Multicultural Competence

WHAT: In the case study proposed I am an athletic trainer with no multicultural training, at an athletic training facility with no multicultural guidelines or resources.  It’s my duty to be a culturally competent professional and develop a program to promote the health and well being of my students and clients.  While developing this program I’ll consider staff guidelines, program materials, available resources, and interpersonal relationships that are inclusive and empowering for participants.

SO WHAT: Multicultural competence refers to the ability to work effectively with people who are of a different culture, which is essential when working with others (Gill & Williams, 2008).  Multicultural competence includes three general areas including: awareness of one’s own cultural values and biases, understanding of the client’s worldviews, and development of culturally appropriate intervention strategies.  When developing my program I plan to touch each aspect of D’Andrea and Daniels’ model of RESPECTFUL sport psychology, as described in the text, to promote the health and well being of my students and clients.

NOW WHAT: D’Andrea and Daniels’ model of RESPECTFUL sport psychology includes 10 factors to think about when dealing with people whose psychological development, athletic performance, and team membership are affected by cultural and contextual variables (Gill & Williams, 2008).  RESPECTFUL is an acronym which stands for religious and spiritual identity, economic class identity, sexual identity, psychological maturity, ethnic and racial identity, chronological challenges, trauma and threats to well-being (injury, abuse), family history, unique physical characteristics, and language, location of residence.  My plan will encourage students to keep all these factors in mind when dealing with athletes in and outside the training room.

                Obviously multicultural education should be a critical element for all athletic training education programs.  Regardless of an athletic trainer’s particular professional setting or responsibilities most individuals are confronted with issues of race, sex, class, and culture on a daily basis.  As the head athletic trainer in this particular setting it’s my duty to engage students in meaningful and critical instruction on how to confront these issues. 

The first thing I would do as the program director is ensure my peers and those working under me are multicultural competent.  I would establish staff guidelines on how issues like these should be appropriately dealt with.  After I was confident in my staffs abilities to handle such situations I’d have each student sit down with his/her individual Approved Clinical Instructor  and improve self-awareness by challenging them identify their own personal history, race, ethnicity, and culture.  Individuals must be able to identify these aspects within themselves before being able to effectively communicate with others.  The next thing I would do is create a class for the students they are allowed to take during their first year in the program, which promotes student dialogue, exploration, and sharing among the group.  Allowing the students to communicate within a group can help individuals loosen up and possible change their negative feelings.  Assigning assignments which require students to include pertinent issues relative to diversity, race, culture, and discrimination can help instructors better understand student beliefs.  I would encourage students to take other courses the university offers that may help promote deeper, more critical levels of thinking.  Courses like cultural anthropology, woman’s studies, social problems, religious studies, non-western culture classes, psychology and physiology classes, and many others like this.  Courses like these that are universally offered will help to give student a solid background on multiculturalism.  Having other university instructors give their insight into these aspects of multiculturalism may be helpful to students.  I would definitely require students take a Sports Psychology course like we’re required to now.  The last thing I would do is require the students in the program attend diversity training at least once a year.  I would make it a yearly requirement which must be completed prior to beginning his/her clinical observation hours, just like OSHA training.

CONCLUSION: It’s obvious that multicultural competence is important in all heath related profession, especially athletic training.  Regardless of health professional’s particular setting or responsibilities most individuals are confronted with issues of race, sex, class, and culture on a daily basis.  For a professional to deal with these issues correctly he/she must have the appropriate course instruction or guidance which is my goal as the head athletic trainer at this setting.

REFERENCES:

Geisler, Paul R.  “Multiculturalism and Athletic Training Education: Implication for Educational and Professional Progress.” Journal of Athletic Training 38.2 (2003): 141-151.

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.). Champain, IL: Human Kinetics

Team Building & Social Support

WHAT:  

Case #1: In the first case study proposed I am teaching a middle school physical education class for seventh graders.  The students in the class are a diverse group of boys and girls with varying interests and skill levels.  My goal with these students is to use team building strategies to increase group effectiveness by enhancing group cohesiveness.

