Olympic athletes are often able to demonstrate feats of athleticism that would be impossible for the average person. Their athletic abilities could understandably lead people to believe that they must be as remarkable emotionally as they are physically. However, athletes such as Michael Phelps have…

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, spending time at home may have conjured feelings of “family togetherness.” However, after nearly a year of varying degrees of required sheltering in place, many families and couples are finding themselves under stress and at odds with each…

  The COVID-19 pandemic has upended much of our daily lives and made it difficult to engage in our favorite pass times. One such pass time for many is high school baseball. Last year, baseball and other spring time sports were cut short due to…

In recent days, we have seen a new strain of COVID-19, a continued rise of COVID-19 cases, political chaos in the United States, and a violent insurrection in the Capitol building. As these events unfold, many people are asking themselves questions such as, “Am I…

When people think of sport psychology, they often envision a rousing speech given by someone akin to a motivational speaker. This is occasionally true, as there is a time and a place for most things. However, the motivation felt after a rousing speech is often…

Community college softball, like all athletic competitions, comes with emotional highs and lows. Softball teams set goals for themselves and their journey to achieve those goals is often fraught with difficulties. Of course, it can be immensely helpful to create a team atmosphere that encourages…

Mental skills are a crucial part of athletic competition. The term mental skills refers to the strategies an athlete uses to regulate thoughts or feelings in a way that is conducive to performing at one’s best. Softball is a psychologically challenging sport among athletes who…

Team sports, such as softball, require groups of people to work together toward a common goal. When teammates are able to cohesively work together the team, as a whole, can become greater than the sum of their parts as individual players. However, how do teams…

Community college softball is a physically and emotionally demanding sport under the best of circumstances. Unfortunately, many student-athletes do not compete under the best of circumstances. Many community college athletes compete in their sport while dealing with financial issues, family issues, and other personal stressors,…

Student-athletes choose to compete in sport at the community-college-level for a variety of reasons. Some athletes spend time at a community college to improve their GPA in order to transfer to 4-year university. However, other athletes might join a community college team with the intention…

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental illness that affects millions of people across the United States. OCD can take a variety of forms. One such form of OCD involves people suffering from obsessions and compulsions related to religion or morality. The International Obsessive…

Two Types of Mindsets Carol Dweck, a researcher now at Stanford, has investigated the effects of two simple mindsets that permeate all areas of life: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset (Dweck, 2006). The fixed mindset is one in which a person believes that…