Was there ever a concern for the victims in this case by the university and those within the football program? Was there ever a concern in that organization that by not informing the police, that the perpetrator was free to carry out his demented desires with untold other victims?

University administrators were aware that a graduate assistant had seen Sandusky attacking a young boy in the team’s locker room shower in 2002. However, even though Sandusky was prohibited from holding youth sports camps on campus in 2002, he continued to hold them through 2008 under his Sandusky Associates company at the university’s Behrend campus, just outside Erie. Further, it is being reported by a person familiar with Sandusky’s relationship with Penn State that the former coach long maintained an office in the East Area Locker building which is across the street from the Penn State football team’s building, and was on campus as recently as week ago working out.

We see this all the time:  athletes or coaches with addictive issues are protected so that they can continue to perform for the team; domestic violence is almost an acceptable behavior if the athlete is one of the stars of the team; coaches who abuse their athletes describe their victims as wimps, or worse (e.g., “This is nothing.  You should have seen how my coaches treated me!”).

Why is it that the everyday Joe is accountable, but many star athletes and coaches (as well as celebrities in any arena) get a free pass, unless the media get wind of their behaviors)? Think Lindsay Lohan here.

It’s time to make every individual, regardless of his/her popularity, power or importance to the team accountable for their behaviors.

The Michael Vick’s of sports have paid for their deeds, but I fear that they represent only the tip of the iceberg.  Furthermore, these cover-ups tarnish the image of the majority of athletes and coaches who lead clean lives, tending to their families, and appreciating the gifts that the Almighty has bestowed on them.

Jack Singer, Ph.D.
Licensed and Certified Clinical & Sport Psychologist

R.I.P Joe!

Jon recently aired a segment on his radio show in which he had the opportunity to talk with 3 former professional football players about life after a career in professional sports.

It was a telling story in that it emphasized the fact that besides being one play away from retirement as a result of injury, the average career is but a whisp of smoke within the context of the remaining and long years that athletes face when the cheering comes to an end.  And make no mistake, as our guests stressed when your life as pro ends, it ends period.

Gone for many are the big paychecks, public recognition and the feeling of being part of a team.  In other words your life as you knew it is over.

For the majority of former pros what awaits them is unemployment, divorce, financial destitution and for some the daunting challenges of dealing with addiction.

But life doesn’t have to end up that way, as there are options for making a successful transition to a life after professional sports.

While each of the athletes had made a successful transition to new lives when their playing days came to an end, this is not the case for close to 80% of all professional players as most struggle with financial insolvency, unemployment, divorce and for many some form of addiction.

I will provide sound advice for former athletes, in fact for anyone facing a significant life change whether it be in career, financial setback or death of a partner. Please join us by clicking here to either listen in live or to download the show for future listening.

By now, all of you who are baseball fanatics have observed the unbelievable collapse of a wonderful baseball team during September, which culminated in their most frustrating moment, losing to Baltimore with one strike separating them from a win and at least a tie in the wild card race.

We all read with sadness how Tito Francona felt somewhat helpless trying to rally his players and eliminate the causes which he identified as contributing to their uncharacteristic collapse.   If you look at any organization in the business world, what would you, as the CEO, do if your manager is impotent?  This was the question facing the Red Sox brass, when Tito removed himself from the equation, citing that the club needed “a new voice.”

What to do to rectify the situation:

Here are my thoughts about putting this baseball organization back on top where they can get the most out of their remarkable talent base.

• First, management must identify the specific sources of disruption in the leadership and communications failures that plagued the Sox, particularly as the season wound down.

• Secondly, they need to carefully assess the personality traits of candidates for the manager’s job and match them to the needs of the players whom he must manage.  This step is almost never addressed in athletic hiring decisions.  Using the specialized tools of the Industrial/Organizational psychologist during this process will offer a new picture of the organizational culture and the best fit for a new manager.

• Third, each ball player needs to be assessed to determine what specific issues led to their personal failure to produce consistently.  Sport Psychology techniques are perfectly suitable for making this determination and designing individualized remediation programs for each player, designed to prevent this from reoccurring next season.

In short, the Red Sox masterminds need to go outside the organization and bring in an expert, who can come on board and help them make the right selection, so our beloved Sox will go on to years of post-season glory!

A University of Hawaii at Mānoa researcher has studied the impact of these grunts and come up with some surprising findings. Scott Sinnett, assistant psychology professor at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, has co-authored a study on the potential detrimental effect that noise has on shot perception during a tennis match. 

Sinnett’s work appears in the October 1 online issue of PLoS ONE, published by the Public Library of Science. He co-authored the study with Alan Kingstone, psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, to determine if it is reasonable to conclude that a tennis grunt interferes with an opponent’s performance.  Read the study here.

These researchers discovered that the extraneous sound resulted in significantly slower response times, and significantly more decision errors, confirming that both response time and accuracy are negatively affected by the grunting from ones’ opponent. 

So, there is perhaps a method to this madness.   The grunting can obviously distract the opponent as she prepares to make contact.  This suggests that coaches and Sport Psychologists need to prepare their charges for the grunting by teaching them techniques to ignore the grunting and stay focused on their own game.

I am also available for phone consultations with athletes around the U.S. and in-person visits with athletes in Southern California. Call today toll free at 1-800-497-9880 for a free 20 minute telephone consultation with Dr. Jack Singer.

Jack N. Singer, Ph.D.
Certified and Licensed Sport and Clinical Psychologist
Diplomate, National Institute of Sports Professionals, Division of Psychologists
Diplomate, American Academy of Behavioral Medicine
Certified Hypnotherapist, American Academy of Clinical Hypnosis

By Dr. Jack Singer

Stress and World Class Coaches by Dr. Jack Singer

Much attention is paid to the impact of stress on elite athletes, but until recently, the impact of stress on their coaches has been largely ignored.  What is really important about this new discovery is that the way coaches deal with their own stress directly impacts the performance of their athletes. 

The amount of stress a world class or Olympic coach experiences is a function of his/her perception of the demands (stressors) made by their job and their own ability to cope with stressors.  So much attention has been given to teaching athletes how to cope with the stressors of performing their sport,  but we now know that if their coaches do not cope, it will impact their coaching skills and ultimately, the athlete’s performance. 

World class and Olympic coaches complain about psychological, physical and behavioral responses to their stress, such as having low frustration tolerance, acting fidgety, and agitated.  These coaches complain of burnout symptoms, including mental fatigue and a sense of reduced enjoyment about their coaching roles.  This impacts their athletes, both because of the coach’s body language  and the tone of voice from the coach to the athlete.  These are both potential sources of strain for their athletes.

The solution is that professional Sport Psychologists should pay as much attention to helping coaches develop the skills and strategies needed to cope with the demands of world class coaching.  Only then will the elite athlete have the best opportunity to let his/her true talent shine.

I am also available for phone consultations with athletes around the U.S. and in-person visits with athletes in Southern California. Call today toll free at 1-800-497-9880 for a free 20 minute telephone consultation with Dr. Jack Singer.

Jack N. Singer, Ph.D.
Certified and Licensed Sport and Clinical Psychologist
Diplomate, National Institute of Sports Professionals, Division of Psychologists
Diplomate, American Academy of Behavioral Medicine
Certified Hypnotherapist, American Academy of Clinical Hypnosis

Traditional psychotherapy training frowns on anything other than face to face visits, believing that not being in the same room would render treatment ineffective.  However, new studies have confirmed that in many ways, telephonic therapy is preferable, not only because of the convenience and the fact that more visits can be obtained using the phone,  but because of the success rates!

This week, for instance, Science Daily reported a new study of individuals suffering post traumatic stress disorder “Obtaining therapy via teleconference is just as effective as face-to-face sessions,” reported Stéphane Guay, a psychiatry professor at the Université de Montréal. “Previous studies have [also] shown that phobia therapy via teleconferencing was just as efficient as face to face contact,” says Dr. Guay, who is also director of the Trauma Studies Centre at the Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital’s Fernand-Seguin Research Centre.

Even people suffering from depression are being successfully treated over the telephone. Researchers from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine found that the average attrition rate in the telephone therapy was only 7.6 percent compared to nearly 50 percent in face-to-face therapy. The telephone therapy was effective in reducing depressive symptoms with results that appear to be similar to face-to-face treatment.

In my own practice, I do see clients in person when they live close by, but using telephonic therapy enables me to work with athletes literally around the world.  Imagine the power of being able to call me prior to their events or games and getting refresher tips right when they need them the most. If I want to give them a hypnotic program, I simply record it and email it so they can download the file onto their ipods.

For athletes, as well as non-athletes, having access to quality therapy services on a regular basis is the key to success.  Telephonic treatment is a wonderful medium in which to bring about that success.

Jack N. Singer, Ph.D.
Certified and Licensed Sport and Clinical Psychologist
Diplomate, National Institute of Sports Professionals, Division of Psychologists
Diplomate, American Academy of Behavioral Medicine
Certified Hypnotherapist, American Academy of Clinical Hypnosis

Now, candid remarks from Robert Price, MS, who has worked as a consultant with NFL teams, reveals what goes on at the Combine regarding the Wonderlic and its scores:

“The NFL uses this assessment because this is what they have always used and they are not looking at any alternatives.  Teams themselves just do not feel comfortable with a new/better instrument…I have sat in meetings and listened to many executives use the wonderlic numbers in this manner:  We would like our defensive linemen to score here and our safeties in this range and our offensive tackles here so on and so forth.As far as the leaking of test scores I know that their are people in the room that should not be there looking at results who have given them out… Not good.”

