Sports
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1985
University Daily Kansan
9
Steve Minate/KANSAN
Kansas sports psychologist David Cook relaxes in Allen Field House. Cook helps KU athletes reach their potential by understanding the mental aspect of stress, stressing confidence and self-perception.
In these days of high-pressure collegiate sports, there is still a sanctuary for Kansas athletes — the office of sports psychologist David Cook.
Confidence gets boost
By Heather Fritz
Of the Kansan sports staff
It is Cook's job to help athletes reach their potential by understanding the mental aspects of sport, stressing confidence and self-perception.
Cook said most of the pressure on athletes was self-pressure. He said that an athlete's ability to handle the pressure of collegiate athletics was based on how he viewed the world and his sport.
"Some people really tie their whole self-worth into sport," he said recently. "We try to separate those because sports is not going to last forever."
Cook said it was important to understand that the physical and mental aspects of sport work together.
"I want people to feel good about themselves. Just because they failed on the field doesn't mean they failed in life."
"For years, coaches have more or less emphasized the physical." Cook said. "One is not any more important than the other. We look at what are the effects of sport on people and how
1 " deal with people that are normal who are concerned with performance problems.
can we help people reach their potential.
Cook works out of the department of health, physical education and recreation, and also teaches classes in sports psychology.
He has an advantage over some sports psychologists because he actually competed in athletics. Cook won an athletic scholarship to Baylor University for golf, one of the most mentally demanding sports.
The techniques Cook teaches are mental rehearsal, positive imagery, team building and goal setting. To build confidence, he said, there are four more techniques.
Second is positive imagery -- athletes seeing themselves being successful. Third is goal setting and fourth is trust -- getting to the starting line and trusting yourself.
First is self-enhancing talk, he said. Much of the time when athletes talk to themselves during a game, the talk is negative. Cook said athletes needed to talk positively to themselves.
But Cook stresses that it takes work to build confidence.
"Some athletes want you to wave a magic wand and make them better."
he said. "The only magical answers are within yourself. A lot of people will kill themselves in the weight room, but when you try to get them to change the way they think in a pressure situation, it's hard. These are habits that take years to form."
Head swim coach Gary Kempf said Cook conducted seminars with the whole swim team, and athletes also went to Cook individually.
"David has definitely helped our team," he said. "I think the real success lies more in one on one — the individual thing."
Kempf said that sometimes an athlete would get to the starting block and be afraid he wouldn't succeed instead of anticipating the competition ahead.
"It's nice to go to an outside source and discuss the situation," he said.
"As a coaching staff, we can only do so much. You end up saying the same things over and over."
Williams, Ziegler to play Saturday
Sports psychology grew out of studying great coaches, Cook said. People such as former Green Bay Packer head coach Vince Lombardi and John Wooden, former UCLA head basketball coach, knew how to motivate athletes and were sports psychologists, but didn't call themselves that, Cook said.
The game will be televised locally on KMBC Channel 9 and KSNT Channel 27 as the Big Eight-Ravcom game of the week.
Bv a Kansan renorter
Despite a four game losing streak, Kansas can still finish with a better record than last season with a win against Missouri 11:40 a.m. Saturday in Memorial Stadium.
Head coach Mike Gottfried said yesterday that the Jayhawks would scrimmage all weir to get ready for the Tigers, who are 1-9 overall and 1-5 in the Big Eight. Kansas is 5-6 overall and 1-5 in the
conference. Last year Kansas finished with a 5-6 record.
"Sometimes you don't execute, but when you don't do it for four weeks in a row, it's unusual," Gottfried said.
Gottried said the lack of a running game and injuries had been the Jayhawks' main problems this season.
Tailback Lynn Williams, who has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, will play Saturday, Gottfred said. Free Safety Wayne Ziegler, who has injured the same knee twice and has been sideline since Oct. 19, will also return to the lineup.
Penn St. still No.1
United Press International
NEW YORK — Penn State, following its most impressive victory of the season, finished one vote shy of being a unanimous selection as college football's No. 1 team yesterday in the NFC division, voting by the UPI Board of Coaches.
Nebraska, which grabbed the other first-place vote, appeared on 42 ballots and did not receive a selection lower than third in remaining No. 2.
The Nittany Lions, who walloped Notre Dame 36-6 Saturday, received 41 of 42 first place votes and one second place vote for 629 points in remaining No. 1 for the third straight week.
The Cornhuskers play at Oklahoma Saturday. If the Sooners win and then beat Oklahoma State in their regular season finale, Oklahoma will go to the Orange Bowl.