Case #2: In the second case study proposed I’m an instructor for an older adults exercise program at the senior center in your community.  The participants in this exercise program come to the center three times a week for one hour sessions that include individual exercises like weights, machines, and stretching, as well as group instruction.  As the instructor of this exercise program it’s my goals to use social support strategies and foster social support among group members.

SO WHAT: 

Case #1: Team building is a method on helping the group increase effectiveness, satisfy the needs of its members, or improve work conditions with the overall aim being to increase group effectiveness by enhancing group cohesiveness.  Team building can be characterized as team enhancement for both task and social purpose (Gill & Williams, 2008).  It can be reduced to five categories including: distinctiveness, individual positions, group norms, individual sacrifices, and interaction and communication.  When working with these students my plan will implement these five categories of team building to increase group effectiveness.

Case #2: Social support refers to the number of friends, relatives, or social involvements and conceptually as denoting a vague sense of belongingness or acceptance.  More simply put, social support is the exchange of resources between at least two individuals perceived by the provider or the recipient to be intended to enhance the well-being of the recipient (Gill & Williams, 2008). There are three broad types of social support including: direct assistance (tangible support), advice (informational support), and encouragement (emotional support).  These three types can be reduced even further to 8 forms of social support.  When working with the individuals in the senior exercise program my plan will implement these eight forms of social support.

NOW WHAT:  For both case studies proposed I would begin by helping each individual develop their own performance goals to increase their commitment to the programs.  I’d encourage them to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, which can be reevaluated at any time and changed based on progress.  S.M.A.R.T., which stands for smart, measurable, achievable, realistic, achievable, realistic, and timely, is an acronym for a number of ideal criteria that should be considered when setting fitness goals (Siegert, Richard, and Williams, 2004).

Case #1: After helping each individual establish his/her own performance goals I would sit down with them and get to know each of them better as an individual.  I’d make it my goal to find out something special about each individual.  Next I would sit all the students down at once and help them establish group goals.  For these students their group goal could to all get the Presidential Physical Fitness Award at the end of the school year.  This is a good way of developing pride in group membership, team commitment, and a sense of team identity.  Another way to develop these aspects is making t-shirts that the students can wear during the physical education class.  All of these are examples of the first team building category, distinctiveness.  The next thing I would do with these students is put them through a simple workout to identify the high, moderate, and low skill level exercisers.  This is a good example of both the second and third team building categories, individual positions and group norms.   I may even have the most experienced exercisers lead individual workout sessions or have them help less experienced exercisers.  This is an example of the forth team building category, individual sacrifices.  After I’ve divided the class into each skill level I’d begin the program, continually evaluating the overall group goals and each individuals goals.  I’d also have periodic group meetings to discuss how things are progressing, which a great example of the last team building category, interaction and communication.  By implementing these team building techniques I can reach my goal of increasing group effectiveness by enhancing group cohesiveness.

Case #2: Like case study #1 after helping each individual establish his/her own performance goals I would sit down with them and get to know each of them better as an individual.  I’d make it my goal to find out something special about each individual.  It’s my goal implement the eight forms of social support into my exercise program for this group.  The first of these forms is listening support, which is when others listen without giving advice or being judgmental.  The second form of social support is emotional support, which is when others comfort and care for you and indicate they are on your side.  The third form is emotional challenge, which is when others challenge you to evaluate your attitudes, values, and feelings.  These first three forms can be implemented during sit down sessions with each individual separately or as a group.  The forth form of social support is task appreciation, which is when others acknowledge your efforts and express appreciation for the work you do. Task appreciation can be as simple as verbally acknowledging an individual for reaching fitness goals.  The fifth form is task challenge, which is when others challenge your way of thinking about your work in order to stretch you, motivate you, and lead you to greater creativity, excitement, and involvement.  An example of this is when motivating an individual, which will lead to greater involvement.  The sixth form is reality confirmation, which is when others are similar to you, see things the way you do, and help you confirm your perception of the world.  The seventh form is tangible assistance, which is when others provide you with financial assistance, products, or gifts. This could be as simple as rewarding individuals with t-shirts or other tangible rewards after reaching his/her fitness goals.  The last form of social support is personal assistance, which is when others provide services or help, such as running errands or offering expertise, to help you accomplish your tasks.  By implementing these forms of social support the members in my exercise program at the senior center will feel comfortable and confident.

