Sports Psychology and the Bills

[TigerJ]

It's well accepted to be a real thing.  Elite athletes in many fields use a sports psychologist to prepare for the pressure of important competitions.  The question is, to what degree are they employed in football?  I raise this question because it would seem as if it could be helpful for a young QB like Josh Allen.  He has spoken at press conferences about the the importance of him of not getting too amped up for a game that to fans at least seems to have greater than normal pressure - a nationally televised game or (as in the case of this weekend) a playoff game.  At the same time we've seen where in such games he will sometimes wrestle with overthrows.

 

So, I wonder, does the team employ a sports psychologist to help players, especially young skill position players, cope with pressure, or does Sean rely on his own experience in that regard.  I know he puts great stock in maintaining routine, and emphasis on the one game at a time focus that is a part of the culture he's brought to Buffalo.  If he does not employ a sports psychologist, I wonder if it would be to Allen's benefit to use one.  Maybe he already does.

 

Does anyone recall anything that's ever been said by the team about the use of sports psychologists?  Do you think they should employ one?  I think it would be a great question for someon in the media to ask McDermott some time.

[row_33]

Like the boxer crossing himself before the fight and someone asking a ringside priest if that helps

 

”only if he can fight...”

 

 

[Johnny Hammersticks]

Sports Performance Coach?

 

https://buffalonews.com/2017/04/21/wny-sports-performance-coach-breaks-bills-sabres-woes/

[LABILLBACKER]

Josh's worst enemy is the 1st quarter....

[row_33]

Pay them a lot of money for each playoff win

 

[TigerJ]

13 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

Sports Performance Coach?

 

https://buffalonews.com/2017/04/21/wny-sports-performance-coach-breaks-bills-sabres-woes/

That sounds like a good start.

[Another Fan]

It's actually not a bad question as I've had to see one at times for work related performance.

 

Josh seems like a pretty cool customer,  at least outwardly.  My guess is he has a good support network he can vent to healthfully when needed?

 

I liked the article posted above but the article was before Sean took over.  

[DRA3196]

The psychology of sports and competition is one of the most underrated keys to performance and execution IMO. Especially when an athlete is trying to develop emotional coping skills and develop at the highest level of competition. Despite physical talent how a player develops between the ears contributes to all levels of their success.

 

That is why Josh has such a high ceiling. Not just because of his physical skills but because of his willingness to learn what he doesn't know. Not just the game but how he approaches the game. Emotional development and growth is one of the hardest to summarize because their is no test, it is all based on situational performance. That is why patience is so important with any young player that is learning how to perform at their highest level. 

 

Some players like Lamar Jackson have performed at the highest level in High School and College. Therefore their learning curve is smaller and their ability to transition their skills to the Pro level is quicker.

 

Take a kid like Josh that has the ability and desire to develop, with his physical gifts, the learning curve is much longer because he hasn't had the opportunity to learn what it takes to perform at a high level, or what he needs to do to mentally prepare for all that encompasses the role of being a QB. Patience is paramount as is learning and setting expectations. 

 

If Josh is struggling at times it is because he is experiencing and dealing with a lot on a stage with millions of people's expectations, opinions and criticism. 

 

Josh has been spoon fed at times so as not to overwhelm him and to teach him. His desire to learn, work, compete and succeed are incredible. I respect the approach that Sean, McBeane and Daboll have taken with him. they are building the offense to Josh's strengths. Key word is building. Sometimes it looks pretty, sometimes it looks like hot garbage. But Josh is learning. 

 

The best thing IMO about this season has been the 6-2 road record. That speaks volumes to the focus on concentration of the young players on this team to execute and perform at a high level.

 

Josh is getting there. The team is getting there. When it all comes together we are going to be special, and a nightmare to play.

 

Go Bills

 

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by DRA3196

[aceman_16]

They do. I cant remember his name atm but he has an Indian first and last name...first name MAY be Anjmun.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Josh's worst enemy is the 1st quarter....

Play Barkley for the first quarter?  Interesting premise!  ?

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

59 minutes ago, DRA3196 said:

The best thing IMO about this season has been the 6-2 road record. That speaks volumes to the focus on concentration of the young players on this team to execute and perform at a high level.