UPI Top 20
First-place votes and records in parentheses,
toal points (based on 15 points for first place,
14 for second, and last week's ranking)
1. Penn State (41) (10)
2. Nebraska (11) (9)
3. Ohio State (8)
4. Iowa (9)
5. Miami (Fla) (8)
6. Michigan (8-1)
7. Oklahoma State (8-1)
8. UCLA (8-1)
9. Auburn (8-2)
10. Alabama (10-1)
11. Ohio State (8-2)
12. Florida State (8-2)
13. Georgia Young (9-2)
14. Baylor (8-2)
15. Tennessee (6-2)
16. Arkansas (8-2)
17. Louisiana State (6-2)
18. Texas A&M (7-2)
19. Texas (7-2)
20. Wisconsin (7-2)
Others receiving votes: Alabama, Army,
British Green, Presidential State, Maryland,
Maryland.
Note: By agreement with the American Football Coaches Association, teams on NCAA or竞赛 level must participate in a pep rally and a pep game in a bowl game are insible for the Top 20 and national championship consideration by the UPI Board of Coaches. The teams currently in that category are Florida and Southern Florida.
Theismann suffers open fracture
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Jay Schroeder, replacing injured Joe Theismann, threw a 14-yard touchdown to Clint Didier with 6:39 remaining last night after Washington's second successful onside kick, giving the Redskins a 23-21 victory over the New York Giants.
Washington improved to 6-8 and moved within one game of NFC East.
The Redskins survived three lost fumbles, a missed extra point by Mark Moseley and the loss of
Theismann with a compound fracture of his lower right leg to end a four-game Giants' winning streak
Theismann was injured on the second play of the second quarter when he was sacked by linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Gary Reasons. On 1st-and-10 from the Washington 46, Theismann handed off to John Riggins, who pitched back to the quarterback.
But before Theismann could throw, Taylor nailed him from behind and Reasons hit him from the front. As Theismann fell, his right ankle turned almost completely under his entire 188-nound body.
Theismann was rolled off the field on a stretcher and taken to Arlington Hospital. The preliminary diagnosis was a compound fracture of the lower leg.
Theisman was taken to Arlington Hospital, where he underwent surgery for an open fracture of the tibia fibula and will remain hospitalized for 10-14 days. The leg will undergo a knee surgery, he will remain inactive for six months as a result of a sack by linebackers Lawrence Taylor and
Gary Reasons in the second quarter.
The injury was a painful ending for a frustrating season for Theismann, who entered the game as the NFC's second-worst rated passer and received much of the blame for the Redskins' troubles. Theismann completed 7-of-10 passes for 54 yards and one touchdown Monday.
Joe Morris scored on runs of 56, 41 and eight yards for the Giants. Morris gained 118 yards on 17 carries and his three rushing TDs give him a club-record 11 for the season.
This is the first in a series appear- g this week dealing with injuries suffered in intramural football.
By Matt Tidwell Of the Kansan sports staff
Eric Witcher knew he was hurt badly when he hit the ground — what he didn't know in the fall of 1983 was that he would go on hurting him for two years.
"It was a rainy day and I was playing on the line," said Witcher, Elkhart senior and at the time a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon's intramural football team.
"I had just finished blocking and fell hard on the ground after a play. I was in a lot of pain and found out later that I had a dislocated shoulder. In surgery the next morning, they put a $3 \frac{1}{2}$ inch pin in my shoulder.
"I'm bitter about the injury. It still bothers me and I haven't really played any sports since then for fear of hurting it badly again."
The KU touch football game allows full contact on the line of scrimmage between offensive and defensive linemen. Two-handed touch by a
defender is, however, the only way in which an offensive ball carrier or receiver can be halted. No tackling is allowed.
"When they call it 'touch' football, that's really not an accurate description. Witcher said. "It is just like the ball contact football without the pads."
When an injury occurs, full contact between blockers is often the culprit.
"We play touch football here and obviously most injuries happen in the blocking process on the line of scrimmage," he added, in Appell, director of Recreation Services.
The possibilities for serious injury have at times caused Kansas and other schools with touch football to examine the possible benefits of switching to another, possibly safer, type of football.
Other intramural football options used in college include flag football which is played at most other Big Ten games, and the touch football with protective pads.
ferrent form of football.
Recreation Services officials said they had to be convinced that the number of injuries would be large enough to warrant a change to a dif-
Sports medicine specialists and Recreation Services officials said that injuries like Witcher were rare on KU intramural fields.
During the 1984 season, four foot injuries were reported from all Rescue teams.
There are three basic levels of intramural football at the University; trophy, which is the most competitive level; Rec.A, which is the intermediate level; and Rec.B. Within these two categories are dependent leagues, which are further divided into men's and women's divisions.
