2023
A note about my private practice - Besides general psychotherapy, I’m also working with sports-related matters, such as performance anxiety and symptoms of depression.
Almost all teams in the major sports leagues have a behavioral health professional on board to teach core mental skills to improve effectiveness and avoid mental illness. NBA teams are required to have a full-time mental health specialist according to the Players’ Association contract. Below are articles on the Mets and the New York Giants. You can reach me at the “Contact” tab on my website, www.arthurpopp.com.
Dunleavy, R. (2022, October 21). Giants’ sports psychologist Dr. Lani Lawrence integral in team’s renaissance. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2022/10/21/giants-sports-psychologist-integral-in-teams-renaissance/
Wagner, J.(2022, June24) For the Mets, deep breaths, a little chatter and a lot of wins. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/24/sports/baseball/pete-alonso-mets-breathing.html
Now to the S.M.A.R.T. guidelines and goals.
In our last article we talked about a basketball player aiming to hit 70% of her foul shots. Using the SMART guidelines will help. Here they are:
- S - Specific - Can you imagine seeing this. Yes, we can visualize our player hitting 7 out of 10 foul shots.
- M - Measurable - Certainly. We have a clear number in mind here.
- A - Achievable - Can our player reach this goal? If we agree she can, game on!
- R - Relevant - Hitting free throws certainly is relevant!
- T - Time sensitive - This is one of the more important guidelines. If she strives to reach this goal by the fourth week of the season, she is more likely to reach 70% by that date.
A Coaching Point - Keep in mind that these are guidelines only. Don’t let them get you or your players in a bind and frustrated!
An example is a pickleball player we’ll call Cindy. Cindy is - trying to increase the number of shots she hits down the middle between her two opponents. It’s tough to Measure unless you have a camera to catch all the action. Then, there are judgment calls about what is in the middle! Yes, the goal is achievable. Is it relevant? Certainly, hitting down the middle, and preferably low to the opponents’ feet, is definitely relevant.
What about time-sensitive? Yes, Cindy can aim to do better at hitting down the middle within 3 weeks time. Again, we have to keep in mind that Cindy is playing pickleball in part for the challenge and for recreation. She’s got a full-time job and a family. Plus, if she sets this goal in early April, spring showers can get in the way of getting in practice time and playing!
For sure, goal-setting and using the S.M.A.R.T. guidelines are not easy tasks. We benefit from these skills when we treat them like an art – something we work on and cultivate over time.
Enjoy the summer! I’m looking forward to seeing you at the Suffolk Zone’s (NYS-AHPERD) November 7th Conference where I’ll be presenting on a sports psychology topic.