Sports Psychologists?
Discussion
Racylady said:
Are there any Ph'ers who are sports psychologists - or is there anyone who has used one that they could recommend in the Midlands area?
just two questions; what do you mean by sports psychologist exactly (as it means different things to different people) and what is your intended outcome having met one?i may be able to help but i am at the very bottom of a very long and steep slope.
Would you consider studying books on the subject specific to motor racing, or do you feel the need to start with an in-the-flesh person?
If the latter, do you think that you must speak with a psychologist per se, rather than, say, a race driving coach who covers psychology plus the physical components of driving?
Also if the latter, would you consider a general sports psychologist, of whom there are a number of good ones around (just look at Britain's recent Olympic results, which could not have been achieved without their staff psychologists)?
If the latter, do you think that you must speak with a psychologist per se, rather than, say, a race driving coach who covers psychology plus the physical components of driving?
Also if the latter, would you consider a general sports psychologist, of whom there are a number of good ones around (just look at Britain's recent Olympic results, which could not have been achieved without their staff psychologists)?
rude-boy said:
No disrespect intended but who is telling you you have the speed and the skill? If it happens to the the owner of the team that is running you you might want a second opnion from another person who's interest is less vested.
well said, that was going to be my comment! who has told you that you have the speed and skill and what is in it for them? i dont doubt that you have both but i also have a reasonable understanding of how race teams work! 
as you are a barrister, I would think that you have a high mental capacity and an ability to use all cognitive elements of the brain well, absorbing new information quickly and correctly putting it into context, then being able to make rapid conclusions, essentially developing situation awareness. all this is useful in a motorsport race. my advice would be to read a few books on the subject before seeking out someone in person, there are many that i am aware of and you only need to do a quick search on amamzon to find them
i have read a few and they are interesting, but read them properly, take notes and when you read a chapter try to relate it to your own experience, what went well, badly and what you would do again.
another issue is many people think that a problem is a mental issue when it is actually a physical issue such as fatigue or the way their body prepares itself for something can affect the mind like anxiety. there are loads of sports psychologists out there, try to get a recommendation and not necessarily from another racing driver.
i am interesteed in your question as I have just written my MSc dissertation on situational awareness and am beginning to piece together a few things in order to potentially take my career in a new direction. my first degree was a psychology degree but having not used it in the last eight years or so, the MSc has rekindled my interest and with a healthy enthusiasm for motorsport i am trying to piece together the two, i doubt i would want to be a proper headshrink but the thought of conducting some research into pre race behaviours etc really appeals...
Good post, pablo, but if it was about rock climbing, you can know that your equipment is safe, that your climbing skill is good, that you are not in danger but still be s
t scared of heights and therefore unable to pull the move past a tricky point. This is where psychology would help immensely.
t scared of heights and therefore unable to pull the move past a tricky point. This is where psychology would help immensely.shadowninja said:
Good post, pablo, but if it was about rock climbing, you can know that your equipment is safe, that your climbing skill is good, that you are not in danger but still be st scared of heights and therefore unable to pull the move past a tricky point. This is where psychology would help immensely.
until you take a big fall whilst climbing you have no idea that your equipment is safe though. you can read the info on the testing procedures and the capabilities of the rope and try to convince yourself you are ok but once you have had the fall, you can rely a little more on the equipment and make more risky decisions with regards to pitching and route finding. what you are doing is relying upon knowledge from this stage on but until you have gained that knowledge you cant really progress. t scared of heights and therefore unable to pull the move past a tricky point. This is where psychology would help immensely.you may consider an overhang which you previously would avoid now you have faith in the equipment for example.
this however doesnt really cross over to motorsport as unless you have a crash whilst racing you have no idea how strong your car is but crashing is very expensive and nobody would do it deliberately. also, it would appear that the issue isnt really a lack of confidence in the power or the strength of the car. what makes this interesting from my opinion, is all the cars in the series are the same (accepting that set up is down to the driver/team) and thus the individual makes a huge difference.
a question for racylady would be what other high risk sports do you do? this is something i thought of this morning, if motorsport is the only one then you might be suffering from a lack of confidence in high risk sitations requiring rapid decision making skills? try mountain biking where you are required to quickly identify a route, assess the danger and make a decision whether to proceed. you are essentially exercising the brain and the body.
i am still not sure what you are trying to achieve though, is it simply faster lap times or the ability to remain focussed in difficult scenarios.... such as three abreast into paddock hill bend and being confident enough to come out first?!...
oilspill said:
For a quick lap you need a clear head. That advice cost me nothing
but what is a clear head, is it free from any distractions? or would a quick lap actually be the result of the assimilation of all the knowledge you have gained from the race so far and you ability to interpret the knowledge as quickly as popssible. some possible factors would be where are your rivals on the track?, are they behind you and catching you or are you pulling away? and by how much? what is the condition of your car?, are you approaching any backmarkers?, will they see you?, what point of the circuit will you catch them? what were your previous lap times in relation to your realistically fastest possible lap? etcpablo said:
shadowninja said:
Good post, pablo, but if it was about rock climbing, you can know that your equipment is safe, that your climbing skill is good, that you are not in danger but still be st scared of heights and therefore unable to pull the move past a tricky point. This is where psychology would help immensely.
until you take a big fall whilst climbing you have no idea that your equipment is safe though. you can read the info on the testing procedures and the capabilities of the rope and try to convince yourself you are ok but once you have had the fall, you can rely a little more on the equipment and make more risky decisions with regards to pitching and route finding. what you are doing is relying upon knowledge from this stage on but until you have gained that knowledge you cant really progress. t scared of heights and therefore unable to pull the move past a tricky point. This is where psychology would help immensely.you may consider an overhang which you previously would avoid now you have faith in the equipment for example.
this however doesnt really cross over to motorsport as unless you have a crash whilst racing you have no idea how strong your car is but crashing is very expensive and nobody would do it deliberately. also, it would appear that the issue isnt really a lack of confidence in the power or the strength of the car. what makes this interesting from my opinion, is all the cars in the series are the same (accepting that set up is down to the driver/team) and thus the individual makes a huge difference.
I firmly believe that everyone at the top level has roughly equal ability and those last few tenths etc can be found by having a positive mind set, it can also make performances alot more controlled and consistent!! However if you are 4 seconds off the pace then a sports psycologist won't make much difference!
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