Take a risk – it’s the safest thing you’ll do

Michael Jehwww.michaeljeh.com

Some of my recent clients

• Australian Rugby Union• Cricket Australia• Qld Cricket• Gold Coast Academy of Sport• Qld Academy of Sport• Western Force Rugby• ACT Brumbies• Qld Govt Dept of Sport• Baseball Australia• NSW Waratahs• Surfing Australia

• SA Cricket• ACT Cricket• Cricket Tasmania• Swimming Australia• Netball Australia• Surf Lifesaving Australia• The King’s School Sydney• Corinda High School• Sunshine Coast Grammar School• The Rugby Academy• Ignatius Park College

The ‘race plan’ for today

• Society’s perception of sport and why that is a concern• What’s happening to young athletes in a physiological and

neurological sense (body and mind)• Why risk-taking behaviour is so normal, so inevitable AND

so healthy• When risk-taking behaviour becomes dangerous; what are

the warning signs for coaches/managers and parents (drugs and alcohol)?

• Sport and social media - friend or enemy?• Sleep – possibly the most important gift you can give your

young athlete• Instinct in teenagers – lifesaver or ‘killer’?

A recent survey by a PR/Ad Agency in 2013 (parents, sponsors, media, fans) identified the following factors as being the major reasons why professional sportsmen are perceived as being poor role-models• Excessive drug & alcohol abuse• Lack of respect for women • Poor (or limited) leadership values• Aggressive attitude; prone to violence• Cruel/unkind attitudes towards minorities

(gays, foreigners, opponents)

Interesting Statistics • Male student-

athletes comprise 3.3% of college population BUT– 19% of sexual

assault allegations

– 35% of domestic violence allegations

• 1 in 3 college alleged sexual assaults by athletes

• Only 36.8% of athletes were chargedOnly 38% actually convicted Compared to 80% general pop

(Benedict/Crosset Study in National Coalition against Violent Athletes

ALTITUDEHEAT

COLD

FOCUS

CONFIDENCE

COMMITMENT

OPEN

CLOSED

COMPLEXOFFENSIVE

DEFENSIVE

SPECIAL

PASSION

SELFCONTROL

ENERGIZED

INTEGRITY

RESPECT

CARING

HEALTH

NUTRITION

FITNESS

SKILL

PSYCHOLOGY

PHYSIOLOGY

STRATEGIES

EMOTION

CHARACTER

ENVIRONMENT

TRAINING &PERFORMANCE

Let’s think about what’s happening to our athletes around adolescence

• Changes to limbic systems. • ‘Distancing’ effect with parents coinciding with

massive emphasis on peers/friends• Inevitable exposure to alcohol and drugs• And now….social media!• Why ‘meltdowns’ can be a “glass half-full mom

ent” if we can stay calm

• Psychological AND physiological need for risk-taking

Some background info on adolescents

• Young men esp have a physical need for an adrenaline fix. If they can’t find it, they will go looking for it.

• Boys are significantly less resilient than girls. More naive, overly dependent on peers to define behaviour, do not want to plan ahead. Potent cocktail during adolescence!!!

• Adolescents often communicate in silence. Don’t mistake that for not communicating.

• Resilience needs to be a self-taught skill. Should we always rescue them from minor disasters?

• Boys place great value on firm boundaries. It will be tested to see if they really exist.

• Loyalty is one of the most important values of “manhood” in their eyes. Loyalty and Trust are two different things though!

• Can we then turn loyalty into a positive thing? How can we use ‘peer pressure’ as a catalyst for positive good?

• The key here is to model the right behaviours and then it becomes an equally powerful force for good. This is particularly true in teams/squads (esp on tour!)

A Few Good Men

Can you handle the truth?

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”

Rules, consequences and hypocrisy

• Consequences are important. They will be tested to see if it’s bullshit or not.

• Hypocrisy around consequences is one of the reasons why errant behaviour keeps being repeated. Zero tolerance policies only work if they are enforced, regardless of the perpetrator.

Some facts about risk-taking

• We tend to take more risks when we’re younger• The younger the person, the less likely they are to accurately

assess risk. Right?• Amazingly, research shows no real age differences in risk-

assessment per se• BUT…• The emotional impact of risk is a major difference as you get

older• Reputation is a big deal to leaders. Social reward is a massive

incentive to take risks.• Dopamine buzz – that’s the reward!

The risk-taker’s advantage

• More likely to trust their own judgement• Have learned to respect the capacity of others and

themselves• Know their limits• Understand consequences of their actions• Readily ask for help• Confidently assert their independence• Instinctively know when to stop pushing the boundaries

Research from the University of Sheffield in the UK showed that “children of risk-averse parents have lower test scores and are slightly less likely to attend college than offspring of parents with more tolerant attitudes toward risk.” Parental risk aversion can directly influence their child’s future.

