Parent Seminar @ Bucks County Academy of Fencing

Lambertville, NJ

"Developing the Youth Fencer" 

Presented by Dr. John Heil (October 23, 2012).

 Topics include: The 10 skills of effective sport parenting; balancing sport, work and family responsibilities; the developmental cycle of the athlete; guiding your child in sport as a life skill; and, the parents’ role at fencing competitions.
 

For more information: http://www.psychhealthroanoke.com/resources.html

The Mind of the Fencer

Competing in the "zone" is the key to success in sport. For the fencer this means blending the mind-set of the chess master with that of the Zen warrior. As personal combat sport, fencing is an encounter with threat and risk. Success for the ancient warrior and the modern athlete alike relies on pinpoint focus, lightning-fast actions, emotional composure and finely honed instincts.

Olympic Medalist, Jason Rogers, and Sport Psychologist, Dr. John Heil, draw on practical sport psychology, the Zen Martial Arts tradition and modern game theory to provide a look inside fencing in the "zone".

Video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZfYPLWQqmQ

Head Injury Seminar Open to the Public

Turkey & Pigskin

The culmination of the Fall season lies at the intersection of Friday Night Lights and the Thanksgiving Turkey. The Pilgrim born festivities we have embraced for centuries have become interwoven with America’s Games of Autumn. As distinct as these phenomenon might first appear, both are very much a part of the American spirit. What we celebrate in one way at the dinner table, we embrace in another on the field of play. Enjoy the abundance of it all, be thankful – and have some turkey.

The Wounded Warrior Project

Dr John Heil spoke on "Sport Psychology for the Wounded Warrior" at a USO sponsored conference for soldiers and their families, held at Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas. Also on the program were nationally recognized personal trainer,Robert Reames, wounded Viet Nam veteran and motivational speaker, Dave Roever, and Drew Dix, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for service in Viet Nam.

For information about the USO: http://www.uso.org/
For more about the Wounded Warrior Project: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Sports Medicine Seminar

In conjunction with the Coventry Commonwealth Games of Virginia, a Sports Medicine Seminar will be offered on Friday, July 17 from 300pm-600pm. It is jointly sponsored by Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Virginia Tech Primary Care Sports Medicine, Virginia Athletic Trainers Association (VATA) & Psychological Health Roanoke. There will be instruction in osteopathic manipulation by Drs. Mark Boyer, Jarred Harrall & John Tait of VCOM, and a presentation on the sport psychology of injury by Dr. John Heil of Psychological Health Roanoke.
Continuing education credits will be offered by VATA.
For more information go to: http://www.commonwealthgames.org/pdf/medical.pdf

Sport Psychology Seminars

John Heil will be conducting a series of Sport Psychology seminars at the United States Fencing Association (USFA) National Championships in Dallas, Texas.
The seminar schedule is: Parent Seminar - Achieving Excellence as a Sport Parent (Sunday, July 5th - 1pm); Mental Training: Focusing and Refocusing from Distractions (Monday, July 6th - 10 am); Goal Setting: Road Map to Success (Tuesday, July 7th - 2 pm); Mental Training: Composure Control (Wednesday, July 8th - 10 am). The seminars are primarily for coaches and athletes, but others, particularly parents, are welcome to attend. A special “Executive Performance” add-on session is available for the Goals Setting & Composure Control seminars – for those who wish to apply sport psychology high performance principles to their work environment. More information and instructions for enrollment are available at fencing.net

Sport Parent

With Mothers Day on the way, thoughts turn to all things parent related. Many remember the time when t-ball and all the rest was dad’s thing. But times have changed with dads coaching daughters, who in turn grew up as moms with the skill and the will to coach their own daughters – and now sometimes their sons, too.
Sport Parenting is still a great challenge made all the more difficult by the increasing expectations and pressures for success that now fall far too soon on children. Some points to ponder on being a champion sport parent.

1. Support your youth athlete by providing a safe, sensible opportunity to train and compete, and grow from the experience of sport.
2. Establish an ongoing dialogue with the coach so that you understand his or her philosophy and remain aware of your youth athlete’s strengths and weaknesses - athletically and psychologically.
3. Provide unconditional emotional support as your youth athlete rides the ups and downs of the competitive experience, and help him or her learn the lessons of winning and losing.
4. Avoid coaching (unless you are the coach), that is, avoid giving specific instructions or critique of the technical or tactical aspects of sport.
5. Accept - even as you are bewildered by - your youth athlete’s varying demonstration of composure and distress, maturity and neediness in the competitive environment.
6. Talk candidly with your youth athlete about the role you should play as a parent at competitions. Be prepared to keep your distance.
7. Work actively to manage your own anxieties and frustrations as you watch your youth athlete compete. Be sure to set these aside before you interact afterwards.
8. Show composure in the face of stress, and let this serve as a model to your youth athlete. He or she is watching.
9. Identify mutual expectations for your youth athlete’s commitment to training and competition as you make successive commitments to support his or her sport activities financially and logistically.
10. Guide your youth athlete in balancing sport, school, family and other responsibilities.

Check out our website for more on sport parenting

*John Heil