In all the years I played sports, coaches always preached that you practice how you play and the other way around. The thinking is that preparation is critical to performance, and that high level of play cannot occur just because you want it to occur. It must be instilled with hours and hours of practice. Coaches in all sports believe that you cannot just "flip a switch" and do what needs to be done at high levels of competition.
Allen Iverson, a famous basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers was heavily criticized in the press for being late to practice, or for dogging it in practice. His famous line was, "It's only practice", and it used to make coaches cringe. Iverson was one of those rare players who were the exception to the rule of practice how you play. He could literally, "flip the switch" and play with reckless abandon for all four quarters. Nobody who ever watched him play could accuse him of taking any time off, or not putting out maximum effort all the time. He gave the fans every ounce of himself every game.
Now in Philadelphia, we have another example of a whole team that can "flip the switch".The 2010 Phillies baseball team is another exception to the rule. On July 21, the Phils were in second place, 7 games behind Atlanta with a record of 48-46. 60 days later, they clinch the National League East pennant, with a record of 94-63. That means that in the critical months of August and September, their record was 36-17, an incredible percentage of .679. They won more than 2 out of every 3 games that they played.
I believe that there are two reasons for this ability. One is the history of success of the team, having won their division for the fourth straight time, and going to the World Series each year for the past two years. They know what it takes to go the distance, and know when games and situations are important or less important. They relax in those situations and trust their ability to play. They can trust themselves, because they can rely on their history. The memories sustain them in times of crisis.
The second reason is that the Phillies have a manager, Charlie Manuel, who is one of the best at emotionally supporting his players. He focuses on playing for the love of the game, and gets the players to ride through the inevitable ups and downs of a baseball season without losing faith in themselves. He is their historian who reminds them of their success and gets them to trust themselves.
Those two factors, the history of success and an insightful manager, separate the 2010 Phillies from other teams. It enables them to "flip the switch". Just don't expect other athletes or teams to be able to do the same thing. Sports history says it doesn't work. There are exceptions to every rule, and the 2010 Phillies are one of those exceptions.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS
If sport reflects real life, then I don't like the current reflection in the mirror. There have been two events recently that crystallized for me what that reflection reveals about our culture. The first incident occurred on Wednesday, September 15 in a baseball game between the Yankees and the Blue Jays. In the 7th inning, the Yankee captain and pillar of the sports community, Derek Jeter appears to be hit on the hand by a pitch. He proceeds to jump around like he is severely hurt, and calls for the trainer to come exam his hand. The umpire awards him first base. The only problem is that video replays show clearly that the ball did not hit him and hit the bat handle, a fact that Jeter himself would have clearly known from the absence of any pain. Jeter apparently felt that the end justified the means, and getting on base was worth misrepresenting yourself to fans and teammates alike.
I believe that his actions are influenced by the kind of year that he is having. 2010 is turning out to be a highly disappointing year for him, and can be seen as the desperate act of a desperate man. He is batting only .262 with 61 RBI, well off his usual average of .300 or better. In fact, this is the first year since 2004 that his average has fallen below .300. I guess that justifies cheating.
In a second incident only several days later in football, on Sunday, September 19, Shaun Smith, a defensive lineman for theKansas City Chiefs , does the unthinkable in male sports. According to his opponent on the line, Center Alex Mack of the Cleveland Browns , Smith grabbed him in his "private parts" during a play in the second quarter of the game. The referees didn't notice the foul, causing Mack to become outraged at the referees for allowing that type of play. You certainly can get an advantage by playing like that, but you cross an unspoken line between men. I can only believe that Smith, who did not make the team last year, felt that he needed to do what he needed to do. For him, the end justified the means.
I heard a similar statement from Bernie Madoff in justifying his Ponzi scheme. Weapons of mass destruction seemed like a similar exaggeration to get backing for a war. Politicians tell different groups of constituents what they want to hear to get elected. Businessmen and women hide money to avoid paying taxes.
I don't believe that the end ever justifies the means, no matter what the cause or explanation. I can only hope that honesty returns to our culture and that sports in the future will reflect that trend.
