guidelines for dealing with players with substantial throwing problems. These
guidelines are:
· Establish rapport and trust with the player about how you and he can
work together. Without this, the assistance will not be that effective.
· Decide with the player who else will be involved as part of his support
team in clarifying and resolving the problem.
· Have a player take a break from throwing for at least for 3 to 5
days before the performance resolution work begins with him about his
throwing, just in case there he has been fatigued or otherwise drained.
· Teach the player how to keep his mind in the moment and on the
process of playing the game.
· Instruct him in deep breathing and in recognizing when he when he is
relaxed and tense and when he is not.
· Have the player practice delivering the ball in a step by step, noncompetitive setting on a back field in conjunction if at all possible with
his positon coach.
· Progress from the back field to game simulations. These need to be
organized and purposeful, depending on the position of the player.
· When progress is made by the player in simulated game situations, have
the player then return to play in competitive situations.
· Have him maintain a journal of what he is doing when he is performing
well throughout the performance resolution work.
· Most importantly, throughout all of the above, instruct the player how to
focus on the process of playing the game, not on results (the accuracy of
the throw).
Q: What is the biggest hurdle(s) in overcoming Yips?
A: Self-consciousness on the part of the player and worrying about what others
think of him.
Q: How can a coach help/ support a player who has the Yips?
A: By not using the term, yips, and by working in a collaborative way with the
professionals who are assisting the player.
Q: How can teammates and family help/ support the affected player?
A: By looking for the “small daily wins” that the player is accomplishing and also by
supporting him emotionally about what he is going through and, most importantly,
treating him as a person.
Q: Where would someone start looking if they wanted to get help?
A: The athletic trainer who is likely to have access to psychological resources in the
community and a sport psychologist who is licensed to practice psychology and who
is also certified as a sport psychology consultant by the Association of Applied Sport
Psychology.
Q: What advice would you give to any player who knows or feels they have
an issue?
A: Speak in confidence about his thoughts and feelings to the individual with whom
he trusts whether this is his position coach, manger, athletic trainer, guidance