Monday, April 11, 2011
Quincy- Sophomore Evan Flanagan struck out 11 and gave up just one unearned run on 2 hits to power Hingham to an 11-1 win over North Quincy in a Patriot League contest at Adams Field. Tom Costello and Stephan White both collected 2 hits to lead Hingham's 12 hit attack. David Hogan, Sean Greene and Eddie Bowler each drove in 2 runs apiece to help Hingham improve to 3-0, 2-0 in the Patriot League.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Be Prepared to Play Under Pressure
Feature Mental Game Article
How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance
By Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
Not all stress is bad for your performance. Stress can affect your performance in two different ways. Stress can help you when it makes you more alert, more motivated to practice, and gain a competitive edge. In the right amount, stress helps you prepare, focus, and perform at your optimal level. Conversely, too much stress, or bad stress, can cause performance anxiety, which hurts your health and does not allow you to play relaxed, confident, and focused in competition.
"You're always going to be nervous teeing it up in a Major Championship. It's very natural and it's a good thing. It means that you want it."
~Rory Mcilroy, first round leader at the 2011 Masters
Every competitive athlete experiences some stress; good and bad. Your stress may be positive and helpful or instill anxiety and apprehension. Pregame jitters can cause some athletes to not sleep well the night before competition. Some athletes can’t eat the morning before a big game. Your pre-competition jitters may make you feel like you have to throw up.
You want to feel excitement or thrill in anticipation for competition (what I call positive pregame jitters). A high level of activation will help you perform your best – up to a point where you may be too jacked up to play well. Too little or too much intensity (or stress) can cause your performance to decline. Your ability to cope effectively with pregame nerves is critical to consistent peak performance.
Sources of Stress in Sports
Worry, stress, anxiety, or tension can come from several sources depending on your personality. What causes you to become anxious or stressed is different than what another athlete experiences. I have found that most worry comes from focusing too much on results or more specifically, the consequences of poor results.
For example, a golfer might worry about shooting a high score, but the real anxiety might be directed at the fear of embarrassment or letting a parent down. The fear isn’t really about shooting a poor score. It’s about what you think others might say or think about you.
Performance anxiety comes from the following:
Focus on outcomes or scores
Excess mental chatter or negative self-talk
Fear of failing
Worrying about what others might think
Not performing up to expectations
Not feeling fully confident – being doubtful
A poor practice leading up to a competition
Worrying about performing well in the “big game”
Worrying about not playing well due to injury
Feeling intimidated by the quality of the competition
Fear of Failure and Stress
Fear of failure is the major source of stress or anxiety for athletes. I believe anxiety and fear of failure are closely related. And most athletes who are afraid to fail have anxiety about disappointing coaches, teammates, or parents, for example. Many athletes worry about embarrassing themselves when they do not perform well. They are afraid others will judge them harshly or not approve of them in some way.
You should also know that fear of embarrassment or rejection (social approval “threats”) are not always based on reality. Your fear and anxiety may feel very real, but the source is not realistic. Worrying about shooting a high number and fear of embarrassment feels real to golfers, but it may not be rational or helpful to one’s game. You do not want to base your fear on false assumptions about what others might think about you or your game.
Some athletes feel this when they are afraid to lose, get embarrassed, or afraid of injury. You might be worried about your opponent, or impressing others. You might start doubting your ability and it snowballs prior to a game and thus you feel anxious. Once you experience anxious symptoms, you become obsessed with the uncomfortable feelings, which distract you from what you need to focus on. Focusing too much on the uncomfortable feelings only heightens the tension.
What's Your Ideal Performance State?
Why is finding your ideal mindset so important? Every athlete has an ideal performance state or mindset which you can use as a model for future performance. You should realize that NOT every athlete needs to be relaxed to perform well. Many athletes indeed need to relax while others would perform better by getting energized. Keep in mind that performing your best includes a mix of focused intensity and a relaxed or calm mind.
You intuitively know that too much stress or anxiety can cause you to perform poorly. Likewise, too little intensity or physical activation can cause you to under perform as well. What does this mean? You need to find a balance. A balanced mindset will help you focus to do your best and be “up” for competition, but one that also allows you to think clearly and have a calm mind.
Think back to when you felt "over the edge" and too anxious when performing. Contrast this with when you felt energized, focused, alert, but not stressed. Ask yourself the following questions to help you contrast these mindsets:
What was your pregame attitude like?