It took a long time for professional sports teams, including NFL teams, to regulate themselves in terms of performance enhancing and illicit drugs, alcohol and domestic violence.  It’s high time they used proper psychological tools that can accurately predict such important traits as peak performance consistency, injury proneness, unresolved anger, and poor judgment.  The Wonderlic does not address any of these important NFL success criteria.  Teams which step up and run potential draft picks through current, validated assessments will surely have the advantage in both selection and on the field!

Jack N. Singer, Ph.D.
Certified and Licensed Sport and Clinical Psychologist
Diplomate, National Institute of Sports Professionals, Division of Psychologists
Diplomate, American Academy of Behavioral Medicine
Certified Hypnotherapist, American Academy of Clinical Hypnosis

Here’s the full text of his statement:

“The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect. After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.

The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played.

I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.

When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play. I called both Joe Lewis and Arnold Palmer and expressed my regrets for not attending the Tavistock Cup and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. I again want to thank them both for their support and their understanding. Those are fantastic tournaments and I look forward to competing in them again.

I would also like to thank the Augusta National members and staff for their support. I have deep appreciation for everything that they do to create a wonderful event for the benefit of the game.”

The PGA welcomes this as their ratings have slipped since he has been absent. In fact Tiger’s announcement is great news for ESPN and CBS. Nielsen and CBS are predicting record ratings. Beyond that, most people want to see if he can pull together and start winning tournaments again.

Tiger’s personal issues (media reports claim sexual addiction) have unfortunately become fuel for the tabloids and even to some degree for respected media outlets. He has much repair work to do regarding the pristine and wholesome image which has become severely, and perhaps irreparably tarnished over the last several months.

The issue that everyone wants to address is whether Tiger can compartmentalize his personal issues with his family and focus on playing winning golf.

As a sports psychologist, that is not the key issue for me.  My hope is that Tiger understands that his recovery and ultimate sobriety from his addiction will take years of focused attention and commitment. Playing golf and convincing his wife to move back in to the family home does not make for recovery.  Instead, he needs ongoing treatment, especially since his golf travels will put him in precisely the same situations that triggered his addiction(s) in the past.

So, if Tiger is going back into the game because he believes he is “cured,” then this will serve as a major example of emotional denial. On the other hand, if he is re-entering golf in order to focus on the healthy aspects of his career, raise his confidence and use his occupation as an adjunct to (rather than instead of ) his ongoing treatment, then I believe he is truly on the road to recovery.

Ultimately, I wish him and his family the best and will continue to observe his progress with great interest.

Jack N. Singer, Ph.D.
Certified and Licensed Sport and Clinical Psychologist
Diplomate, National Institute of Sports Professionals, Division of Psychologists
Diplomate, American Academy of Behavioral Medicine
Certified Hypnotherapist, American Academy of Clinical Hypnosis

Who is protecting the confidentiality of psychological test scores?  This is a huge ethical violation and I hold the officials in charge of the NFL Combine responsible.

Psychological tests, whether conducted in a psychologist’s office or in a company or at the NFL Combine all fall under very strict confidentiality rules, established by the American Psychological Associations Ethics Committee.  These tests should never be administered unless a licensed psychologist, with expertise in testing and ethics, is in complete control of the testing and the dissemination of the results.

Although the athletes at the NFL Combine may sign a release so that teams can receive their results, these releases should specify that ONLY TEAM personnel receive them; they should not be available to the media.  Just imagine how you would have felt if your SAT scores were distributed to the media for publication.

Part of the problem here, is that the Wonderlic is an outdated test, with no predictive validity studies linking scores to success on the field.  There are much better assessments available to predict athletic success in competition, yet the powers in charge of the NFL Combine seem married to an archaic, rarely used assessment which according to Wonderlic’s site states that the test used as part of the NFL draft is the Wonderlic Personnel Test.

So, the first question we need to ask is why is this test still used?  So much money is spent on athletes in professional sports.  Why not spend a little money to develop an assessment that REALLY assesses this particular group?

Jack N. Singer, Ph.D.
Certified and Licensed Sport and Clinical Psychologist
Diplomate, National Institute of Sports Professionals, Division of Psychologists
Diplomate, American Academy of Behavioral Medicine
Certified Hypnotherapist, American Academy of Clinical Hypnosis

**You have permission to reprint in your publication or to your website/blog any articles by Dr. Jack Singer found on this Website as long as Dr. Jack Singer’s name and contact information is included. Jack Singer, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Sport Psychologist, Marriage, Family & Relationship Therapist, Professional Motivational Speaker. http://drjacksinger.com, toll free 800-497-9880.