Nicole Detling Miller, PhD, graduate of and visiting assistant professor in exercise and sport science at the University of Utah, is one of four mental coaches鈥攖hose trained in the psychosocial aspects of sport鈥攚ho will accompany U.S. teams to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Miller is working with the US Speedskating team, which trains at the Utah Olympic Oval, which was built for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, and where Miller frequently observes and works with team members.
鈥淢ental coach is more descriptive of what we do than the term 鈥榮port psychologist鈥�,鈥� said Miller, who will be in Vancouver BC and continue working with the team from February 5 to March 1.
鈥淚 like to say I鈥檓 not a shrink; I鈥檓 a stretch,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭hat is, I don鈥檛 counsel athletes about the source of any psychological problems. Rather, I give them tools to get beyond the unique pressures of elite competitions so they can physically perform at their peak.鈥�
Miller coaches both individuals and the team as a whole. She works to help them preserve the mental toughness that expands their physical abilities. She gives the athletes ways to gain composure and confidence, improve concentration and cope with the stress and anxiety that come from competing in this highly visible event.
鈥淭he Olympics are unique competitions, with levels of pressure and distraction that go well beyond other international events,鈥� she noted. 鈥淲e want the skaters to be able to 鈥榯oe the line鈥� in a calm and confident state, regardless of what else is going on around them.鈥�
When in Vancouver, skaters will be drawing on work done with Miller over the past two years. One of the most important goals is anxiety reduction, that is, recognizing and moderating the difference between tense and intense.
鈥淏reathing patterns, positive imagery, and confident statements all help athletes let go of unneeded physical tension and instead direct their energies intensely on the job at hand.
鈥淓ach athlete is different and puzzling out the best combination of techniques for each to compete at their best is very fulfilling and makes this job an absolute blast,鈥� Miller concluded.
Miller is also an athlete. She played basketball and ran track in college. During her senior year, she took a class in 鈥渕ental aspects of sport鈥� and found her passion overnight. She also learned that by changing her mental approach, she played better and stronger with a mental toughness that improved her own athletic performance. She knew from that experience that she could help others do the same.
In addition to teaching, her practice includes athletes ranging from professional skiers, high school athletes, pro golfers, major league baseball players, mountain bikers to Irish dancers.
She came to the University of Utah in 2000 to study with Keith Henschen, 鈥渙ne of the best in the field,鈥� according to Miller. Henschen, who recently retired from the U, is also going to Vancouver to similarly coach the US men鈥檚 alpine team.
Miller will be posting her experiences and observations from the Olympics on the University of Utah鈥檚 blog, RedThread ().
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