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Blog Article: Why Mindfulness Training Can Help Save The Knicks, Includes interview with Art Rondeau
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CrushAlot
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10/17/2014  7:10 PM

Why Mindfulness Training Can Help Save The Knicks

by Richard Bertin 20h ago


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You won’t find Phil Jackson’s latest signing listed in the league transaction wire, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be the most significant addition to the Knicks in years.

Early this week Ian Begley reported that Phil has brought on a mindfulness trainer to help the team improve their mental strength. Trust me, you aren’t alone if you aren’t sure what this means for the Knicks. Mindfulness is a topic that has been getting a lot of attention these past few years in spiritual, self-improvement, and motivation themed circles (Amazon has over 9,000 books listed under the genre of Mindfulness alone!); but it’s a concept that’s also finding its way into sports. Some may scoff at this and disregard it as some kind of frivolous parlor trick by the “Zen Master” to conjure up positive vibes, but it’s truly an area the Knicks can benefit from.

One of the Knicks greatest unquantifiable flaws that never show up in box scores and team statistics is their collective mental weakness. Recall for a moment last season’s constant blown leads that occurred seemingly every time their opponent made a run. You remember the script right? Here’s a refresher: Knicks take a double-digit lead late into the game, make a boneheaded play, other team scores, on next possession Knick player makes turnover and yells at ref for non-call while crowd starts to erupt, other team then scores easily on a fast break while said Knicks player is still arguing with ref; rinse repeat and before you know it, a 10-plus lead disintegrated into a bad loss where the entire team is pointing fingers and looks as if it just got rolled over by a freight train in the locker room; and…scene.

At its core, mindfulness is really about living in the present moment and not allowing previous occurrences (like taking a really bad shot for example) and possible future outcomes (fear of missing the next shot) cloud their heads and ultimately detract from the performance they are capable of like it did in the scenario above. It’s a meditative exercise that lends itself naturally to athletes that struggle containing the overwhelming stimuli that takes place during the course of a game. Fear of making another turnover, hearing jeers from the crowd, continuing a losing streak, bad season statistics, and being trashed on social media are just a few of the things that can prop up in a player’s mind during the game and contribute to poor play. In all those examples they are events that either already happened or are on the verge of happening. Mindfulness helps players learn to clear the negative thoughts that forms in their head during games and return themselves to the present moment and back to the task at hand: having fun & winning.

There is even some data that might help support this. Back in 2009, researchers from the French Institute of Sports published a study that compared the effects of a few months of mindfulness training in a group of young golfers to a control group that didn’t. The group that underwent the mindfulness training all enhanced their national ranking, while the control group only had 2 golfers that did. More recent research from Dr. Michael Duncan of Coventry University revealed findings that also showed how damaging cognitive anxieties could be to athletes. This would make it seem that while advances in medical treatment and statistical analytics continue to be a more important part of how teams evaluate players, mental training should also be something that progressive teams invest in.

If you still aren’t buying any of this, then take the word of a professional instead of mine. I asked Peak Performance Coach Art Rondeau, whom astute Knicks fans may remember working with Allan Houston back in 1999 and helping him reach career best marks, what he thought of the concept of mindfulness training. Art has worked with professional athletes in a variety of sports to break players out of slumps. Mindfulness training is a bit different than what Art does but in his words “is in the same church but different pews” so his thoughts here certainly hold weight.

How would you describe mindfulness training for athletes?

Art Rondeau: This is most likely done using techniques to help the players reduce the distractions around them (like fans cheering or booing) and to focus on “now” and not what happened minutes ago or days ago and not what will happen minutes from now or days from now. Being in “now” reduces stress and increases awareness on the task at hand, allowing the athlete to perform better.

But what exactly does mindfulness training consist of?

AR: Some techniques have a player focus on a word or phrase which they repeat, mentally, over and over. This can be a “mantra”, a word or phrase with religious or spiritual significance, or just a word like “one” which Dr. Herbert Benson recommended in his book The Relaxation Response and which takes any religious significance out of the word or phrase. Focusing on the word or phrase while the mind is trying to get the athlete to focus on the crowd or on the fact that he gets fouled a lot and they don’t always get called and that shows the ref doesn’t respect him, etc. etc., which would pull him out of “now” and into fear or anger or whatever, increases his ability to succeed at the task at hand.

So how can mindfulness training help in a rapid moving sport like basketball?

AR: Although they may have developed techniques to help the player while the game is at full speed, it seems to me that the best times for mindfulness’ effectiveness are before the game, when the athlete can put everything else out of his mind and focus on the game he’s about to play, and during stopped time, when the conscious mind may start “self talk” that could otherwise hurt the athlete’s performance. Using a free throw as an example, a shot which would normally take a fraction of a second to take from the time the athlete caught the ball to the time of release instead takes 10-20 seconds while everyone sets up and the player goes through his pre-shot ritual. Having practiced mindfulness techniques, the player will reduce or eliminate the impact of what he sees and hears and will focus on this free throw and not all the ones he’s missed before.

