Bio Sketch --- Charles A. Maher, PsyD, CC-AASP is Sport and Performance Psychologist and Director of Personal and Organizational Performance for the Cleveland Indians. He has been with the Indians for 20 years and he has been involved in sport and performance psychology for 30 years. He also has served as a sport psychologist during this time for a range of professional teams, beyond the Indians, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, Chicago White Sox, New York Jets, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and San Antonio Spurs as well as with tennis players, boxers, and other elite athletes. He is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Rutgers University where he serves as a consultant to the Department of Sports Medicine as well as to the Rutgers football and men’s and women’s basketball teams. He is a licensed psychologist and has authored many books and journal articles. His most recent baseball book is The Complete Mental Game: Taking Charge of the Process, On and Off the Field. He has had numerous professional experiences in helping to clarify substantial
throwing problems and resolving these problems with baseball players and other athletes and furthermore, he also has worked over the years with government agencies and private corporations, worldwide. He also has been a high school baseball coach, a high school and college basketball coach, as well as a special education teacher and special services director in public schools.
FEATURED ARTICLE
31
9. How can a player manage conflict with coaches and with teammates?
The task of dealing with disagreements of opinion and being at odds with coaches and teammates always is a challenging and emotional task.
Whenever situations of this nature arise, the player can be advised to consider the following guidelines:
• Pinpoint the problem or disagreement so that the focus is on the behaviors
or opinions in question, not on the other person and their personality.
• Discuss the problem or disagreement with the coach or teammate in a one
to one meeting, rather than in front of others who are part of the team.
• Work with the coach or teammate to find a solution to the problem or
situation, in collaboration with them, rather than trying to force a solution
on them, which could just heighten the problem. This may include bringing
in another individual, such as a coach, to facilitate the discussion.
• By all means, remain calm and under emotional control in dealing with the
conflict situation.
10. Where does self-development of the player fit into being a good teammate?
The development of a baseball player needs to encompass the physical, mental, and fundamental domains. In this regard, a player must take responsibility for their development, to be their own best coach, so to speak.
Among the many areas for mental self-development of the player, being a good teammate is a most important one. If the player is a good teammate, he adds value to himself and his team. In contrast, if he is not a good teammate, then he may very well undermine his chances of making positive impressions on others such as college and professional scouts.
In the development of himself to be a good teammate, the player can work on the following 3Rs. These are:
• Role--- Learn how to assume the role on the team to which the player has
been assigned, while striving to get better as a player and as a person.
• Responsibilities--- Learn how to follow through on the responsibilities for
being a consistent, quality contributor to the team. These responsibilities
include; (a) getting ready to compete, through the use of purposeful
routines; (b) expecting to compete, pitch to pitch, by staying in the moment
and focusing on the task at hand; and (c) being an accurate self-evaluator of
performance. (See Dr. Maher's article on "Being An Accurate Self-Evaluator"
in the June 2015 issue)
• Relationships--- Learn how to interact in a positive and enthusiastic manner
with coaches, players, and support staff.