Sport Psychology/Corporate Coaching/Performance Psychology

When it comes to performance psychology, coaches, atheletes, parents, and business people all have one thing in common: they vastly underestimate how much a healthier mind can improve performance.  And all of our minds have far more room to grow than any of us realize.  It is only as the mind improves that we realize how much it has been getting in the way of peak performance.  In other words, we don't realize our deficiencies until we reach a higher level of performance.  The valley looks different from the mountain top than it does from its floor.

As a clinical sport psychologist, Dr. Bowman is committed to helping athletes and business people improve their performances.  He does this by teaching his program in an interactive, action/application oriented way.  Not only has he taught numerous classes at Samford University, where he continues to teach, but he works both individually and with groups of athletes, ranging from professional to very young in age, and he works with corporations and their leadership.  His "NO FEARS" program has helped many people and groups reach heights they never thought possible.

NO FEARS:

N EVER GIVE LESS THAN YOUR VERY BEST. Persistence, perseverance, and 100% effort are the keys to success. There are no substitutes for maximum effort, hard work and practice. Read widely about your dreams and find role models to teach you. When you’re in the game, constantly give it your all, no matter how tired you are or how far ahead or behind you are. Pain is the way weakness leaves the mind (though it shouldn’t always be ignored). If you’re patient and hang in there, what you’re hoping for is just around the corner.  Success is doing your best to make the future brighter for others and yourself. 

O PTIMISM always beats pessimism, but optimism can be dangerous when it comes to issues of safety. Optimists are consistently more healthy, happy, and successful than pessimists.  Pessimists shut down after setbacks, but optimists try harder.  Optimists see setbacks as temporary and as challenges.  So after a setback, ask yourself, "Do you want to be a sad, sick loser or a happy, healthy winner?"  Then try harder.

F OCUS on what you’re doing not on failing; Feel, Forget yourself – lose yourself in the action; allow verbal thoughts to pass. The “F” is all about meditation, and athletes and business leaders should make it a regular practice to meditate. (Research conclusively shows meditation decreases anxiety.)

E NVISION perfect performance.  Use all of your senses to visualize a perfect performance. ‘Visualize” before performing. (Research conclusively shows that visualization improves confidence, reduces anxiety, and aids performance.)

A NTICIPATE doing well. Self-confidence has been shown to be the best “mental” predictor of performance (followed by a lack of anxiety).   Remind yourself of past terrific performances and past accomplishments. Faith in God and prayer also help confidence. Faith in the team is also important – remember how the team has done well in the past.   (Coaches and managers should focus more on building team members' confidence than anything else – goal setting that focuses on effort, as opposed to results, is useful for confidence building).
 
R ELAX.   The most important word in the English language is “Let,” as in “Let it happen.” Faith statements like, "Let Go and Let God" help performance.   Relaxation is simply LETTING go of tension.  Athletes and employees should be trained in diaphragmatic breathing and progressive relaxation. It’s best to relax prior to visualization. Relaxation has been found to improve performance.
 
S URRENDER.   Surrendering is not giving up – it is to gain. Surrendering has lead to the greatest performances in history, such as Christ on the cross “not what I will, but what you will” and soldiers risking their lives in battle for their countries. The ultimate fear to conquer is the fear of death. We must surrender to something larger than ourselves, like God or our team.  Whenever we surrender, a force much greater than ourselves is able to carry us to where we always wanted to be. We must become free of the “disease of me.”

Click here for a recent interview of Dr. Bowman by Birmingham Parent on Sports Psychology.