I believe that his actions are influenced by the kind of year that he is having. 2010 is turning out to be a highly disappointing year for him, and can be seen as the desperate act of a desperate man. He is batting only .262 with 61 RBI, well off his usual average of .300 or better. In fact, this is the first year since 2004 that his average has fallen below .300. I guess that justifies cheating.
In a second incident only several days later in football, on Sunday, September 19, Shaun Smith, a defensive lineman for the
I heard a similar statement from Bernie Madoff in justifying his Ponzi scheme. Weapons of mass destruction seemed like a similar exaggeration to get backing for a war. Politicians tell different groups of constituents what they want to hear to get elected. Businessmen and women hide money to avoid paying taxes.
I don't believe that the end ever justifies the means, no matter what the cause or explanation. I can only hope that honesty returns to our culture and that sports in the future will reflect that trend.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
MENTAL LAPSES DON"T JUST HAPPEN
The case of Jason Werth, the right fielder for the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies, is a good example of how easy it is to misunderstand people's behavior. Jason is in the last year of his contract, playing under the pressure of having to perform well in order to earn the payday of free agency. His play has been inconsistent, batting .296 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI's but going through stretches of striking out and hitting into double plays. The most telling statistic is that his batting average with men on base is below .200, meaning that he fails most when the pressure is on, and succeeds well when there is no pressure.
On August 23, his poor performance reached a new low. He is one of the few players in baseball history, and possibly the only one ever, to be picked off at second based during an intentional walk to the batter. You think he would have learned his lesson. Instead, two weeks later, he committed one of the cardinal sins of baseball, throwing to third base to catch a runner who he thought had strayed far enough off the bag to be picked off. Maybe he was trying to compensate for the mistake he had made 16 days earlier. In any case, he puts too much on the throw and nearly airmails it into the stands.
So what is going on with Jason Werth? People come up with all kinds of reasons. He is thinking too much about money and his contract. He is selfish and only worried about himself. He lacks motivation, and pouts too much. He chokes too much and is not a pressure player.
As a psychologist, none of those explanations makes any sense to me. My opinion is that he is anxious about his performance because it means too much. He is making bad decisions because he is playing out of fear, rather than for the love of the game. His mistakes get magnified in his own mind, and he tries too hard to compensate. When players are on base, he puts too much pressure on himself to deliver a hit and bring in the run. He hits home runs when he is relaxed, meaning that there is nobody on base or there is little meaning to getting a hit.
Jason Werth is a really good baseball player. He just needs to go back to playing the game that the loves and enjoy himself. When he makes that shift, you can count on him as he has proven himself over the past two years as a Phillie. Until then, you will watch how fear can level even the best of players.
On August 23, his poor performance reached a new low. He is one of the few players in baseball history, and possibly the only one ever, to be picked off at second based during an intentional walk to the batter. You think he would have learned his lesson. Instead, two weeks later, he committed one of the cardinal sins of baseball, throwing to third base to catch a runner who he thought had strayed far enough off the bag to be picked off. Maybe he was trying to compensate for the mistake he had made 16 days earlier. In any case, he puts too much on the throw and nearly airmails it into the stands.
So what is going on with Jason Werth? People come up with all kinds of reasons. He is thinking too much about money and his contract. He is selfish and only worried about himself. He lacks motivation, and pouts too much. He chokes too much and is not a pressure player.
As a psychologist, none of those explanations makes any sense to me. My opinion is that he is anxious about his performance because it means too much. He is making bad decisions because he is playing out of fear, rather than for the love of the game. His mistakes get magnified in his own mind, and he tries too hard to compensate. When players are on base, he puts too much pressure on himself to deliver a hit and bring in the run. He hits home runs when he is relaxed, meaning that there is nobody on base or there is little meaning to getting a hit.
Jason Werth is a really good baseball player. He just needs to go back to playing the game that the loves and enjoy himself. When he makes that shift, you can count on him as he has proven himself over the past two years as a Phillie. Until then, you will watch how fear can level even the best of players.
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