Adapting to the new normal - Psychologist makes recommendations to athletes preparing for return to competition
Published:Friday | February 12, 2021 | 12:21 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
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Sports psychologist Dr Olivia Rose says that proper assimilation to the ‘new normal’ of sports will be critical to ensuring that athletes are in the proper frame of mind to return to competition. She was speaking yesterday at a virtual session...
Sports psychologist Dr Olivia Rose says that proper assimilation to the ‘new normal’ of sports will be critical to ensuring that athletes are in the proper frame of mind to return to competition.
She was speaking yesterday at a virtual session hosted by the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association under the theme ‘Psychological Readiness for the Return to Play’.
The Government authorised the restart on a case-by-case basis last Friday with a provision being made in the Disaster Risk Management Order but with strict compliance to COVID-19 protocols, as well as associations going through an approval process which includes the Ministry of Sports, and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. However, its impending return comes against the backdrop of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases.
Rose says that athletes understanding the specifics of required restrictions, measures of training safely and other protocols will give a clear indication of their readiness to return.
“The first one, especially, is understanding the duration of lockdown, isolation, and quarantine,” she said. “That is very critical as we return to sport, simply because there are so many athletes who have been complaining about how difficult these words are for them when they are competing, and it can result in mental fatigue. It can take a psychological toll. So, it is very important that you understand from now that this will be a frequent language in sport.”
In addressing the instances that athletes may not take the situation seriously, Rose said that teamwork from coaches and support staff will be required to sensitising them to the conditions in which they will operate.
SELF diagnosis
“When they have a major injury that will take them away from the sport for a period of time, they will also try to diagnose themselves and say, ‘No, it’s not a big deal. It’s something minor’,” she said.
“It’s the same types of psychological reactions that would be playing out here, and it can be, and will be frustrating for coaches and other support staff to deal will individual reactions.
“How you fix this is going to be based on a team effort where everybody will have to [be] on board, and to ensure even if you don’t believe or you don’t understand that we actually still abide by the safety protocol and measures that will be in place and not take them for granted.”
Athletics, where the season is still experiencing delays, is among the sports that are awaiting clearance to return. More than 12 meets were postponed last month because of COVID-19 concerns, as well as 11 which were scheduled for this weekend because the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association received no correspondence from the Government as of Tuesday.
Rose says that specifically for the junior athletes who have had to endure a long hiatus, it is important for coaches to provide emotional support and be cautious how their attitude can affect their charges.
“Safety first is the mantra that we should be pushing, as well as patience,” she said. “We can transmit negative energy to children and to the people that you work with. So psychologically, it’s important to be aware of how you are feeling.”