Are you all watching Dancing with the Stars? Last night's results show briefly featured sports psychology at the end. These stars are having to quickly learn how to handle the emotional, mental, and physical demands of learning one or two dances in a week and then performing in front of a huge local and national audience. It always looks like so much fun, and I am sure it is, but it is not easy. For the feature, they interviewed a sport psychologist, Misty May-Treanor's volleyball coach, and a military commander (I'll have to watch again to get the details on these people). They each covered focus, emotion-control, positive self-talk, and pressure. As you watch the stars, see what you can learn in each of these areas.
As I have been watching the season, I have seen a lot of principles played out. Of course, some of them are dramatized, as is Hannah Montana star, Cody Linley, who has been highlighted for his difficulty focusing in practices. Maurice Greene is notable for his ability to focus. Susan Lucci shows great sportsmanship, always gracious in interviews. Lance Bass has a cocky attitude about him, but shows some vulnerability when he admits his self-doubts. On the floor he usually seems to pull off the confidence he was able to show when he was part of N'Sync. If you compare the dances on Monday to the one chosen to perform again on Tuesday, the second time through is usually better. I believe this is due to less pressure so that the stars can relax and enjoy themselves a little more. Still, under the heat of being judged, many of them are able to get into the fun of the dance and, therefore, lighten the pressure on themselves. I think Toni Braxton struggled with this the most, and Warren Sapp does it the best.
Sometimes I wish I were a star so I could experience all of this rather than watch and write about it, but it is still exciting from my couch.
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Is it possible that the methods to handling pressure for athletes, performers, etc. are similiar or not the exact same (allowing for individual differences of course)? The EVENT may be irrelevant: an 8 year old soccer player, a 13 year old swimmer, a ballet dancer the first time on stage, a professional in the final game of his career: all have the same physiological responses don't they? Pressure effects each human body in the same way initially and everyone learns to handle it in a different way, but the approach to learning how to handle it is essentially the same.
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