CONCLUSION: Social support and team building techniques can be extremely effective in sports and exercise.  The two can enhance physical activity for all those involved in many ways including developing group cohesiveness and effectiveness.  By implementing the forms of social support and team building a health professional such as ourselves can help all individuals and groups effectively reach their fitness goals.

REFERENCES:

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.). Champain, IL: Human Kinetics

Siegert, Richard, and William Taylor. "Theoretical aspects of goal-setting and motivation in rehabilitation." Disability and Rehabilitation 26.1 (2004): 1-8. Print.

Social Influence

WHAT:

                In the case study proposed my local park and recreation department is planning their annual campaign to increase membership and as the exercise and fitness specialist I’m the main developer.  It’s my job to ensure that worthwhile programs are available to families, as the departments’ main goal this year is targeting family memberships.  The Families Together and Active program main goals are to improve participants’ performance and to foster positive attitudes towards physical activity, which overall will improve the health of the community.

SO WHAT:

                Social influence is defined as the influence of the presence of others on performance, including audience and coactions.  These factors can have both positive and negative effects on an individuals’ performance.  The presence of an audience is proven to create arousal, which facilitates performance once a task is well-learned, but hinders learning.        Coactors have been found to elicite better performance on simple or well-learned tasks, but worsen performance on more complex tasks.  As a socially supportive leader I should make it my goal every exercise class to help the participants reach the following: greater exercise self-efficacy, more energy and enthusiasm, less post exercise fatigue, less concern about trying new things and embarrassing themselves, more enjoyment, greater confidence on the instructor’s capabilities, and stronger intentions to join future exercise classes (Gill & Williams, 2008).  As the developer of the Families Together and Active Program for my community it’s my overall goal to implement all of these aspects into my fitness program.

NOW WHAT:

                I’d begin with each family by helping them develop their own performance goals to increase their commitment to the program.  I’d encourage them to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, which can be reevaluated at any time and changed based on progress.  S.M.A.R.T., which stands for smart, measurable, achievable, realistic, achievable, realistic, and timely, is an acronym for a number of ideal criteria that should be considered when setting fitness goals (Siegert, Richard, and Williams, 2004).

               After I help the individuals establish their goals I’ll use observational learning as I develop my program to reach each of the aspects I identified above in the second paragraph.  Observational learning is when people learn by observing others via the four component process called modeling.  The first two processes of modeling include attention and retention, which relate to the acquisition of a skill.  The second two processes of modeling include motor reproduction and motivational processes, which relate to the actual performance of the acquired skill.

            The attentional process involves an individual paying attention to and accurately perceiving the significant features of a modeled skill.  Atheltes are generally attentative because they want to improve their skill level, believe in the knowledge of their instructor, and like their instructor.  To improve the effectiveness of this process I’ll use cues or techniques to direct the learner’s attention to key elements of the skill.  For example, when showing individuals the proper form of a pushup I’d encourage him/her to keep their body straight like a board and to look forward, not down at the ground.  This process will improve individuals exercise self-efficacy, increase enthusiasm, and decrease concern about embarrassing themselves and trying new things.

