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Well, the Olympic media frenzy has started. More and more of the media outlets are starting to cover and talk about the preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games to be held next summer in London, England. Stories about the competition venues (if they're on schedule or way behind schedule), the host city, and the athletes that are hoping to compete are now almost weekly, if not daily, media topics. And why shouldn't they be? The Olympic Games represent the elite competitive environment...the chance to represent your country as your "team"....and the highly sought after Gold medal, indicating that for that moment, you are the best in the world in your sport.
But what is the role of sport psychology at the Olympic Games? I've been honored to have attended 2 Olympic Games as part of the USA delegation. In 2002, I was the USA Men's Alpine Ski Team Sport Psychologist for the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. And then in 2008, I was the Sport Psychologist for the USA Olympic Diving team in the Summer Olympic Games held in Beijing, China. Let me tell you that there is no class or weekend workshop that can prepare a sport psychologist for their role(s) at an Olympics event. However, it is important to recognize that sport psychology has a very important role in helping athletes prepare for the "Olympic moment".
I have practiced as a counseling psychologist in sports for over 20 years....and I've worked with Olympic sports (NGB's...or National Governing Bodies) for 17 of those years. I've attended USA National Championships, World Cup events, World Championships, and Olympic trials....but the "Games" create a unique and complex set of challenges and hurdles for the athlete....and as a sport psychologist, it is important to be prepared as much as possible for these events. If not, you may become one of those stressors or distractions....and that is not a desired goal!
Helping athletes to create their "flow" experience, manage the multiple stressors of preparation, dealing with unexpected events, managing team "pressures"/distractions, facilitating optimal communication between coach-team-athlete-support staff, and dealing with loss and setback are all part of the "skill-set" that cannot be easily taught....but must be mastered in order to be effective as a sport psychologist at the Olympic Games. The United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology staff of 5 sport psychologists have "mastered" these skill-sets...I encourage readers to explore the USOC website (www.usoc.org) and link to the coaching education site for further information. These articles are very useful in better understanding the demands of the Olympic Games. But even as an outside observer or consultant that would like to enhance your own knowledge of what "happens" at the Games, be an astute observer. But be careful to ascertain too much from the "stories" shared in the media....as they often represent only a small percentage of the actual history and events.
I've had the great fortune to be involved as a Sport Psychologist at an NCAA Final Four, a Rose Bowl, an NBA Playoffs, and other great sporting events....but the honor of representing my country, a team, a group of athletes, coaches, and support staff, and my family....well, these "Olympic" memories will be etched in my mind forever.
Enjoy the preparation for the Games....and have fun learning!
