Psychologist on the water

Ok, so lets continue our psychological journey both into my rowing and the way psychology (sport psychology in particular) could be a way to improve my/your rowing. This post will focus on what we say to ourselves in training and in competition and how this might help or hinder performance. As I was singling the other day, an altercation with some aggressive foliage on the bank led to some 'stability' issues and I vividly recall saying to myself 'oh s*&t I am going in...I am going in' as I flayed both arms and blades in the air and as I went rather over to stroke side. A moment later however I also remember saying to myself 'get it together....you've got this' which led to me getting back in control of the boat and staying upright and dry. I do think that is was this positive self-talk that enabled me to get back control of the boat, allowed me to compose myself, and allowed me to carry on. There was certainly a degree of luck involved here I have to ...

We are going to forego the in-depth biography, the history of my growing love of rowing, my academic credentials etc etc, for now anyway. Suffice to say I love rowing, I love teaching sport and exercise and I am back in the business of research (the demands of modern academic life and two small human additions to the family meant my research aspirations have been on ice for a while). I have started this blog in an attempt to draw all these interests together in order, I hope, to bring together my interest in rowing, sport psychology and everything inbetween. I hope my cognitive meanderings will be of interest to my current students, past students and new students of sport psychology to be, as well as anyone else who has ever been in a boat and wonders how the hell they a) got there and b) how they row the thing whilst not falling in the river (I sometimes fall in).   My topic for this first entry is a big topic, a catalyst that is needed f...