The retention process of modeling involves developing symbolic representations of a skill that serve as internal models for later action.  I can use this process when introducing individuals to new exercises or activities to strengthen the image of the skill.  For example, when showing individuals new exercises like the pushup I can have them count the down phase as one and the up phase as two.  I can use the same idea for similar exercises.  Like the attentional process, this process will improve individuals exercise self-efficacy, increase enthusiasm, and decrease concern about embarrassing themselves and trying new things.

            The motor reproduction process involves performers matching actions to the internal representation of correct performance after attending to and retaining a modeled skill.  During this process individuals self-correct and practice with instructors’ feedback in order to gradually match actual performance goals.  For example, if an individual is having trouble performing pushups correctly he/she should remember how it was demonstrated and focus on the techniques I explain during the retention process.  This process will increase energy, enthusiasm, and enjoyment, and decrease post exercise fatigue.

              The motivational process involves internal and external factors which motivate an individual to imitate a particular skill.  External reinforcement (reinforcement to the performer), vicarious reinforcement (reinforcement to the model), and self-reinforcement are all factors related to this process.  For example, praise from an instructor for performing a skill correctly will motivate an individual to continue to perform that skill.  This process will result in more enjoyment and stronger intentions to join future exercise classes.

            The most important thing I can do as a leader is ensure all participants feel confident in my capabilities as their leader.  If the participants feel confident in my capabilities they’ll continue to attend classes and may possibly join future exercise classes.

CONCLUSION:

            Social influence can have both negative and positive effects on an individuals’ performance.  As a socially supportive leader I should make it my goal every exercise class to help the participants reach the following: greater exercise self-efficacy, more energy and enthusiasm, less post exercise fatigue, less concern about trying new things and embarrassing themselves, more enjoyment, greater confidence on the instructor’s capabilities, and stronger intentions to join future exercise classes.  If I successfully reach these goals every exercise class I should reach the overall goals of the Families Together and Active program with no problem.

REFERENCES:

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.). Champain, IL: Human Kinetics

Siegert, Richard, and William Taylor. "Theoretical aspects of goal-setting and motivation in rehabilitation." Disability and Rehabilitation 26.1 (2004): 1-8. Print.

Cognitive Approaches to Motivation

WHAT: In the case study proposed two men, Jack and Ben, have began a workout plan with a hired personal trainer, Rudy.  The two of them begin going to the gym diligently at least five times per week.  They’ve shown amazing progress during the first two months and although Jack has made greater gains, Ben has not let this bother him.  Due to Ben’s insistence everything they’ve done so far has been as a pair and focused solely on weight training, although Jack has inquired many times about group aerobic workouts.  In the past month Rudy has began to notice Jack doesn’t seem very happy about working out and doesn’t push himself as hard as he did during the first two months.   His motivation has greatly changed which is noticeable when he says things like, “I guess I’ve reached the limits of my ability” and “I just can’t do any better”.  As a health care professional it’s my duty to identify the reasons behind these motivational changes and develop ideas to re-motivate the individual.

SO WHAT: Cognitive approaches toward behavior assume that people are active perceivers and interpreters of information (Gill & Williams, 2008). People participate in physical activity for both intrinsic and extrinsic reasons or rewards.  For example, intrinsic rewards can be enjoying competition, feeling good when performing, or simply having fun.  Extrinsic rewards can be tangible or intangible like trophies, T-shirts, or verbal praise.  As a health care professional we must understand the effects of these rewards on internal motivation and consider how different individuals interpret rewards.  It’s obvious from this case study that two identical people in identical situations can have two different motivational experiences.  With this individual I would begin by identifying his level of intrinsic motivation and develop a plan to increase his motivation back to how it was when he began working out for the first time.

