Mitch Plemmons
Clinical Health and Sport Psychologist located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
@MitchPlemmons
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As discussed in my previous article (ACT on the Gridiron: A New Approach to Sport Performance Enhancement in Football), my next few posts will be dedicated to illustrating the six core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999) using real-world examples from the sport that...
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Summer is winding down over here in the States. Temperatures are cooling down, and leaves will soon begin changing colors. Fall is approaching, which means one thing in the U.S.: football season is upon us. Months of two-a-day practices in the summer heat and hours of meetings have prepared thousands...
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In my last article, I introduced the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment Approach to sport performance enhancement, as developed by Gardner and Moore (2004). I briefly outlined the structure of the MAC program, noting that it typically consists of seven weekly sessions. The purpose of the present article is to describe the sessions of...
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Frank Gardner and Zella Moore (2001) developed the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach to sport performance enhancement in a response to the absence of research supporting traditional psychological skills training (PST) techniques such as goal setting, imagery, self-talk, and arousal control. The MAC approach is comprised of a combination of mindfulness exercises...
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999) is a treatment approach that views experiential avoidance, inflexible attentional processes and reduced attempts to pursue valued behaviors as the sources of psychological dysfunction. These issues result in what is known as psychological inflexibility, or the inability to change one’s...
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The penalty kick is widely considered the most anxiety-provoking situation in all of football. Whether it be a schoolyard match at the local grade school or the final of the World Cup, the pressure on the goalkeeper or the shooter can cause players to second-guess their abilities, shatter their confidence,...
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999) is a form of behavior therapy that incorporates the concepts of mindfulness, acceptance of thoughts and emotions and values-driven behavior into traditional behavioral change principles. From an ACT perspective, psychological dysfunction is primarily the result of the tendency to misapply...
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Often, we make the excuse that if we were “motivated enough” to go to the gym to lift weights, shoot extra free throws after practice, or run that extra mile on the track, we could achieve our goals of being a better athlete or achieve a greater level of fitness....
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“Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.” “Don’t feel bad about it.” “Stop thinking that!” How often do we find ourselves making these comments to ourselves or others? In today’s world, we have defined being happy as “feeling good.” We strive to do everything in our power to maintain an optimal level...
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Imagine yourself walking up to the tee box on the 18th hole of the PGA Championship. You are leading the field, and simply have to make par to win the trophy. However, you are only up one stroke on your competition, and you must make the perfect tee shot to...