On this episode of Smart Coaching, host Keith Grabowski and University of Denver sport coaching professors, Dr. Brian Gearity and Dr. Clayton Kuklick dig into a very relevant topic, the midseason slump. Most programs are at the midseason point. Regardless of where a team is in the standings, they must be cautious of morale wavering during a long season. Slumps are natural, and the professors point out what can factor into those slumps and how to properly identify slump-like behavior, as well as tips and strategies to avoid them or pull out of them.

Show Notes

01:00 Where can we slump

02:25 Academic idea of slumps

02:50 Definition of a slump

04:40 Are there triggers for a slump?

04:50 Arousal

05:45 Different causes of slump

07:10 Practical ways to prevent slumps

08:10 Visualization and self-talk

09:12 Identify the cause

11:40 Involve experts

13:00 Hidden causes

14:00 Involve the team and look outside your team

15:20 Team cohesion affecting slumps

15:35 Planning

16:40 Keep working the plan

17:06 Doing things regularly and constantly

21:45 Keith talks about a restart

22:40 Refocusing

24:15 Start with focus on the process

26:15 Final thoughts

27:02 Enjoying the process

28:10 Athlete performance variations

 

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