SEMINAR 1 SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY, LANGUAGE WORK Task 1 Study the techniques for stress reduction. Which of them are physical, which are mental? How are they used? Match them with their descriptions below. Imagery in Relaxation Progressive Muscular Relaxation Breathing Control Biofeedback Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and Positive Thinking A) The idea behind this is that you tense up a group of muscles so that they are as tight and contracted as possible, and hold them in a state of extreme tension for a few seconds. Then relax the muscles to their previous state. Finally you consciously relax them again as much as you can. B) To use the technique, observe your “stream of consciousness” as you think about the upcoming event. Do not suppress any thoughts. Instead, just let them run their course while you make note of them. As you notice negative thoughts, write them down and then let them go. The next step in dealing with negative thinking is to challenge the negative thoughts that you wrote down. Look at every thought you wrote down and rationally challenge it. C) One common use of this method is to imagine a scene, place or event that you remember as peaceful, restful, beautiful and happy. You can bring all your senses into the image, with sounds of running water and birds, the smell of cut grass, the taste of cool white wine, the warmth of sun, etc. Use the imagined place as a retreat from places of stress and pressure. D) These systems use electronic sensors to measure stress, and then feed the results of this measurement back to the athlete. They allow you to experiment with stress management techniques, and actually see or hear them taking effect on your body. Also, they allow you to practice different ways of using the techniques and compare the results. These methods convert vague feelings into hard, observable information, and help an athlete to fine-tune the use of stress management techniques. E) This is a very effective method of relaxation, which is a core component of everything from the 'take ten deep breaths' approach to calming someone down, right through to yoga relaxation and zen meditation. Task 2 Would you agree with the following statements? Discuss in groups or pairs. 1. The effectiveness of the stress reduction technique depends on practice. 2. Positive thinking is a solution to everything. 3. An experienced athlete is able to cope with any uncertainties concerning his/her performance. (adapted from: http://www.mindtools.com/stresstq.html) Task 3 Video Inside the mind of champion athletes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG7v4y_xwzQ) Watch the video and complete the gaps in summarising sentences with one word: 1. Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps have contrasting ______________ , but both of them seem to be very ________________ . 2. Sports psychology may play a part in their ___________________. 3. The match between Brazil and Mexico was incredibly ________________ to watch. 4. Sports psychology could explain why underdogs can win despite all the ______________ . 5. Sports psychology may also help when ___________ a devastating defeat. 6. Coaches know very well the ________________ of sports psychology and they´re beginning to ______________ it. 7. There are several strategies that athletes can use to _____________ their confidence. 8. Successful athletes must know themselves and their ____________ too. 9. Athletes are good at using routines and ________________ pressure. 10. The goals that athletes set will determine how much drive, _____________ and will they have to perform well. 11. Scientists, psychologists and practitioners always ____________ to the SMART acronym. 12. Imagery is a mental ____________, it is a commonly used strategy. 13. Athletes also ______________any problems that may arise. 14. Self-talk is used to ____________ the competition. 15. Being too anxious can ______________ an athlete´s performance. 16. There is a picture of someone using the techniques to the greatest __________ , it has the effect of ______________ the pressure. Task 5 LANGUAGE WORK Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Use the word in bold and other words. 1 Smoking in the library is forbidden. allowed You ____________________________________________________ in the library. 2 Magda saw Ella as she was going to work. way Magda saw Ella ___________________________________ work. 3 You might get thirsty, so I put a flask of tea in your bag. case I put a flask of tea in your bag _________________________________ thirsty. 4 Her voice was so quiet that we could hardly hear her. such She __________________________ that we could hardly hear her. 5 Going to parties was not something I did very often. use I ____________________________________________ to parties very often. 6 The athlete was injured but still she completed the race. despite The athlete completed the race ______________________________________ .