NOW WHAT: People are by nature intrinsically motivated so I would start by finding out what Jack is intrinsically motivated by.  Intrinsic motivation requires three conditions including feeling competent, the task must be interesting and challenging, and lastly the individual must have a choice in the activity (Gill & Williams, 2008).  Jack has been working out diligently for three months, has hired a personal trainer, and has shown excellent improvement so it’s hard to say he’s not competent but depending on what he says this may be a reason for his decrease in motivation.  Since it’s been three solid months of only weight training it’s possible however that weight training is no longer interesting or challenging to him.  This may be the reason why he feels like he’s reached his limits and he can’t do any better, decreasing his motivation.  Of these three conditions required by intrinsic motivation Jack not being able to pick the activity involving in may be the most likely cause of his motivational decrease.  Although he’s brought up joining in group aerobic exercise multiple times, Ben refuses to listen and the pair continues to do only weight training.  If Jack took a break from doing only strength training its likely his motivation would change back to how it was when he first began his workout plan.

As for extrinsic motivation, Rudy could award Jack with T-shirt or maybe a week of free training if he meets all his performance goals.  Another extrinsic reward which may possibly be more effective is verbal praise.  As Jacks personal trainer I’m sure Rudy is constantly telling the two men their both doing a great job.  Rudy may want to try pulling Jack aside and talking to him individually about his improvements and how well he’s doing.

After determining Jacks level of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation I’d evaluate him following the Self-Determination Theory, which states that individual motivation and behavior is dependant on three primary psychological aspects including: autonomy, competence, and relatedness with others (Frederick & Schuster, 2010).  This Self-Determination Theory focuses on how intrinsic motivation influences an individual during physical activity.   The first of the aspects, autonomy, is fulfilled when an individual participates in physical activity without the presence of external pressures.  Jack has been participating in weight training consistently without external pressures so his need for autonomy is fulfilled.  However since he hasn’t been able to participate in aerobic activity his need for autonomy is not fully fulfilled.  The second psychological aspect in the Self-Determination Theory is competence.  As I said before he’s been doing weight training for 3 solid months so he’s obviously competent, but when it comes to aerobic activity he hasn’t had a chance to participate in any so he’s doesn’t feel competent which is an issue.  The last psychological aspect included in the Self Determination Theory is relatedness with others, which I don’t think is an issue for Jack.  For sure he relates to Ben because the two have been working out together for 3 months and have shown equal improvements so they should feel related.

I would tell Rudy to encourage the two of them to switch it up for awhile.  Maybe instead of doing weight training five times per week, they can do aerobic exercise on the odd days and weight training on the even.  This switch from the original may be all that’s needed for Jack to regain his motivation.

CONCLUSION:  The combination of intrinsic and extrinsic rewards can be powerfully motivating in sports.  Intrinsic motivation requires three conditions including feeling competent, the task must be interesting and challenging, and lastly the individual must have a choice in the activity.  Jacks level of intrinsic motivation has significantly decreased since he began his workout for many reasons.  Once Jack is able to choose his activity and he begins to feel challenged again his level of motivation will be increased.

REFERENCES:

Frederick-Recascino, Christina M., and Hana Schuster-Smith. "Competition and intrinsic motivation in physical activity: a comparison of two groups." Journal of Sport Behavior 26.3 (2003): 240+. Academic OneFile. Web. 17 Oct. 2010.

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Implementation of a Personal Behavioral Plan

WHAT:  Behavior is defined as any muscular, glandular, or electrical activity which a dead person cannot perform, including movements and thoughts (Gill & Williams, 2008).  When implementing a behavioral plan it’s important to encourage athletes to develop self regulatory behavioral skills.  These skills can be used not only in the immediate program but later in life as well.  Self regulation is also likely to be more motivating for the individual than regulation strictly from a health professional.  In this case study I’ll use self regulation as I set up my own personal behavioral plan.

SO WHAT: There are seven steps to implementing a behavioral plan which include: clarifying the problem, formulating goals for the consultation, designing target behaviors, identifying the maintaining conditions of the target behavior, designing a treatment plan, implementing the plan, and lastly evaluating the success of the plan (Gill & Williams, 2008).  As I’m establishing my own personal behavioral plan I will follow these seven steps.