Agreed, but they need to figure something out to bring the same focus at home, something I believe is related to psychology as well. They don't get the benefit of "us against the world" at home, or they feel too comfortable, and it shows in their performance.

[DRA3196]

Just now, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

Agreed, but they need to figure something out to bring the same focus at home, something I believe is related to psychology as well. They don't get the benefit of "us against the world" at home, or they feel too comfortable, and it shows in their performance.

It is Josh being to hyped up at home. He feeds of the energy at New Era. He has to learn to control that.  Josh basically has 2 gears. Play reckless and make dumb mistakes or he plays too conservative and doesn't give playmakers a chance.  He is getting there. That is why his first quarter stats are so bad. But when he finally gets into the flow of the game in the second half, it has been too little to late at times. 

[row_33]

Certain personalities work better in key roles

 

For the highest levels of sports it’s seems that a mind that doesn’t think much, but reacts quickly and optimally to each given situation is best 

 

And you can’t teach that

Edited January 1, 2020 by row_33

[jethro_tull]

I agree with you completely and have been saying this for years.  They can help the entire team for a number of reasons as well as help select players that will be team leaders.

I actually wrote an article about this for a former Bills site.  Below is the article for your reference.  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tae Kwan Do Maybe, Team Sports Psychologist Definitely

 

The Bills had recently contracted an expert in tae kwan do martial arts to assist in developing hand techniques for the defensive line.  This kind of supplemental training can theoretically enhance and polish a player's technique and skill sets in a most practical application.  As with any training, a good portion of the results are up to the student.  A highly motivated player will realize more tangible, on-field "real world" benefit from any training or coaching he may receive.  What about the player who might be distracted by a lengthy, drawn out contract negotiation process?  How is his motivation?  How about the player with an upcoming legal trial?  Is he able to concentrate and perform at his highest level with a court date, perhaps for his second offense, looming large in the horizon? What was his mental "table setting" like that lead him to become involved in issues leading to arrest in the first place?  What about the 22 year old newly crowned rookie millionaire?  Is his head in the meeting, at practice or in the game as well as it could be?  What about that new attention magnet superstar?  Is he really a part of the team? How is his presence affecting the team’s ability to learn, develop and perform?  Are any Bills players affected by conditions such as these?  Unfortunately at present, the entire Bills roster is right in the middle of one if not more of these conditions.  How would the team benefit if these issues could be minimized, satisfactorily resolved at the team level or prevented in the first place? 

 

The Journal of Psychology published an article in 1997 entitled “The Relationship between Leadership Behaviors and Group Cohesion in Team Sports”.  The article referred to the LSS, or Leadership Scale for Sports.  The scale applies to both delegated team leaders (coaches) and non-delegated leaders (players).  It breaks down into (5) basic categories, Training and Instruction, Democratic Behavior, Autocratic Behavior, Social Support, and Positive Feedback.  The scale can be administered as a test to coaches and players. The journal reported a strong relationship between high LSS scores, “team cohesiveness” and on-field success.  Teams with high cohesiveness tend be a team in its purest definition, a group of people linked to a common purpose.  When teams are cohesive, the individuals are better able to minimize external distractions for the benefit of the team.  They also become highly motivated and place more emphasis on avoiding behaviors which could get them (and the team) into trouble.  High LSS scores mean that the players not only cover for each other, they also hold each other accountable.  They’ve got each other’s back and they watch their backs at the same time.     

A qualified sports psychologist can assess the coaches and players, detect areas of strength and need, and help develop coaching and team leaders which will bring about higher levels of team cohesiveness.    

 

The concept of sporting organizations utilizing psychologists is not new but the application has been very limited.  The NFL has employed them mainly to analyze prospective draft picks, drilling down to very personal information found on social networking web sites.  Canada has implemented them at the national level through the Canada Games Sports Science program.  The initiative is intended to help amateur athletes mentally prepare for national and international games events and develop their mental skill sets.   Virginia Tech Institute has employed a sports psychologist since the year 2000.  He is available to student athletes on a voluntary basis.  Although other examples exist, the concept is still in its infancy. 

