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…
The coronavirus pandemic upended the plans of many athletes, including those of the US National Sumo Wrestling team. The 2020 Sumo World Championships, held by the International Sumo Federation, has been postponed until further notice. However, many top US sumo wrestlers are continuing to train…
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…
When movies, television shows, and other forms of popular culture are well-crafted, they become more than an entertaining pastime. They become reflections of the human psyche that not only entertain but also become a conduit for valuable life lessons and insight. For example, HBO’s Game…
Sport psychology is a relatively new field and there are still many misconceptions held by athletes and performers about its usefulness and limitations. Below are a few of the most common myths about sport psychology: Myth: Sport psychology is only for people who are “mentally…
CBT SoCal’s Dr. Jason von Stietz is now partnering with the United States Sumo Federation to provide sport psychology services to the U.S. National Sumo Wrestling team. Dr. von Stietz has already worked with individual Team USA sumo wrestlers, one of which was discussed in…
Michael Phelps is not only the most decorated Olympian of all time, he is also an avid mental health advocate. He is well known for disclosing his history of depression and ADHD. In recent years, Phelps joined the board of Talkspace, a mobile phone app…
Before the need for social distancing, Dr. Jason von Stietz met with a NCAA Division III women’s water polo team to help them to improve their mental skills related to teamwork. The Whittier College women’s water polo team regularly plays and defeats teams from much…
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo were recently postponed until 2021. Although this was highly disappointing to many, it was necessary for the safety of everyone involved. However, for many Olympic athletes the most distressing part was not that the Olympics was postponed, but…
Most sporting events are currently either cancelled or postponed until further notice. This is for the best and will likely prevent many lives from being lost to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or related complications. However, the pandemic will not last forever. At some…
The Developing Athlete with Coach C, is a new podcast hosted, Leslie Trujillo, M.A., a professor of kinesiology and strength and conditioning. She was affectionately given the nickname “Coach C” by her students and athletes before she married and changed her last name from Cordovo…