NOW WHAT:  The first thing I would do when establishing my own behavioral plan is identify the problem.  For myself I can identify lack of motivation to do any kind of aerobic exercise after my daily weight training as a problem.  It’s obvious I clearly and specifically defined my problem, which makes it possible to tailor the plan to address all concerns.  Some individuals describe their problems too vaguely, which makes it more difficult to create a behavioral plan which addresses the problem.  Next I would formulate goals.  When working with an individual it’s important to have them set their own performance goals to increase his/her commitment to the program.  You should however encourage them to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, which can be reevaluated at any time and changed based on progress.  S.M.A.R.T., which stands for smart, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely, is an acronym for a number of ideal criteria that should be considered when setting rehabilitation goals (Siegert, Richard, and Williams, 2004).  For my own behavioral plan a good goal for me would be to lower my two mile run time to 13 minutes in one month.

            After establishing performance goals I’d design target behaviors, which are specific aspects of the problem that are clearly defined and measurable.  When designing these target behaviors the more specific, the better.  It’s important to select behaviors that the patient can work actively work towards rather than ones that he/she should not do.  For my own behavioral plan one target behavior I can establish is running at least two miles three days per week.  After designing target behaviors the next step is understanding why the patient maintains the negative behaviors.  The best way of doing this is through the ABC model, which stands for antecedents, behavior, and consequences.  Antecedents are the events that occur prior to the person performing the behaviors, which for me may be the weight training I do prior to aerobic exercise.  After identifying antecedents one should assess the behavior itself.  This can be done in many ways like simply interviewing the patient and asking questions emphasizing the what, when, where, how, and how often of the behavior.  Consequences of the behavior or the events that occur as a result of the behavior should be identified next.  The consequence of not being motivated to do aerobic exercise has resulted in my two mile run time to increase to 15 minutes.

            After you’ve identified the problem, set S.M.A.R.T. goals, designed a target behavior, and identified maintaining conditions you can begin designing a treatment plan.  Methods such as reinforcement and relaxation are possible methods for altering the conditions that maintain the target behavior.  Reinforcement is any stimulus, event, or condition whose presentation immediately follows a response and increases the frequency of such response (Gill & Williams, 2008).  This can be something as simple as money, food, verbal praise, or positive attention.  Rewarding activities should be scheduled after every completion of a goal.  For me, something as simple as a day of rest may be a positive reinforcer.  After you’ve designed a treatment plan it’s time to implement it.  As the behavioral plan continues it can be revised as needed based on changes in treatment goals or certain life circumstances.

            The final step in implementing a behavioral plan is evaluating the plan.  As the plan continues it should be continuously reviewed and revised to ensure progress toward the patients target performance goals.  As a patient successfully reaches his/her goals new ones should be formulated.  If goals are not being met one may need to reevaluate the variables maintaining the behavior and possible develop a different strategy to help the athlete.

CONCLUSION:  As a health care professional you can have an impact on your patients developed behavioral skills.  It’s even more important to encourage athletes to develop self regulatory behavioral skills.  As I established my own personal behavioral plan it was obvious to me that self regulation can be a very effective behavioral skill.  Self regulation can be used not only during a behavioral plan but later in life as well. 

REFERENCES:

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.). Champain, IL: Human Kinetics

Siegert, Richard, and William Taylor. "Theoretical aspects of goal-setting and motivation in rehabilitation." Disability and Rehabilitation 26.1 (2004): 1-8. Print.

Stress managment & emotional control techniques

WHAT: In the case study proposed you work at a camp for talented junior tennis players.  One of the athletes you work with is a promising young player, which has emotional ups and downs with every match.  His emotional ups and downs correspond closely with his play level.  During matches he easily gets upset at errors, calls, and his opponents moves.  Unfortunately even when things go well for him he seems on edge.  Due to these emotions he rarely plays to his best ability, especially when competition is the toughest in the final rounds of tournaments.  Although he has the potential to defeat many opponents he faces, the stressors of the game effect his emotions, which cause him to lose focus on the competition.  As a mentor for young athletes you have a great opportunity to encourage them to use stress management strategies and emotional control measures, both of which may be extremely helpful for this athlete.  If he’s better able to manage stressors during the game and control his emotions he may be able to play to his full potential.

