Head Games: Sport Psychology Integral to Student-Athlete Experience

Recently, the NCAA has put an emphasis on the mental health of student-athletes everywhere. At James Madison University, sports psychologist, Dr. Bob Harmison, continues to supplement the NCAA's objectives by providing support for all of the Dukes.

Dr. Bob, as student-athletes affectionately call him, has been working as the director of sports psychology at JMU for eight years. In order to facilitate the overall improvement of student-athlete mental health, he is part of a team run by Tom Kuster, the assistant A.D. for sports medicine. This team also involves Dr. Diduch, the student-athlete physician, a dietitian and another colleague from the clinical psychology department.

"In that regard, we all work to address mental health concerns as they arise and help get students to the right resources on campus," said Harmison, who was named a fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology at the organization's annual conference in October.

One athlete in particular, former lacrosse standout, Ali Curwin, a forward for the Dukes from 2012-2015, knew she had some weaknesses in her mental game and began seeing Dr. Bob in her freshman year. "I was struggling with some self-confidence. My coaches knew that I had it in me, but I didn't see it for myself yet," Curwin said.

After seeing Dr. Bob for the first time, he instructed her to keep a journal, noting one good thing she did every day. This strategy is just one of the many methods he provides athletes to help shape their own competitive psychology.

One of the key components Dr. Bob addresses in many student-athletes is the ability to be mentally and emotionally ready to compete. "There is an ideal mental and emotional state that each athlete has that allows them to perform their best," Harmison said.

This ideal mindset often involves a combination of motivation, confidence, aggressiveness and even negative emotions including fear, anxiety and worry. "Anxiety and fear are part of it and that's energy your body can use if you know how to channel it," said Harmison.

About halfway through Curwin's first season as a Duke, the senior captain in her position, Annie Brophy (Class of 2012), suffered an injury, forcing Curwin to take Brophy's place. With Dr. Bob's training, though, she was ready.

Curwin said, "I had to step in and play more than I was. Meeting with [Dr. Bob] for all that time helped me be confident and ready to step up into that position when the time came." Following that game, Curwin's self-confidence issues dissolved almost completely.

In addition to helping individuals with personal issues, Dr. Bob provides counseling services for teams as well. While every sport has its own unique set of psychological challenges, Harmison recognizes the individuality of each athlete and team.

"We try to figure out what they are like when they're at the best, what they're thinking and feeling. But once they know that, they can go about in their competition trying to create those feelings, as opposed to hoping they feel a certain way when the ball goes up or the whistle blows. Once we identify those emotions, then we go about developing strategies to create those ideal feelings," Harmison said.

The lacrosse team, for example, meets with Dr. Bob three to four times each year to help work out the kinks in its mental game. "He has the captains come up with the mission statement, asking us what matters and what's most important," Curwin said. "He was the one who brought that out in us, helping to get us wrap our minds around working hard every day and what that looks like."

One of the more difficult challenges Dr. Bob faces is trying to convince some athletes that they need help. "In one way, as an athlete you're trained to take care of things, to solve problems and rely on yourself," Harmison said. "So sometimes what can happen is over time athletes think they have to figure it out on their own, whether it's a physical thing, a mental thing or an emotional thing. Reaching out to get help from coaches, trainers, and sports psychologists often isn't the easiest thing to do."

Once a student-athlete recognizes their need for assistance, though, Dr. Bob is always available and happy to help.

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