Page 15 - Winter Newsletter 2015

the athlete is adding to the problem that he Q: If you could go back and provide advice Also, remember that nobody has your

or she is struggling with, which is diminishing to your novice self entering the ield of sport exact background. Therefore, you have the

self-conidence and self-worth. So, I follow psychology, what would you tell him now?
opportunity to blend the material in the ield

the language very closely, and, in fact, it helps with your personal experience in a unique
Burt: Be patient, and, in the back of your

me with the area of techniques. Practically mind, see if you can ind something out of way. It is the pathway to uniqueness.

everything I say to an athlete comes from
the whole ield of sport psychology that Q: Is there anything else you remember
what the athlete just said to me. In a way, that
particularly interests you instead of being a entering the ield?
makes the interview easier because all I have
generalist. Find something in which you can
to do is listen. If I listen, I will get an idea, and Burt: I was excited to learn - ierce about
be a specialist; the value of that is that you
I will then come in and switch from following
can get a sense of your own creativity as you learning. I went to every workshop and

to leading.
begin to see things that others may have not conference I could ind. I counted up over

the years about 50 books that I read. I was
So, now I’m prepared to tell you a little seen or written about previously. It doesn’t
always looking for what I could contribute.
bit about technique. What I use a lot of is mean you only do that; however, where there

guided fantasy – it is similar to imagery, but is an opportunity to focus on something
Q: What do you feel is your most valued
it is structured and involves more than just you are especially interested in, it would be
contribution to the ield?
imagery. It includes thoughts, feelings, and worthwhile.

Burt: What I have contributed is in the area of
wants. I may help an athlete set up a situation. Although I wasn’t a young professional,
self-awareness. I’ve given more prominence
For example, one of the runners I worked with
I was a beginner. You may not know this, to self-awareness in sport psychology, as an
was having a problem inishing the race, in
but I became formally interested in sport
the guided fantasy she goes back to being alternative to mental skills training in doing
psychology at the age of 65. My irst
in the race. At the point at which she drops performance work. I am always looking for
experience was a 5-day workshop. I went
out, we explore what her experience was in what I can contribute.
as a beginner, and my uneasiness was

that moment. Guided fantasy helps the person Dr. Burt Giges continues to enrich our ield
“will I be able to contribute?” Not just can
bring either past or future into the present.
with his wisdom, his insight and humility
I learn – I know I can learn, and in that irst
and never stops seeking out what he can
As the consultant, you get to see what’s going workshop, I found something. I asked the

on with the athlete in a richer way. I rely a lot speaker if his satisfaction depended entirely contribute. In doing so, he encourages

more on their experience than on teaching on the athlete’s improvement, and he said, “of each of us to ind what it is that we uniquely

mental skills. I will use what the athlete course it does.” And, I said, “ah hah, here is contribute, too.

thinks, feels, wants, and does and work off a place where I can help the consultant be

that rather than coming into [the session] more aware of what his or her own agenda is

teach them relaxation or any of the other as well as his or her own reactions to what is

mental skills. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ever going on in the consulting.” So, that is where

use a mental skill approach, but it is not what the self-awareness was born. I was glad to

I usually do.
see that I had that chance.

AASP Newsletter // Winter 2015 // Words from the Wise: “I Was Always Looking for What I Could Contribute”

15
IN THIS ISSUE
VISIT US ONLINE:
WWW.APPLIEDSPORTPSYCH.ORG