SO WHAT: In sport and exercise emotion and stress have a huge impact on performance.  An athlete’s inability to manage these stressors and emotions often times have a huge effect on athletic performance (Jones, 2003).  Both stress management and emotional control skills can improve performance, as well as develop important life skills.  There are certain events during athletics which can and can’t be controlled by the individual.  As a young athlete he should learn to not lose emotional control over the things that he can’t control, for example missed calls and opponents moves.  Burnout is another factor which may effect athletic performance.  Burnout is defined as a consequence of prolonged stress that may result in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of meaning or personal accomplishment (Gill & Williams, 2008).  By the use of effective stress management techniques and emotional control strategies this athlete can improve his performance.

NOW WHAT:  The first thing I would do with this athlete is sitting down with him and explaining how the use of stress management and emotional control skills can be effective in improving performance.  I’d also help this athlete acknowledge what things stress him out during play and what events make him lose emotional control.  For this athlete missed calls, errors, and his opponents moves all factor in his stress level and emotional response. 

Next I’d teach this athlete some effective stress management techniques.  One effective stress management technique is simply learning how anxiety impacts performance.  A common mistake made by some athletes is “psyching up” prior to performance. Contrary to many athletes beliefs, having a high arousal is not most effective, instead a low arousal is the optimal state for most sport and exercise activities.  Athletes should be alert and attentive, but be free of worry and muscle tension.  The athlete should aim for a controlled, relaxed state prior to and during performance (Gill & Williams, 2008).  This can be achieved by simply talking with the athlete to eliminate ineffective approaches to stress management, this can be as simple as identifying how the athlete acts prior to competition and encouraging him to keep a controlled, relaxed state. 

Another effective stress management method is the use of attention control strategies.  Attention control strategies, such as thought stopping, may be an effective way to help someone direct attention away from worry and toward something else.  For this athlete it may be effective to encourage him to stop getting so upset with his opponents’ moves and focus more on his own. 

Relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, progressive relaxation, meditation, and autogenic training can all be effective stress management techniques (Gill & Williams, 2008).  For this athlete I think breathing exercises can be the most effective way of managing stress during matches.  Breathing techniques emphasize slow, deep breathing; increasing respiration rate which in turn decreases anxiety.  You may encourage this athlete to use breathing techniques prior to serves or when things occur during matches that make him upset, for example bad calls, errors, or his opponent scoring points.

Emotional control methods can also be an effective way to improve this athlete’s performance.  One effective emotional control method focuses on the three R’s – react, relax, and refocus.  Athletes using this strategy first react; they recognize negative emotion but do not let it control them.  Next they relax using the techniques I’ve explained above including: thought stopping and breathing techniques.  Lastly the athlete refocuses on the task at hand.  As a tennis player anger and aggression towards the opponent may not be the biggest worry.  However anger towards oneself after making mistakes may be a problem.  This athlete could use the 3 R’s method effectively when he makes errors during play.  If used effectively this could help him control his emotions which in turn will improve his overall performance. 

CONCLUSION:  As a young athletes mentor you can be very influential in their development as a player, and as a person in general.  Stress management strategies such as thought stopping and breathing exercises can be very effective if used at the right time during play.  Methods like Lauers 3 R’s can be effective emotional control skills, which if developed in young athletes can greatly increase athletic performance.  Being able to identify stressors and loss of emotional control, along with the use of the techniques I’ve described can allow a young athlete to perform at their highest level, but more importantly grow as an individual.