Larry Magee, a physician and sports medicine specialist at Watkins Hospital, has treated KU intramural patients and classifies the majority as minor.
Still, intramural chairmen from various KU living groups have said that serious injuries do occur from time to time on intramural football fields. Last year, a Phi Gamma Delta football player suffered a separated shoulder. This season, a Phi Delta Theta athlete broke his nose.
to happen with any type of football," Magee said. "I see more minor injuries to fingers and hands than anything else."
Chappell said a broken leg was the most serious reported football injury last year.
'Serious injuries like that are go-
Even with the full contact line,
even football players don't seem to
be able to touch the ball.
"We don't think it's rough enough," said Randy Bryson, Overland Park sophomore and trophy league football captain for Delta Chi. "Over the past two years we've all been minor, but they've both been minor. As far we're concerned, the officials call it too tight."
"it's a rough game, but everybody realizes it's rough and they prepare here."
Perhaps the best testament to the satisfaction of KU students is the popularity of intramural football, basketball and soccer ball at the top intraurban sport.
Writers name McGee MVP
"It's traditional that the guys here play touch football," Chappell said. "Most guys grow up playing touch and learn how to play pretty early
NEW YORK -- Willie McGee, the National League batting champion whose all-round skills led the St. Louis Cardinals to the pennant, yesterday was named the NL's Best Batting Award by the baseball Writers Association of America.
United Press International
The 27-year-old center fielder received 14 first place votes and 200 points from the 24 members of the BBWAA — two from each NL city — to easily outdistance outfielder Dave Parker of the Cincinnati Reds, the league's RBI leader. Parker received six first place votes and 220 points. Outfielder Pedro Guerrero of the Los Angeles Dodgers was third with six first place votes and 208 points
Each voting member of the BBWAA was asked to list 10 players on his ballot in order of preference and McGee, Parker and Guerrero were the only players to be named on all 24 balls. Points were awarded based on how well the ballots had to be in before the start of the post-season competition.
Rounding out the top 10 votegetters were second baseman Tommy Herr of St. Louis (119 points), catcher Gary Carter of New York (116), pitcher Michael Briggs of New York (63), first baseman Keith Hernandez of New York, pitcher John Tudor of
and pitcher Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets, winner of the NL Cy Young Award, was fourth with one first place vote and 182 points.
Parker, a rejuvenated player since coming to the Reds two seasons ago from the Pittsburgh Pirates, led the NL with 125 RBI and batted .312 with 34 homers and 42 doubles.
The fleet-footed McGee led the league in batting with a 353 average, in hits with 216 and in triples with 18. He also finished third in stolen bases with 56 and in runs scored with 114. In addition, he hit 10 homers, knocked in 82 runs and played superbly on defense.
No changes in store for Chiefs
McGee's selection as MVP marks the 14th time a member of the Cardinals has won baseball's most valuable player, and he was presented by the RWBA in 1891.
St. Louis (61) and first baseman Jack Clark of St. Louis (20).
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While declining to give embattled head coach John Mackovic a vote of confidence, owner Lamar Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday said that no changes would be made in his struggling National Football League team before the end of the season.
The Chiefs are 17-26 under Mackovic, who was hired off the Dallas Cowboys' staff in 1983 to replace the fired Marv Levy. There
The Associated Press
The Chiefs broke training camp this season confident of making their first playoff appearance in 14 years. But a 3-13 loss to San Francisco Sunday dropped their record to 3-8 and left the team weak to break to a club record seven in a row.
"In light of the Chiefs' losing streak, I am aware that there is speculation regarding our coaching situation on both a national and local level," said in a statement released through the team's public office.
has been speculation for several weeks that Mackovic's job was in peril.
"The Chiefs are struggling at the
"We as an organization are deeply disappointed with our record and the team's performance over the last seven-game period. That disappointment is shared by coaches, players and management in equal portions. There is great emotion that goes into the preparation and conduct of a season and we, like the fans, are very deflated at our current status.
moment and I'm sure John Mackovic, his assistants and the 45-man squad want to do everything possible to turn things around in the five games. We are working in that direction as a total organization.
"I do not believe in votes of confidence in the middle of a season," the statement said. "They inevitably are distorted and misinterpreted and we would prefer to wait and evaluate the season as a whole."
Hunt made it clear that he would have no further comment.
"This statement must stand on its own and will not be expanded or elaborated on." he said.
The Chiefs have played poorly in virtually every phase of the game since the onset of their losing skid.
Suzy.Mast/KANBAI
Eyes have it
Mark Dziadula, Girard freshman, sets his sights on the basket. Dziadula and friends played yesterday behind Templin Hall.