Naperville Clinical Services Helps Athletes and Teams Improve Scores, Times

Naperville, IL, March 19, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Sometimes a coach’s halftime pep talk isn’t enough. And a personal trainer shouting clichéd inspirational slogans at you doesn’t always work, either. The truth is, even the most accomplished athletes can often fall short of their aspirations to succeed on any given day due to mental roadblocks, performance anxiety, self-doubt or a case of the nerves.

That’s when an expert can work wonders. Not just a run-of-the-mill motivational speaker, that is, but a skilled psychologist who’s trained to help athletes pinpoint exactly what is distracting them and develop a winning strategy to stay on target and meet or exceed goals—whether it’s on the field, court, track, rink or otherwise.

One such professional is Adrienne Skinner, Psy.D., a licensed clinical psychologist with Naperville Clinical Services—a group practice in Naperville dedicated to providing high quality therapy to individuals, couples and families throughout the western suburbs. Ask her and she’ll tell you that even the best of the best can underperform due to psychological barriers that can become a nagging preoccupation.

“It’s easy for us to fall into that negative spiral of worry, loss of concentration and lack of confidence in any facet of life—be it on the job, at home, at school or among friends or family. But imagine the extra pressure that comes with needing to perform in a sport where you may not get a second chance to execute properly and where your every move may be watched by spectators and endlessly scrutinized by others,” Dr. Skinner said. “When you really think about it, it’s a tremendous challenge for many athletes.”

Indeed, ensuring that you’re physically capable of performing and avoiding injury are only two hurdles that athletes have to clear. The toughest hurdle of them all may just be their own minds, which can commonly get sidetracked by distracting stimuli, niggling misgivings and uncertainties, and fears of disappointing mentors, peers and loved ones—especially on the day of an important game or competition.

There are two main types of performance-related anxieties that often plague athletes, Dr. Skinner noted: cognitive-related anxieties such as worries about not living up to expectations, and somatic-related anxieties that manifest themselves via overwhelming emotions and tense, nervous feelings.

Case in point on the former: Dr. Skinner was recently asked to assist a male gymnast. The high school junior could execute his floor event routines perfectly on the practice mat, but when it came time to competing at a gymnastic event, he would lose focus and quickly fail.

“I had him fill out an assessment questionnaire and talk to me about the problem. It wasn’t long before we determined exactly what was diverting his attention and causing him to perform poorly,” said Dr. Skinner. “His problem was that if he made the slightest mistake, he would dwell on that fault, think negatively about himself and lose his poise and composure, preventing him from finishing his routine the best he could. It was a problem that would quickly snowball out of control for him, leading to him skipping steps in his routine, landing improperly and so on.”

Dr. Skinner worked closely with her client in therapy sessions, during which he learned to improve his mental discipline and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. She calls this practice “mental skills athletic training” among her patients; her professional peers know it better as cognitive behavioral therapy in a sports psychology context.

“We practiced imaging and visualization techniques that would silence the mental chatter of ‘I screwed up’ and ‘I’m not going to do well for the rest of the meet.’ The gymnast learned to mentally talk to himself in a positive, encouraging manner. This helped him maintain concentration throughout his floor exercises,” said Dr. Skinner, who is an active sports enthusiast herself as a marathoner, triathlete and endurance sports athlete.

After four sessions with Dr. Skinner, he went on to exceed his expectations at his next interstate meet, making himself and his family proud.

“It’s important for athletes who are having troubles like this example to prioritize the issues, stay centered on their goals and reframe any unproductive thoughts. But it takes practice, repetition and commitment,” she said. “Athletes can be a proud sort, but there’s nothing wrong in admitting you need help and asking for it. It’s not an admission of failure or a sign of weakness.”

Dr. Skinner works with teams as well as individuals and can treat athletes as young as six and as old as senior citizens. She’s helped all manner of performers get out of their funks, from softball players and wrestlers to triathletes and swimmers. While much of the work is done in private session, part of Dr. Skinner’s job is to also attend practices and competitions and consult with coaches and trainers to identify problem areas.

For more information about the practice’s sports performance services or to make an appointment with Dr. Adrienne Skinner, phone (630) 409-9700. To learn more about Naperville Clinical Services, located conveniently next to Neuqua Valley High School, at 2272 W. 95th St., Suite 115, Naperville, Ill. 60564, visit www.NapervilleClinicalServices.com.

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