net