Anxiety
Recently a young dancer came to us with a problem. It seems that she always danced well in class, but on stage she got so nervous she would dance poorly or lose her balance. She and her teachers believed she had the ability, but they did not know how to deal with her anxiety. This […]
Read MoreMotivating Developing Tennis Players
The quality of any tennis performance is influenced by three factors: ability, motivation, and the difficulty of the task. Of these factors, only one, motivation, is entirely within the control of the player. Consequently, coaches should focus much of their energy on developing and maintaining a high level of motivation in their players. This task […]
Read MoreMotivation
Have you ever known a dancer who seemed to have everything: strength, skill, coordination, agility. But for some reason he or she doesn’t make it. How about the dancer who doesn’t seem to have those physical gifts? He or she is not exceptionally strong or agile. Yet, for some reason, he or she rises to […]
Read MorePost-Season Coach Evaluation
As coaches know from their work with athletes, improvement in any particular area comes from being made aware of a weakness and then working on improving it. Despite this knowledge, coaches are themselves rarely evaluated in any organized and systematic manner as a means of developing their abilities. Moreover, even more rarely is feedback obtained […]
Read MorePre-Match Management
The time that players spend before their match is the most crucial period of match preparation. What they think, feel, and do prior to play will dictate how well they perform in the match. Due to this importance, coaches can help ensure that each athlete is optimally prepared. Players have three goals before their match. […]
Read MoreDance Imagery II
The last post demonstrated how dancers may develop and implement an individualized Dance Imagery program. With hard work and commitment, dancers may be taking that extra step needed for them to dance their very best. But adhering to the program will not necessarily produce results. Consequently, this post will look at some factors that affect […]
Read MoreDance Imagery I
The value of mental imagery in improving performance has been supported by considerable research and accounts by many dancers. Dance Imagery refers to repeatedly imagining a dance performance with the goal of improving specific technical and artistic skills. Ideally, it involves reproducing the total sensory and physical experience of actual performance including visual, auditory, tactile, […]
Read MoreTalk To Your Athlete
Understanding your athletes is one of a coach’s primary responsibilities. Knowing players’ needs, what motivates them, and what is happening in their lives is critical to your work with them. This, however, is not an easy task. You cannot read minds and you are often responsible for a large number of players. Keeping track of […]
Read MorePreparing For Performance
Dancers have been training for many years and are now physically, technically, and psychologically ready for the performance. They have laid the foundation that will allow them to perform at their highest level. Now all that remains is for them to prepare specifically for the upcoming performance. The following is a compilation of various techniques […]
Read MoreResponsible Tournament Selection
One of the most difficult tasks for coaches from the development level to the professional tours is seeing that their athletes develop in a consistent and progressive manner. This process involves many decisions such as what is the appropriate level of off-season physical training, how much on-court training do they need, and how often should […]
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