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Theres definitely a stigma about counseling and what (psychologists) do, said Megan Brent, PhD., a sports psychologist at The University of Kansas. “But this field is a valuable resource for student-athletes. Youre going to see more schools hiring sports psychologists.
Kansas is one of just a handful of schools across the country with a full-time sports psychologist on staff. But if you think counseling is a service the student-athletes dont need or utilize, consider Brent’s schedule when contacted Tuesday.
It was a hectic day, she said. I met with seven clients today.

So why would a student-athlete need counseling? Is it that difficult having a scholarship and getting all that attention? You bet it is.

“People dont realize the pressure those kids are under, said Daniel Wann, a KU graduate and currently a professor and sports psychology expert at Murray State. Youve got to realize those are 18- and 19-year-old kids who have a lot of responsibilities. Its really pretty amazing what they go through.

Perhaps no student-athlete at Kansas faces more pressure than the mens basketball players. It doesnt get any more high-profile than playing before a full house every other night for five months, not to mention the glaring spotlight of the NCAA Tournament.

Using relaxation techniques is important. That helps a great deal, said Brent, a Rochester, N.Y., native who worked at Cincinnati before coming to Kansas, completed a pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at Kansas State and graduated from Ohio State.

“The messages we send ourselves are powerful,Brent added. Imagery is a really good tool to use. Anything to try to get them imagining themselves performing at their best

Think that sounds a little, um, crazy? If that the case, count the players on most NBA teams, along with the likes of golfer Ernie Els, future Hall of Fame baseball player John Smoltz and Kansas City Royals 2006 first-round draft pick Luke Hochevar as insane in the brain.

You be surprised by the number of athletes we help, said Dr. John F. Murray, arguably the most famous sports psychologist in the world. What we try to help them do is just go out there and play and not think about the other things.

Ernie W. Webb III, who wrote this column partly to reference the early 1990s rap tune Insane in the Brain,by Cypress Hill.

Had he done that at a Planet Fitness gym – which has a posted no-grunting policy – he probably would’ve been told to stop. And if he didn’t comply, he might have been shown the door.

Recently, police escorted Albert Argibay, 40, of Beacon, N.Y., out of the Planet Fitness in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. The manager contended that Argibay grunted while working out, then argued after she gave him a warning, according to an Associated Press report. Argibay said that whether he grunted or not is subject to interpretation.

As you might guess, the incident has sparked a debate among gym enthusiasts and bodybuilders. Some say grunting is unnecessary and obnoxious. Others say grunting comes with the territory for lifting heavy weights and occurs commonly in other physical activities such as martial arts and tennis. (The list of tennis grunters keeps growing: Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova, Venus and Serena Williams, Andre Agassi, and of course, Monica Seles).

In gyms, there are two reasons people grunt, says Belisa Vranich, sports psychologist for the Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute in New York.

“Some people grunt to give others the impression that (the grunters) are doing a lot of work. It’s just like flexing and strutting, trying to attract attention,” she says.

“The other reason is a more physical one – they’re not breathing properly. In order to grunt, they have to hold their breath and exhale forcefully.”

Some people grunt to try to emphasize or regulate their breathing, says John Murray, a sports psychologist in Palm Beach, Fla. What they really should be doing is trying to relax instead of holding their breath, he adds.

That’s not to say that competitive weight lifters are grunting for nothing. “They’re allowed to grunt,” Vranich says. “It’s a means to regulate their breathing.”

But the average gym rat doesn’t need to make noise. “If you have to make noise, you’re trying to lift more than you can,” she adds.

Sometimes, grunts can sound like something people make in the privacy of their bedrooms – or bathrooms – so the sounds can be off-putting, Vranich says.

Grunting is acceptable in some athletic arenas but verboten in health clubs because “the gym setting is more than just a place for an athletic event,” Murray says. “It’s a social gathering place.”

Murray calls the gym “a 21st-century bar,” where you sidle up for a post-workout smoothie instead of a beer. “You wouldn’t grunt in a coffee shop.” (Unless you’re Meg Ryan making a point to Billy Crystal). “Some etiquette standards have been established to make the gym a comfortable place for the majority of people,” he says.

Although most clubs don’t enforce the no-grunting rule, getting along with others at the gym means putting the lid on personal noises, Vranich says.

Know the rules of the club about noise. They’re often posted.

Look around you first, Vranich suggests. See what everybody else is doing.

And take your cues to make noise from there.

Lisa Liddane is an American Council on Exercise-certified group fitness instructor.

Dr. Murray Conducting Mental Training Program at the Equelite Juan Carlos Ferrero Tennis Academy in Egypt

–>PRWEB News Release with .pdf file and images