How did that affect your ability to perform?
How juiced or up did you feel?
Did you feel full of energy or drained?
Embrace the Butterflies
One important lesson here: Avoid turning positive stress or excitement into anxiety or worry. Feeling jacked up or excited is a natural part of sports, and you need to feel it to play your best! If you think you can’t handle the challenge, you will lose confidence and tighten up. If you think you are up for the challenge, you will embrace the excitement and perform confidently. Embrace your pregame intensity. It's your body’s way of preparing for action. Welcome it and it will help you perform at your peak.
How Stress Can Affect Sports Performance
By Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D.
Not all stress is bad for your performance. Stress can affect your performance in two different ways. Stress can help you when it makes you more alert, more motivated to practice, and gain a competitive edge. In the right amount, stress helps you prepare, focus, and perform at your optimal level. Conversely, too much stress, or bad stress, can cause performance anxiety, which hurts your health and does not allow you to play relaxed, confident, and focused in competition.
"You're always going to be nervous teeing it up in a Major Championship. It's very natural and it's a good thing. It means that you want it."
~Rory Mcilroy, first round leader at the 2011 Masters
Every competitive athlete experiences some stress; good and bad. Your stress may be positive and helpful or instill anxiety and apprehension. Pregame jitters can cause some athletes to not sleep well the night before competition. Some athletes can’t eat the morning before a big game. Your pre-competition jitters may make you feel like you have to throw up.
You want to feel excitement or thrill in anticipation for competition (what I call positive pregame jitters). A high level of activation will help you perform your best – up to a point where you may be too jacked up to play well. Too little or too much intensity (or stress) can cause your performance to decline. Your ability to cope effectively with pregame nerves is critical to consistent peak performance.
Sources of Stress in Sports
Worry, stress, anxiety, or tension can come from several sources depending on your personality. What causes you to become anxious or stressed is different than what another athlete experiences. I have found that most worry comes from focusing too much on results or more specifically, the consequences of poor results.
For example, a golfer might worry about shooting a high score, but the real anxiety might be directed at the fear of embarrassment or letting a parent down. The fear isn’t really about shooting a poor score. It’s about what you think others might say or think about you.
Performance anxiety comes from the following:
Focus on outcomes or scores
Excess mental chatter or negative self-talk
Fear of failing
Worrying about what others might think
Not performing up to expectations
Not feeling fully confident – being doubtful
A poor practice leading up to a competition
Worrying about performing well in the “big game”
Worrying about not playing well due to injury
Feeling intimidated by the quality of the competition
Fear of Failure and Stress
Fear of failure is the major source of stress or anxiety for athletes. I believe anxiety and fear of failure are closely related. And most athletes who are afraid to fail have anxiety about disappointing coaches, teammates, or parents, for example. Many athletes worry about embarrassing themselves when they do not perform well. They are afraid others will judge them harshly or not approve of them in some way.
You should also know that fear of embarrassment or rejection (social approval “threats”) are not always based on reality. Your fear and anxiety may feel very real, but the source is not realistic. Worrying about shooting a high number and fear of embarrassment feels real to golfers, but it may not be rational or helpful to one’s game. You do not want to base your fear on false assumptions about what others might think about you or your game.
Some athletes feel this when they are afraid to lose, get embarrassed, or afraid of injury. You might be worried about your opponent, or impressing others. You might start doubting your ability and it snowballs prior to a game and thus you feel anxious. Once you experience anxious symptoms, you become obsessed with the uncomfortable feelings, which distract you from what you need to focus on. Focusing too much on the uncomfortable feelings only heightens the tension.
What's Your Ideal Performance State?
Why is finding your ideal mindset so important? Every athlete has an ideal performance state or mindset which you can use as a model for future performance. You should realize that NOT every athlete needs to be relaxed to perform well. Many athletes indeed need to relax while others would perform better by getting energized. Keep in mind that performing your best includes a mix of focused intensity and a relaxed or calm mind.
You intuitively know that too much stress or anxiety can cause you to perform poorly. Likewise, too little intensity or physical activation can cause you to under perform as well. What does this mean? You need to find a balance. A balanced mindset will help you focus to do your best and be “up” for competition, but one that also allows you to think clearly and have a calm mind.