 

Hard-nosed old schoolers may scoff at the idea of a team shrink to patch up so called professional athletes.  The other view illustrates that teams are dealing with more player issues of greater severity and with unprecedented public knowledge of these issues.  It would be difficult to argue with the idea of considering practical, effective measures to prevent or minimize team off-field distractions when players seem to be accumulating more arrest records than breaking records on the playing field.   Although it’s true that a team’s talent is usually the best indicator of success, playing as a true team and having them perform at their highest level is also important. 

 

While the day when teams are scouting the nation’s top sports psychologists for a supplemental draft may never arrive, it is a fair bet that their numbers as well as their level of involvement will increase.  The stakes are high and rising.  Employing one could be considered an investment.  How much is it worth to accelerate a top draft pick’s career by advancing his mental adjustment to the rigors of NFL football?  How much is it worth to gain additional victories in a season through enhancing team leadership capabilities and cohesiveness?  How much is it worth to prevent top performers from being suspended for legal troubles?   Considering it as money in the bank will make it an easier pill to swallow. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ga boy]

4 hours ago, DRA3196 said:

The psychology of sports and competition is one of the most underrated keys to performance and execution IMO. Especially when an athlete is trying to develop emotional coping skills and develop at the highest level of competition. Despite physical talent how a player develops between the ears contributes to all levels of their success.

 

That is why Josh has such a high ceiling. Not just because of his physical skills but because of his willingness to learn what he doesn't know. Not just the game but how he approaches the game. Emotional development and growth is one of the hardest to summarize because their is no test, it is all based on situational performance. That is why patience is so important with any young player that is learning how to perform at their highest level. 

 

Some players like Lamar Jackson have performed at the highest level in High School and College. Therefore their learning curve is smaller and their ability to transition their skills to the Pro level is quicker.

 

Take a kid like Josh that has the ability and desire to develop, with his physical gifts, the learning curve is much longer because he hasn't had the opportunity to learn what it takes to perform at a high level, or what he needs to do to mentally prepare for all that encompasses the role of being a QB. Patience is paramount as is learning and setting expectations. 

 

If Josh is struggling at times it is because he is experiencing and dealing with a lot on a stage with millions of people's expectations, opinions and criticism. 

 

Josh has been spoon fed at times so as not to overwhelm him and to teach him. His desire to learn, work, compete and succeed are incredible. I respect the approach that Sean, McBeane and Daboll have taken with him. they are building the offense to Josh's strengths. Key word is building. Sometimes it looks pretty, sometimes it looks like hot garbage. But Josh is learning. 

 

The best thing IMO about this season has been the 6-2 road record. That speaks volumes to the focus on concentration of the young players on this team to execute and perform at a high level.

 

Josh is getting there. The team is getting there. When it all comes together we are going to be special, and a nightmare to play.

 

Go Bills

 

 

It’s called nerves, jitters, excitement, or even stress.  The brain shuts down because of release of neural chemicals and this affects motor functions.  Only solution is playing time on world’s biggest stage.  Experience is his friend.  He didn’t get much big stage experience pre-NFL.  We can’t expect this to change this Sat.  Maybe next year or year after.  He is starting to show that he knows where to throw it, but he is too amped to execute, or he just doesn’t have the accuracy skill set.  The former can improve with experience, but not sure about the latter. Go Bills!!

[row_33]

The NBA has done a ton of work with the Briggs-Myers and the same personality type dominated for many years with Isiah Thomas, Stockton, Bird, Jordan

 

Mutombo was the only NBA veteran for over a decade that matched my result, I was told I overthink everything out there when I was redshirted after a few months at University, in reality I was totally lost on learning 58 variations by chart

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, TigerJ said:

It's well accepted to be a real thing.  Elite athletes in many fields use a sports psychologist to prepare for the pressure of important competitions.  The question is, to what degree are they employed in football?  I raise this question because it would seem as if it could be helpful for a young QB like Josh Allen.  He has spoken at press conferences about the the importance of him of not getting too amped up for a game that to fans at least seems to have greater than normal pressure - a nationally televised game or (as in the case of this weekend) a playoff game.  At the same time we've seen where in such games he will sometimes wrestle with overthrows.

