The Baseball Observer Nov-Dec 2015 vol 5 | Page 30

7. What are the circumstances that can undermine a player’s composure?

Composure has to do with how a player uses their emotions to remain poised and focused, not only on or off the field. A player is likely to lose their composure when they are faced with the following kinds of circumstances:

• They have not prepared for game competition and, thus, when their

performance is not proceeding as expected. With lack of or limited

preparation, the player can get frustrated and even angry, sometimes with

other people, such as teammates.

• They are paying attention to outcomes and their personal performance

statistics.

• They are overly-concerned about what other people, especially people over

which they have not control (e.g., media) have to say about them.

• When they do not think about the consequences of their actions such as not

considering the off the field places which they frequent or attend.

• When they associate with people who could have a negative or damaging

influence on them

• If they use substances that are either banned or that can place the player at

personal risk---such as alcohol, drugs of abuse, and performing enhancing

substances.

• If they do not have a plan for managing their emotions such as the methods

that I have discussed in previous questions above.

8. What can a teammate do if that teammate sees another player lose control of their emotions?

This will depend largely on the teammate and their prior relationship with the player in question. The teammate who observes a player who has lost control of their emotions can do a number of things.

However, what the player does should depend on their relationship with the player.

Here are some things that can be helpful:

1.Ask the player if he wants to talk about the situation, either in the

clubhouse after the game or the next day

2.Let the player know that, despite the situation, the player is part of the

team.

3.If there the player is in the process of losing control of their emotions in

the moment, the teammate could step between the player and the

situation or even pull the player away from the situation as dictated by the

immediacy of the situation.

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