Influence of the Mind: A Look into the Study of Sports Psychology

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“All living things seek to be in harmony with their own nature. To the degree harmony is achieved, optimal functioning and performance is possible. To the degree harmony is blocked, optimal functioning is impaired” (Bennet and Pravitz 68). Many say that the mind is a mystery; there are no clear lines, no black and white, only grey, blurred imaginary boundaries in ones subconscious. Still, psychologists and trainers have for years managed to manipulate the psyche of the “stars” of human refinement through physical performance. The connections between mind, body, and soul are age-old ideologies that influenced the creation of sports psychology and the perfection of human harmony by inspiring modern-age psychiatrists to enhance the performance of many athletes. This pulling of mental strings is a highly layered method with a myriad of techniques to unlock the harmony in one’s self; each technique unique to the individual.
The roots of sports psychology, many believe, began in the Cold War era when the East Bloc nations, including East Germany, began to study a way to “supercharge” their athletes. In France during this same era, big corporations and manufacturers were hiring people based on their personality traits, not for skills. Sport teams began doing the same, and discovered that skills are much easier instilled into their athletes than character, thus resulting in more successful teams. These ideas, though not new, were not proven beneficial until modern science came into play. Thanks to the discoveries of Hungarian-American psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, German psychologist Johannes Heinrich Schultz, and American psychologist James (Jim) Loehr, the idea behind sports psychology became a major player in the world of no...

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Gary Mack, David Casstevens. Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print.
“IPS-Ideal Performance State.” Quad Cities Sales and Management Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 April 2014
James G. Bennet, James E. Pravitz. The Miracle of Sports Psychology. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1982. Print.
Jerry Lynch, Chungliang Al Huang. Working Out, Working Within: The Tao of Inner Fitness through Sports and Exercise. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1998. Print.
“Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi: Flow, the secret to happiness | Talk Video | TED.com.” TED: Ideas worth spreading. N.p., 2004. Web. 15 April 2014.
Tolson, Jay. “Into the Zone.” US News and World Report. 03 July 2000: 38-45. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 30 March 2014.

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