REFERENCES:

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Jones, M.V.  (2003). Controlling emotions in sport.  The Sport Psychologist, 17, 471-486.

Excercise Program for Breast Cancer Survivors

WHAT:  In the case study proposed you are a director of an exercise program for survivors of breast cancer at a cancer center.  Your designed exercise program includes yoga, tai chi, aerobic, and anaerobic exercises.   The participants are not only concerned about improving their physical health but their quality of life as well.  Two of the main issues facing breast cancer survivors are the effects on ones quality of life and sense of self worth.  Breast cancer survivors often times suffer from depression and anxiety as well as fear of death, dependency, disfigurement, and disability.  Woman also experience problems including: pain, weight gain, loss of range of motion and strength, and decrease in endurance and overall function.  Anyone who’s had lymph nodes removed or radiation administered also must be concerned with Lymphedema.  Lymphedema is painful swelling in the arm and chest caused by a build-up of protein rich fluid due to disruption in the lymphatic system.  After considering these issues it’s your responsibility as the program director to organize a program for optimal physical and mental health benefits.

SO WHAT: As an exercise professional it’s your responsibility to design a safe and effective exercise program that meets both physical and mental health goals.  The physical goals of a breast cancer survivor should include increasing endurance through aerobic exercises, increasing lean body mass, range of motion, and strength through strength training, and preventing frozen shoulder or lymphedema, all of which will decrease pain.  The mental health goals of a breast cancer survivor should include relief from depression, anxiety, fear, stress, and improving self-efficacy, all of which improve quality of life (Aaronson,2010).  Quality of life is defined as an “individuals’ perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which the live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns”.  It’s a broad concept incorporating   the effectiveness of a designed exercise plan for breast cancer survivors can be determined by using the conceptual model of quality of life.  The conceptual model of quality of life reflects the definition of quality of life as a broad, integrative construct composed of a person’s perceived physical, social, and psychological well-being (Gill, 2008).  By implementing an effective exercise plan these women’s quality of life can be greatly increased.

NOW WHAT:  The first thing I would do is sit down with each woman and find out how they feel about beginning an exercise program as well as their fitness goals.  Most importantly I would find out each of their mental health goals and how they feel they can improve their quality of life.  I would next begin by running the woman through a simple strength training and cardiovascular workout to establish how physically fit each individual is so I’m sure not to push the individuals to far right away.  I’d then begin each individual on the exercise program I’ve developed a couple days a week at first to develop their confidence and so they become comfortable in an exercise environment.  Right away if my developed exercise program works how I hope, these woman’s stress levels, pain, fear, anxiety, and depression will all decrease.  All of which will improve their self-efficacy, and level of self-efficacy, but most importantly their quality of life.  Once this is established I’d then eventually work up to 5 days a week and possibly every day.  I’d base my exercise program on the studies that show exercise training is proven to reduce arousal during stress, to improve cardiovascular and psychological functioning of cardiac patients, and to reduce depression following prolonged life stress.  Fitness is also associated with lower cardiovascular arousal during and following stress, as well as with less physical illness following prolonged life stress (Stein, 2010). All of these things will increase quality of life.

 

CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the most important aspect of this exercise program is to increase these women’s quality of life.  By helping reach their fitness health goals it’s possible to help them reach their mental health goals at the same time.  By improving these two aspects of life it’s highly likely that quality of life will increase significantly.

REFERENCES:

Aaronson, Naomi. "Survival of the Fittest - Exercise for Breast Cancer Surivors." American Fitness (2000). Web. 23 Sept. 2010. <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_4_18/ai_63713235/>.

Gill, D.L., & Williams, L. (2008). Psychological dynamics of sport and exercise (3rd Ed.)                                 Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Stein, Jeannine. "Breast Cancer Survivors Can and Should Exercise." Los Angeles Times (2010). Web. 23 Sept. 2010. <latimes.com/features/health/la-hew-askus10mar10,1,4379607.story>.