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.
9. What are some of the characteristics of players who are emotionally responsible?
From my psychological test data base as well as my experiences in working with baseball players over a thirty year period, here are some very important psychological traits:
• The player is an effective separator. They can keep their performance
separate from themselves as a person. These kinds of players tend to have
very good self-esteem.
• The player is very proficient at taking charge of the process of playing the
game. They have an effective approach in preparing for game; they have a
good routine for staying in the moment pitch to pitch; and they recognize
that there are ups and downs to playing the game.
• The player respects the game. They recognize that the game of baseball is
much bigger than they are and they are committed to playing it the right
way.
• The player is resilient. They are able to let the last pitch, inning, or game
go; learn from that experience; and move onto the next task.
• The player is above average in rule consciousness and self-discipline.
• They player is patient and not impulsive or expedient.
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