Should mindfulness training be taken more seriously when it comes to professional sports?

AR: Our culture is behind other cultures when it comes to recognizing the impact that the mind has on the body. We only tend to recognize it when something has gone “wrong” and a player “chokes” in certain circumstances. We don’t acknowledge how much impact the mind working “well” had when the athlete was at his best. Mindfulness is an important part of mind/body activities like martial arts, where we see amazing examples of old, small, superbly trained men and women defeat much larger and stronger opponents. Bringing the answer into the present situation, Phil Jackson has won 11 NBA Championships as a coach and he says that mindfulness played a part in winning them. That, alone, is reason enough for the Knicks players to make a serious effort to incorporate mindfulness into their athletic “toolboxes.”

Phil Jackson is commonly thought of as pedant to his triangle system, sometimes pejoratively, but as Art mentions, his 11 rings gives him the authority to determine whatever measures he wants to turn the Knicks back into a winning franchise. If mindfulness training is one of them, then I say we should embrace it. Last year a common refrain about the Knicks was that often times they were their own worst enemies, so in that vein I really do believe that a dedicated effort to improving their collective mental strength is something that will help them this year and the years after that.

Changing the culture of a team can require taking drastic and unorthodox methods to do so. As Knick fans know, not every fix comes down to cap space, trades, and free agents. Sometimes the most lasting and meaningful changes simply come from within, and that’s what Phil Jackson is already trying to teach to the Knicks.

Follow Richard Bertin on Twitter and check out his Knicks’ blog: “Starks Raving Mad”

Follow and Like Buckets Over Broadway on Twitter and Facebook.


http://dailyknicks.com/2014/10/16/mindfulness-training-can-actually-help-knicks/
I'm tired,I'm tired, I'm so tired right now......Kristaps Porzingis 1/3/18
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BasketballJones
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10/18/2014  1:34 PM
I wonder what Melo's mantra will be....
https:// It's not so hard.
nixluva
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10/18/2014  2:12 PM
I think the Knick fan base has a TON of pessimistic and self hating fans. They read something like this and immediately they poo poo it. WHY? Just cuz it's the Knicks so it can't be successful. I'm glad that Phil is taking a holistic approach to fixing this franchise. So much for Phil mailing it in. So far all I see is Phil changing every aspect of how this team is prepared to win games. If he feels this can help then so be it. I couldn't care less what some jaded Knick fan or media guy thinks about it. Phil is the one that matters most in regard to this team.
franco12
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10/18/2014  2:28 PM
I think this can be an immense help to our team because our biggest challenges have been bb IQ and focus.

Improve focus, put in a smart system like the triangle, and I think the results will improve over what we saw last year - and actually get closer to where this team was during our 50 win season.

knickscity
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10/18/2014  2:31 PM
nixluva wrote:I think the Knick fan base has a TON of pessimistic and self hating fans. They read something like this and immediately they poo poo it. WHY? Just cuz it's the Knicks so it can't be successful. I'm glad that Phil is taking a holistic approach to fixing this franchise. So much for Phil mailing it in. So far all I see is Phil changing every aspect of how this team is prepared to win games. If he feels this can help then so be it. I couldn't care less what some jaded Knick fan or media guy thinks about it. Phil is the one that matters most in regard to this team.

Your focus is clearly in the wrong place. For someone who claims they dont care what the naysayers think, you sure comment on them alot.

Even in a thread where no one complaining.

as far as the thread goes, I have no issue with Phil's injection of they way he operates.

But all i care for is what I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games.

93BUICK
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10/18/2014  2:39 PM
BasketballJones wrote:I wonder what Melo's mantra will be....

lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

If you are still following the team and reading sites like this, there is nothing, short of your own demise, that is going to throw you off this train.
nixluva
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10/18/2014  7:17 PM    LAST EDITED: 10/18/2014  7:18 PM
knickscity wrote:
nixluva wrote:I think the Knick fan base has a TON of pessimistic and self hating fans. They read something like this and immediately they poo poo it. WHY? Just cuz it's the Knicks so it can't be successful. I'm glad that Phil is taking a holistic approach to fixing this franchise. So much for Phil mailing it in. So far all I see is Phil changing every aspect of how this team is prepared to win games. If he feels this can help then so be it. I couldn't care less what some jaded Knick fan or media guy thinks about it. Phil is the one that matters most in regard to this team.

Your focus is clearly in the wrong place. For someone who claims they dont care what the naysayers think, you sure comment on them alot.