 

So, I wonder, does the team employ a sports psychologist to help players, especially young skill position players, cope with pressure, or does Sean rely on his own experience in that regard.  I know he puts great stock in maintaining routine, and emphasis on the one game at a time focus that is a part of the culture he's brought to Buffalo.  If he does not employ a sports psychologist, I wonder if it would be to Allen's benefit to use one.  Maybe he already does.

 

Does anyone recall anything that's ever been said by the team about the use of sports psychologists?  Do you think they should employ one?  I think it would be a great question for someon in the media to ask McDermott some time.

 

I don't recall anything that has ever been said by the team about the use of sports psychologists.  I think it's a great question.

 

Tom Brady is known to have consulted a sports psychologist for various issues when he was at U of Michigan and to employ a team of professionals to help him fine-tune his rest, recovery, muscle pliability, brain function, and most of all, diet

 

Kirk Cousins may outdo Brady - he looks at trying to control his brain activity: " he started analyzing the left side of his brain, rather than both sides, because it controls his internal speech, the part of his brain he’s trying to calm....to try and improve Cousins' ability to manage the electrical activity in his brain, he used a computer program over the summer that played movies and slowed them down or shrank the screen when he showed too much brain activity. He watched all seven "Star Wars" films"

 

I think the right sports psychologist would be good for Allen to talk to, but the whole field is in its infancy and there is wheat out there, but it likely must be sorted from a lot of hokey chaff that may not be proven to have results.

 

I think McDermott has a good practical psychology approach in focusing on "the process" - focus on the details of your preparation each week, focus on fundamentals of technique, focus on your 1/11.  It's a lot more productive for a player to take the field thinking "I got this, pads level and square, get low" than "he's pwning me and I don't know why or what I can do".  I think his emphasis on having vet leaders with the right mindset in each room has also been key, guys who have the respect of their peers and will be heard when they give practical wisdom and tell their fellows "get in the game plan, learn your job, do your job, do your 1/11 and don't try to do too much"

 

There are certainly ways to optimize self-talk and manage stress, and it's important to performance.  Simone Biles credits a breakthrough to her mom telling her "You don't need to be the best athlete in the competition.  You just need to be your best Simone Biles."  I hear echos of that in Josh Allen saying "I don't have to be the best QB out there, I have to be the best QB for this team".   Someone is in his ear saying good stuff to him.  But it's not 100% taking, when he follows that up with "I have to lead this team and find a way to win".  That's OK if the emphasis is on LEAD and TEAM rather than DO. 

 

That's Allen's Kryptonite: he spent years on teams where he was far and away the best player, and he drove the team's success.  Now he's in a place where he can contribute, but he can't possibly do it all.  He can't always go for the big play when what's needed is a fresh set of downs, for example.  If the line muffed their blocks or he messed up the protections, he has to take the checkdown or throw it away and live to play another down.

 

Vic Carrucci has an article in TBN quoting 'Zo Alexander: "

"I'll constantly be in his ear all week, because I just know how hyped he's going to be and how excited he's going to be to go out there and perform well," Lorenzo Alexander, the Bills' 13-year veteran linebacker, said. "And my thing to him is, 'You don't have to win every single play. You don't have to make the All-America play every play, bro. Just go out there, be calm, don't put extra pressure on yourself. We've got you, too. We're in this with you.' Because I know that's just the type of guy he is. He wants to put everything on his shoulders and carry everybody. You don't have to do that. Just go out there, make a smart play, do what you're supposed to do, and we'll win this game."

 

 

[YoloinOhio]

Sports Psychologist? I need one.

[Don Otreply]

I am certain that Josh has vented about his guys dropping passes to the QB coach and the OC more than once, to include a bunch of WTF do I have to do here, run out and hand it to them..., but we are lucky he is a real pro and continues to work at his craft. 

 

Go Bills!!!

5 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Sports Psychologist? I need one.

Me too...

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

1 minute ago, Don Otreply said:

I am certain that Josh has vented about his guys dropping passes to the QB coach and the OC more than once, to include a bunch of WTF do I have to do here, run out and hand it to them..., but we are lucky he is a real pro and continues to work at his craft. 

 

Go Bills!!!

Me too...

 

I doubt this. 

 

I do think that Zay Jones failing to try to deflect an INT as John Brown and others will was one reason he got shipped out of town, but that is different.