Tanya Lee | The psychology of sports

One of Jamaica’s track darlings, Sherone Simpson, has hung up her spikes after a creditable 18 years in athletics and has signalled that she will pursue studies in sports psychology.

I commend Simpson for bringing glory to our nation on numerous occasions from as far back as the 2002 World Junior Championships at the National Stadium where she, along with Kerron Stewart, Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, and Simone Facey blazed to a championship record, and, of course, gold over the 4x100m event.

Simpson, who formed part of Television Jamaica’s punditry team for the 2019 World Championships, was a breath of fresh air and a natural on camera. I hope she continues to do television as well, because far too many of our athletes, unfortunately, don’t articulate well enough to transition to commentary or analysis upon retirement.

On the matter of sports psychology, Simpson explains that she wants to fill a void, as she believes Jamaica has done a good job of identifying talent and preparing them physically, but it is the mental aspect of the preparation that is lacking in some instances.

TRAINING THE MIND

I do believe that the training of the mind is as essential as the training of the body. The reserves of mental fortitude, focus and a good mental space, in spite of what is happening around an athlete personally or professionally, are key components for success.

Simpson would have experienced the highs and lows of her sport and is well equipped to stand in the athlete’s shoe in offering professional advice in the future. She would have overcome injuries, a failed drug test, and rebounding after childbirth, which many athletes will contend with at some point in their career.

All athletes are faced with occasional mental barriers that may limit peak performance. Sometimes it’s based on a past injury, or just their predisposed response to a competitive atmosphere that can be quite debilitating. This is where a psychologist becomes useful.

In speaking to Simpson this week, she expressed that one area that requires positive reinforcement from a psychologist is when an athlete becomes injured. She said that it can be very hard on athletes to give of their best in training or competition after a major injury. The fear of rehashing the injury, coupled with concerns about one’s ability to earn, will creep in and take some athletes off their ‘A game’. If their injury occurred in training, even training becomes worrisome for that athlete.

Simpson expressed that athletes need constant motivation and persuasion to get out of that crippling mental space, especially top athletes with a lot at stake and who are faced with a high level of pressure. A good sport psychologist can help.

BOUNCING BACK

Simpson further explains “athletes getting back into that positive frame of mind after losing a championship or having a few poor back-to-back seasons will likely have thoughts of giving up creeping into their heads”. It is very important that athletes have persons they can meet with on a weekly basis to help them deal with these issues, or before these thoughts get out of control. Having a good team would help athletes overcome those issues.”

There are some cases in which, of course, some athletes are so fiercely competitive by nature that they are fuelled by obstacles and actually relish proving the naysayers wrong.

I once had a conversation with an athlete manager about the importance of good mental health for all athletes. He shared something which I considered quite profound. He said not everyone should be ‘fixed’ by a sports psychologist. It was his view that there are some psychological issues that exist within some athletes that make them winners. Sometimes, there is a pre-existing chip on the shoulder, if you will, that gives them an added competitive zeal and a will to excel despite any prevailing odds. You take that away and you may end up with a perfectly balanced human who wants to wake up to smell the roses, literally.

I wish Simpson all the best with her next chapter. Something tells me she made an excellent choice. One Love.

Tanya Lee has over 10 years’ expertise as a Caribbean sports marketer and is also an athlete manager and publicist.