Even in a thread where no one complaining.

as far as the thread goes, I have no issue with Phil's injection of they way he operates.

But all i care for is what I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games.


Nothing wrong with my focus at all. I'm commenting on the general take of some fans like YOU and some in the Media. Doesn't matter if there weren't a lot of comments yet in this thread. They know who they are and if it hurt then it must be you I was talking about.

You should care about all the ways Phil is trying to change this team for the better. All this passive aggressive stuff you say about "I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games" is silly. Yes we all want wins but it's a process that goes deeper than wins. We won 54 games and that didn't really lead to anything. It matters how your team is winning in that you don't want a fluke situation. You want long term success and that's why it matters what Phil is doing. This is what I don't like about your take on things. There's a nastiness to it and it's not very comprehensive or insightful. Details matter!!! You think all this talk about changing culture is nonsense? Phil is trying everything he knows to try and change this team for the better and not just grabbing big name players but going deeper into the culture of the team and the mental approach.

knickscity
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10/18/2014  7:23 PM
nixluva wrote:
knickscity wrote:
nixluva wrote:I think the Knick fan base has a TON of pessimistic and self hating fans. They read something like this and immediately they poo poo it. WHY? Just cuz it's the Knicks so it can't be successful. I'm glad that Phil is taking a holistic approach to fixing this franchise. So much for Phil mailing it in. So far all I see is Phil changing every aspect of how this team is prepared to win games. If he feels this can help then so be it. I couldn't care less what some jaded Knick fan or media guy thinks about it. Phil is the one that matters most in regard to this team.

Your focus is clearly in the wrong place. For someone who claims they dont care what the naysayers think, you sure comment on them alot.

Even in a thread where no one complaining.

as far as the thread goes, I have no issue with Phil's injection of they way he operates.

But all i care for is what I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games.


Nothing wrong with my focus at all. I'm commenting on the general take of some fans like YOU and some in the Media. Doesn't matter if there weren't a lot of comments yet in this thread. They know who they are and if it hurt then it must be you I was talking about.

You should care about all the ways Phil is trying to change this team for the better. All this passive aggressive stuff you say about "I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games" is silly. Yes we all want wins but it's a process that goes deeper than wins. We won 54 games and that didn't really lead to anything. It matters how your team is winning in that you don't want a fluke situation. You want long term success and that's why it matters what Phil is doing. This is what I don't like about your take on things. There's a nastiness to it and it's not very comprehensive or insightful. Details matter!!! You think all this talk about changing culture is nonsense? Phil is trying everything he knows to try and change this team for the better and not just grabbing big name players but going deeper into the culture of the team and the mental approach.


Nope, sorry, I only care about my team winning games....how they win is irrelevant as is who is on the team, the GM, coach or players.

You could be the GM and martin could be the president...win a title, I'm celebrating.

But I do find it silly to drag nonsense in a thread that has none.....thats makes YOU part of the issue you complain about.

nixluva
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10/18/2014  9:18 PM
knickscity wrote:
nixluva wrote:
knickscity wrote:
nixluva wrote:I think the Knick fan base has a TON of pessimistic and self hating fans. They read something like this and immediately they poo poo it. WHY? Just cuz it's the Knicks so it can't be successful. I'm glad that Phil is taking a holistic approach to fixing this franchise. So much for Phil mailing it in. So far all I see is Phil changing every aspect of how this team is prepared to win games. If he feels this can help then so be it. I couldn't care less what some jaded Knick fan or media guy thinks about it. Phil is the one that matters most in regard to this team.

Your focus is clearly in the wrong place. For someone who claims they dont care what the naysayers think, you sure comment on them alot.

Even in a thread where no one complaining.

as far as the thread goes, I have no issue with Phil's injection of they way he operates.

But all i care for is what I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games.


Nothing wrong with my focus at all. I'm commenting on the general take of some fans like YOU and some in the Media. Doesn't matter if there weren't a lot of comments yet in this thread. They know who they are and if it hurt then it must be you I was talking about.

You should care about all the ways Phil is trying to change this team for the better. All this passive aggressive stuff you say about "I'm looking for....my team winning basketball games" is silly. Yes we all want wins but it's a process that goes deeper than wins. We won 54 games and that didn't really lead to anything. It matters how your team is winning in that you don't want a fluke situation. You want long term success and that's why it matters what Phil is doing. This is what I don't like about your take on things. There's a nastiness to it and it's not very comprehensive or insightful. Details matter!!! You think all this talk about changing culture is nonsense? Phil is trying everything he knows to try and change this team for the better and not just grabbing big name players but going deeper into the culture of the team and the mental approach.


Nope, sorry, I only care about my team winning games....how they win is irrelevant as is who is on the team, the GM, coach or players.

You could be the GM and martin could be the president...win a title, I'm celebrating.

