Psychology 9 February 2010

Author: Bobo Eyrich

Bobo plays ultimate in Halifax and I was lucky enough to meet him this summer at the Parlee Beach Ultimate Tournament in Shediac, NB. Bobo is a young up and coming player and is super passionate about the sport. He was playing in a recent indoor tournament and after a tight point, scored and promptly spiked (well kicked the disc). He wrote an article based on that incident and more generally related it to the sport in general. That article follows below.

 Practice, Psychology, Training 27 January 2010

Author: Melissa Witmer

Brain science tells us that the brain uses different processes and different parts for gaining different types of knowledge. The type of conscious, or explicit, knowledge we learn in school is controlled by the prefrontal cortex. The logical prefrontal cortex can quickly solve rational problems and learn step by step tasks. Using the prefrontal cortex, we can analyze what we know, we can show our work in math problems, or explain to someone else how we performed a task.

 Featured, Psychology, Videos 21 January 2010

I discuss what I think the elements of Spirit of the Game are. Knowledge of the rules, willingness to discuss a call, respect for the other team/your own team and more.

Let me know what you think Spirit of the Game is all about!

Popularity: 51%

 Practice, Psychology, Throwing, Training 13 January 2010

Author: Melissa Witmer

This is part II of the summary I began last week (located here). Today’s discussion has important implications for how we instruct new players in learning to a forehand.

In case you’re just joining us, I’m reviewing an article published in Sports Biomechanics called “Biomechanical analysis of the sidearm throwing motion for distance of a flying disc: a comparison of skilled and unskilled players.” (Being a scientist, I should make it clear that my analysis of the work reported is very similar to, but not exactly the same as the conclusions arrived at by the authors of the paper. So this is not a direct summary of the paper.)

 Practice, Psychology, Throwing, Training 31 December 2009

Author: Melissa Witmer

I am going to attempt a summary of an article published in Sports Biomechanics called “Biomechanical analysis of the sidearm throwing motion for distance of a flying disc: a comparison of skilled and unskilled players.” I am hoping to offer something brief, easily understood, and practical. If you want experimental details, or are looking for something more erudite, please read the paper : )

In this study ten skilled and seven unskilled players were taped throwing forehands as far as they could. The movements of their shoulders, arms, and wrist were analyzed. The initial velocity of the discs, spin rate of the discs, all angles of the disc, and distance of the throws were measured.

 Psychology, Throwing, Training 27 December 2009

Author: Melissa Witmer

What follows are my thoughts on phases a player might go through as they engage in deliberate throwing practice. These are offered so that you know what to expect and can avoid becoming stagnant.

Beginner Phase: This phase may be characterized by unbridled enthusiasm and complete obsession with throwing practice. During this phase, I’d say just go with the flow and do what feels right. When you first begin, you’re going to have quick gains in throwing capabilities no matter what you do. Just get the disc in your hands as often as possible.

 Main, Psychology, Throwing 4 November 2009

What factors are involved in becoming a good thrower? Obviously you need to have a lot of practice. But is there more than that? I believe that there are 2 elements to becoming a good thrower: determination and the ability to be coach-able.

 Psychology 28 October 2009

From my experience coaching and playing sports, I’ve come to a few conclusions:

1. The best players aren’t usually the best coaches (more often than not they aren’t)
2. The best teams are the one who play together as a team the best; not necessarily the team with the best players
3. Captains of a team are the players who lead by example, encourage rather than complain, and aren’t necessarily the best players (although many times one of the captains is usually the best player on the team)

Now, when you go to pick your team, I would keep those 3 things in mind and approach it like so: