Front Rush recently partnered with Exact Sports (http://exactsports.com/), to provide coaches with a mental achievement profile (MAP) of each of their recruit. This helps schools see beyond the physical side and evaluate recruits’ on their mental strengths and weaknesses as well. Below is an article by Front Rush’s own Joe Cice who is a doctoral candidate in psychology. We thought it most appropriate for him to discuss the mental side of sports and introduce this partnership.
-Sean Devlin
The idea of psychology has always been prevalent in society. Before it could be defined as a science, it was folded into the ancient mystic idea of philosophy. In sports it can be described as the intangibles. That underlying makeup of an athlete that cannot be explained by mere physical attributes. These intangibles are vital to the success of an athlete or a team, but may often be forgotten when recruiting. Finding that right fit of an athlete to a program is not only important for the development of the individual, but also the team. As a coach, these tools can be useful in molding a cohesive unit and aid in the overall growth of these athletes.
It is not to say that these intangibles alone are the key to success, but assessing these factors along with the physical components of sport can provide a comprehensive picture of an athlete. EXACT Sports has created a program that looks to maximize the holistic understanding of athletes. Through combining athletic talents with psychological testing EXACT Sports looks to provide an extensive evaluation tool for coaches, players, and organizations. These tools help players, coaches, and teams monitor and increase characteristics such as motivation, confidence, competitiveness, leadership, and mental toughness.
But what do these characteristics mean to a coach or a team? As a coach, harnessing the intangibles and providing leadership on and off the field can aid in creating a winning environment. There are many different perspectives when approaching the topic of sports psychology. Whether it be the idea of encouragement, positive psychology, cognitive approaches, or adapting career models such as person-environment fit, coaches can benefit from the advantages these intangibles can provide. They can assist in better understanding the athlete’s personality and behavioral patterns. These can provide a clearer picture as to how an athlete may react under a pressure situation or what kind of leadership qualities they possess.
Through research and constant movement, EXACT Sports looks to push the idea of psychology in sports. They are looking to constantly adapt and evaluate in order to better understand the inner workings of an athlete’s mind. Working with youth athletes all the way up to the professional ranks, EXACT Sports has been able to develop a program that provides scientifically based assessments of these athletes at their current stage of development.
These psychological tools coupled with athletic assessments provide a clearer picture into an athlete. Tools such as these provide more information for a coach when recruiting. All of this information can be valuable when trying to evaluate how a prospective athlete will compete and develop. However, these tools are utilized and the most important factor in the development of athletes and teams are relationships. Even a basic understanding of psychology in sports can assist coaches and create more meaningful and beneficial relationships while creating an environment for success.
More Info about Exact Sports can be found at http://exactsports.com and http://prephero.com. The highlights are:
* The EXACT Sports Mental Achievement Program (MAP) is a questionnaire that provides information on the character of an athlete.
* The MAP is the most commonly used athlete behavioral survey, used by over 60 professional sports teams, hundreds of collegiate programs and tens of thousands of athletes across North America.
* Exclusively at Front Rush, the MAP will be provided along with a Portfolio of other tools such as the Learning Styles Inventory (LSI), which are automatically integrated in Front Rush coach accounts.