But I do find it silly to drag nonsense in a thread that has none.....thats makes YOU part of the issue you complain about.

I don't just view threads in a vacuum. There is an overarching set of views on the Knicks that impact everything. It's not off base to comment on prevailing attitudes. In the end I'm merely pointing out that it matters that Phil is taking EVERYTHING into consideration. This is how he's going to change this team from top to bottom.

CrushAlot
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10/19/2014  3:38 AM
TripleThreat wrote:
nixluva wrote:I think the Knick fan base has a TON of pessimistic and self hating fans. They read something like this and immediately they poo poo it. WHY? Just cuz it's the Knicks so it can't be successful. I'm glad that Phil is taking a holistic approach to fixing this franchise. So much for Phil mailing it in. So far all I see is Phil changing every aspect of how this team is prepared to win games. If he feels this can help then so be it. I couldn't care less what some jaded Knick fan or media guy thinks about it. Phil is the one that matters most in regard to this team.


Just reading the article, seems like a very politically correct way to infuse therapy into the sports world without the general "stigma" of therapy like concepts.

Tom Brady, of all people, saw a therapist in college and he has said it helped him a great deal to handle stress, limited opportunity, pressure, etc. I suspect it gets little press because of the stigma generally implied. ( it's just not very marketable for one of the NFL's Golden Boys to have needed that kind of help)

I think when you get a situation like DeMarcus Cousins, known as a classic knucklehead, who gets Team USA experience, and being around that kind of high level coaching and the cream of the crop of the players elite and playing for national pride ( on his end, not counting the greed on the other end for the structure of international play), you can see it has markedly changed him as a player and his desire to lead the Kings.

I think you can help a guy who has the potential to self motivate or lead but maybe didn't apply himself or didn't have the mentorship in place or some other opportunities. Though I still believe you can't fix stupid.

Ryan Leaf was an idiot. Nothing was going to help that guy. You could throw all the hired guns in the world at him and I think you'd still deal with a knucklehead.

Stephen Jackson was an idiot. I'm surprised no one checked him for guns each time he checked onto the basketball court. Not sure you could fix that kind of head case.

Justin Blackmon, if you take out the stone cold alcoholism claim out of it, is a blithering mess. Million dollar talent, ten cent head.

I think you can help a guy like Shumpert. Still young. Just needs some real leadership on a roster not really built to give it to him.

I don't think you can fix JR Smith.

I don't think this stuff is useless, but I don't think it's universally useful. Some players, just like some people, are just IMHO, idiots.

The Knicks as a franchise need to EARN back the goodwill of many of their loyal fans. Loyalty and goodwill are entirely different things. You can love a team and always love them and be loyal to your fandom without being ok with how a franchise is run and operated.

I like an episode of Rescue Me, where Denis Leary tells a female firefighter that she has to stop using her status as a female as an excuse above the questions of whether she's doing her job or not.

"Do the job the way it's supposed to be done and then you'll start to get called things you want to hear"

Zen Master is moving the team in a better direction ( won't say right direction yet) but still each situation needs to be proven on it's own merits, his past 11 rings can't carry him here. The Knicks franchise wants more optimism, then start doing things OVER TIME that breed optimism.

Agree. Nothing wrong with a global approach to improvement. Guys that don't get it probably aren't a part of the future.
I'm tired,I'm tired, I'm so tired right now......Kristaps Porzingis 1/3/18
Splat
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10/19/2014  4:24 AM
It's all good because you can't make a horse drink the water, you just bring them to the river and leave it up to them whether to hydrate or not.
I've got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!
arkrud
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10/19/2014  9:13 AM    LAST EDITED: 10/19/2014  9:13 AM
The present moment is inevitable.
If human cannot be in it, he/she is practically never lived real life.
Just sadness about the past and fantasies about the future...
Even if meditation will not help them to win, it will surely make them better people.
This alone is priceless and will be followed by winning. Granted.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet
IronWillGiroud
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10/20/2014  2:11 PM
there is only the now, the future is imagination of your mind, the past is memory mind creates,

only the now, all is one one is all,

The Will, check out the Official Home of Will's GameDay Art: http://tinyurl.com/thewillgameday
Splat
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10/20/2014  2:39 PM
IronWillGiroud wrote:there is only the now, the future is imagination of your mind, the past is memory mind creates,

only the now, all is one one is all,

Fan boy trade scenarios are illusory fictions. Surrender to the present. NOW!

I've got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell!
BasketballJones
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10/20/2014  10:59 PM
93BUICK wrote:
BasketballJones wrote:I wonder what Melo's mantra will be....

lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala

No, too long.

https:// It's not so hard.
Blog Article: Why Mindfulness Training Can Help Save The Knicks, Includes interview with Art Rondeau

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