ATHLETICS

BOBBY MITCHELL, Football Hall of Famer, July 8, 2003
CZIKOWSKY: It is good to see your contributions towards the community. I fear the public, especially our young, are becoming disillusioned with athletes. Ever since athletes began refusing to admit they are role models when, whether they like it or not, they are, it seems the young have fewer role models to follow. They see athletes cheating at their sport, using performance enhancement drugs, and getting arrested. What do you believe people in the sports industry need to do to restore respect from the public?
MITCHELL: This is a real problem in all of our sports but these problems start long before they enter professional sports. These corrections have to be made with these young men at a very young age. It isn’t realistic for a young man who hasn’t had anything to all of a sudden have thousands of dollars in their pockets. He is no different from CEOs and politicians who become greedy. I think the complaints should be leveled at our lower schools where all of this starts. I have been fighting this for years and it doesn’t get any easier.

JIM LOEHR, LGE Performance Systems Senior Partner, March 24, 2004
CZIKOWSKY: Athletes call it being “in the zone”. I understand the feeling: there are times when I can shoot a basketball or hit a baseball and know correctly before the shot or swing is over that the basket will sink or the ball will travel far. My questions: Is the “in the zone” feeling real or a myth? To me, it seems real. If it is real, what allows the mind to get “in the zone”? Why can’t the mind stay “in the zone” at all times, at least during competition? Finally, if being “in the zone” enhances competitive advantages, can it be used in daily life, i.e. get “in the zone” to overcome ailments or to solve problems?
LOEHR: The zone is real. This simply refers to those special moments when the full measure of your talent and skill can be effortlessly expressed. These moments are truly special. The goal of sports psychology is to bring this process under more direct control. One never achieves total control of this elusive magical state but the right training can give you more access when it matters, regardless of the conditions you face.