Think back to when you felt "over the edge" and too anxious when performing. Contrast this with when you felt energized, focused, alert, but not stressed. Ask yourself the following questions to help you contrast these mindsets:
What was your pregame attitude like?
How did that affect your ability to perform?
How juiced or up did you feel?
Did you feel full of energy or drained?
Embrace the Butterflies
One important lesson here: Avoid turning positive stress or excitement into anxiety or worry. Feeling jacked up or excited is a natural part of sports, and you need to feel it to play your best! If you think you can’t handle the challenge, you will lose confidence and tighten up. If you think you are up for the challenge, you will embrace the excitement and perform confidently. Embrace your pregame intensity. It's your body’s way of preparing for action. Welcome it and it will help you perform at your peak.
Hingham Baseball Improves to 2 and 0
Hingham - Junior Rob Madden drilled a 2-out 3-2 pitch off the left centerfield fence in the bottom on the 7th inning to drive home the winning run to give Hingham an 8-7 win over Scituate in the Patriot League opener for both teams. Junior Austin Murphy sparked the two out 7th inning rally with a double to left in his second career varsity at-bat. Junior Sean Greene continues to crush the ball with his second straight 3 hit game including his 2nd home run of the season. Greene was also the winning pitcher as he retired the final two batters in the top of the 7th in a strong relief performance. Madden turned in an excellent effort in the starting role giving up 4 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings with 6 strikeouts for the Harbormen who improve to 2 and 0. Sophomore Eddie Bowler drove in 2 runs while Senior captain Tim Winter had 2 of Hingham's 13 hits.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Tryout Schedule
All players should be prepared to practice both inside and outside each day regardless of what the weather looks like. We need everyone to be a bit flexible in the early days because of the uncertainty about space and weather. Make sure you dress warm.
Monday 3/21
3pm All grades meet in the gym at 3pm
3:10pm Grade 9/10 at freshmen field
Grade 11/12 on JV Field
(Groups from all grades will be rotated into the cages inside)
5pm Pitchers throw in gym off mounds
Tuesday 3/22
Freshmen/JV 3-5pm
Varsity 6:15pm-8:15pm (indoors)
(If we have bad weather and are forced to hold Indoor practice)
No Freshmen tryouts (some freshmen may be asked to attend JV/VAR tryouts)
JV Tryouts (4:30pm in cages/conditioning, 5:15-6:15pm in Gym)
VAR Tryouts 6:15pm-8:15pm (regardless of weather)
Wednesday (Outdoor Practice)
3pm All grades meet in the gym at 3pm
3:10pm Grade 9/10 at freshmen field
Grade 11/12 on JV Field
(Groups from all grades will be rotated into the cages inside)
5pm Pitchers throw in gym off mounds
(If we are forced inside on Wednesday, JV will use cages from 4:30-5:30, Varsity uses gym from 5:15-7:15)
Monday 3/21
3pm All grades meet in the gym at 3pm
3:10pm Grade 9/10 at freshmen field
Grade 11/12 on JV Field
(Groups from all grades will be rotated into the cages inside)
5pm Pitchers throw in gym off mounds
Tuesday 3/22
Freshmen/JV 3-5pm
Varsity 6:15pm-8:15pm (indoors)
(If we have bad weather and are forced to hold Indoor practice)
No Freshmen tryouts (some freshmen may be asked to attend JV/VAR tryouts)
JV Tryouts (4:30pm in cages/conditioning, 5:15-6:15pm in Gym)
VAR Tryouts 6:15pm-8:15pm (regardless of weather)
Wednesday (Outdoor Practice)
3pm All grades meet in the gym at 3pm
3:10pm Grade 9/10 at freshmen field
Grade 11/12 on JV Field
(Groups from all grades will be rotated into the cages inside)
5pm Pitchers throw in gym off mounds
(If we are forced inside on Wednesday, JV will use cages from 4:30-5:30, Varsity uses gym from 5:15-7:15)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Details on Trip To Florida
Once again, the baseball team will be travelling to Florida for April vacation. We will leave on April 18th and return on April 24th. We will be staying in an 8 bedroom/6 bath house very similar to the one we stayed in 2 years ago. It is actually in the same resort (Emerald Island). We will be playing at least two games (we are working on finding the third game). Players will once again be given the opportunity to fundraise to reduce or eliminate the cost of the trip.
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