Page 21 - AASP Summer 2014 Newsletter
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has. But, at the same time, I’ll get my time As a sport psychology consultant
to do that.
working with individuals, it is all about the
relationship. The athletes I worked with
You mentioned “post-Olympic blues”,
were ready when we arrived in Sochi.
can you speak to that? Yeah, the post-
Once in Sochi, there were not going to be a
Olympic blues are the weirdest thing in the
lot of changes to the athletes’ mental game.
world. Because you think, “who could be
It was mainly about keeping the athletes’
depressed after the Olympics?” It doesn’t
minds occupied. I would have never
make any sense logically. I had no idea this
expected that my biggest tool would be
was going to happen. It’s hard. You just
my iPad with movies to loan out. Although
come down. I don’t know why it happens,
Maddie had an extremely successful trip,
but it happens for sure. I can understand
I felt that I was a pendulum for the month
how others have been there before. It’s
- moving back and forth between each
really understandable now, but you kind of
athlete’s highs and lows. My goal was to
have to go through it.
provide a constant for each of them and
Maddie & Lauren at the deliver what they needed at the time. It
2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Obviously, you found great success in
was an exhausting experience, but a
Sochi. Will you change your approach
wonderful one. Following the Olympics, we
Ignoring it. What got you through the heading toward PyeongChang? (Laughs). returned home to inish out the remainder
season? Yeah, I think ignoring it. And I’m not going to think about the Olympics of the season. The focus may not be on the
for three years.
next Olympics for some, like Maddie, but
knowing that I could just ski halfpipe
we move toward the next season when the
with my injury was ine. I knew I could
ski halfpipe. I knew I couldn’t really ski Sounds like a good plan. Let’s not ix snow lies.
anything else, so I felt pretty lucky. So, I what’s not broken. I’m just going to keep
just kind of ignored it and said ‘it’s good for
doing what I’m doing. It’s working.
now. I’m going to keep going.’ It ended up
being a lot bigger than I thought it was.
Members In The News
What’s it been like having surgery this
summer? It’s been pretty rough, honestly.
It’s been a lot of battling, a little bit of You can ind the Members In The News (published triannually) resource here: http://
depression post-Olympic, and trying to .
www.appliedsportpsych.org/media/members-in-the-news/
process being injured. It’s kind of been
exhausting, because you’re going from one Additionally, the Web Presence Committee brings Members In The News
thing where you are just so mentally put to
updates to the AASP Twitter Account: @SportPsyAASP.
the test to something that’s even harder for
athletes to be put to the test in. And, I don’t
If you have a Members in the News submission that you would like posted, please
know, it’s been hard, because I haven’t
email it to us at inthenews@appliedsportpsych.org.
been able to celebrate like everyone else
AASP Newsletter // Summer 2014 // An Interview with A Sochi Gold Medalist
21
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