RISK AVERSION IN PARENTS WE RISK TOO LITTLE, RESCUE TOO QUICKLY, RAVE TOO EASILY The Pennsylvania State University http://sites.psu.edu/psych256fa14/2014/12/09/risk-aversion-in-parents/

Gold Coast Risk & Reckless Behaviours (2)(Boag et al., 2003)

Sample: 779 Gold Coast Year 10, 11 and 12 students from 8 schools.

Behaviour % participating

(in past year) monthly > weekly

Got drunk 40.7 26.1Did something dangerous just for the thrill of it 35.2 7.9Did extreme sports 33.5 23.7Skipped school 31.9 9.1Smoked marijuana 19.1 10.5Shoplifted 16.8 7.0Drove or rode over the speed limit 13.2 17.6Did graffiti 11.5 5.1Had unprotected sex 10.1 10.2Used other drugs or chemicals 6.3 4.6Stole a motor vehicle 4.5 4.3

WHY DO ADOLESCENTS TAKE RISKS?

“I think they do it because they aren’t supposed to. I have friends that are allowed to drink so they don’t do it that often but people who aren’t allowed to do it all the time.” (Female, 15 years)

“To show that they have guts, that they’re not wimps or cowards and to escape from reality.” (Male, 16 years)

“Because we’re young, full of energy and curious. Parents stand there and tell us ‘no, no, no’ just because they have been there and done that. We feel invincible.” (Female, 17 years)

“Because they are unsure of their role and position in society. Adolescents feel that sometimes they must shock to be noticed.” (Female, 17 years)

“Immature, irresponsible, peer pressure, unable to see consequences ahead of them.” (Male, 17 years)

WHY DO ADOLESCENTS TAKE RISKS?

“Because we are growing up, and to live in this world we are ‘gonna’ have to make our own decisions risky or not.” (Female, 13 years)

“It ‘boosts’ their egos, but really only makes them look stupid. Also peer pressure plays a very large part of it.” (Female, 13 years)

“They want freedom and don’t like doing what their parents tell them to do.” (Female, 13 years)

“They are pressured by their friends or they think its cool and everybody else does it.” (Male, 13 years)

“To get thrills.” (Male, 13 years)

“To be accepted into a group or gang.” (Female, 14 years)

“To be popular.” (Male, 14 years)

“To escape from reality and problems.” (Male, 14 years)

Warning signs• Being a risk-taker is not an excuse. It’s not compulsory!• Statistically, alcohol and drugs represent the biggest threat

to risk-takers• Dangerous risk-taking behaviour rarely occurs in private

(until it’s too late) – the whole point is to be acknowledged and noticed. Team sports are more at risk

• Significant male/female differences during adolescence

• Brains develop differently in teenage boys and girls

• In girls, the language area of the brain develops earlier than the areas used for spatial relations and geometry. Vice versa for boys

• Brains are also wired differently. In girls, emotions are processed in the same area of the brain that processes language. Most teenage girls will readily talk about their emotions.

• In boys, the brain region involved in ‘talking’ is different from the regions involved with ‘feelings’. The hardest question for a teenage boy to answer is probably “tell me how you feel?” or “how did that feel?”

• Nearly 33% of 14 year olds drink up to 6 drinks per week

• When alcohol hits the frontal lobe, Reason goes out the back door

• Teens can drink more before they feel sleepy therefore physical symptoms are not a good warning sign

• Blackouts are more likely because they don’t feel sleepy

• Research has proven that the “bbq drink with dad/uncle/coach theory” does not work

• PERMANENT BRAIN DAMAGE IS THE ONLY GUARANTEED OUTCOME

Can you taste the difference???

Soft drink? Sports drink? alcohol?

Milkshake or Mayhem?

0.00% Alcohol

4.00% Alcohol

Lolly water or rocket fuel?

0.00% Alcohol

5.00% Alcohol

Energy drink or wipeout juice?

0.00% Alcohol

7.00% Alcohol

The Good, The Bad & the Ugly-Social Media-

According to Intel Security’s 2014 Tweens, Teens, and Technology report, over 67% of tweens and teens have social media accounts. 20% of our children have talked online with a stranger, and 6% have actually met that stranger in person. Other research indicates that about 28% of teens admit to sexting, while close to 50% of teens have been cyber-bullied.

A new study out this week from Catalonia points to a significant negative relationship between time on devices and high-school student grades. That is, as time online goes up, grades go down. Researchers observed a linear increase in school failure in relation to an increase in the hours spent on the computer.

School failure was at 17 per cent for those who use it one to two hours; 20 per cent, two to three hours, and 29 per cent if they use the computer for more than three hours a day. Interestingly, as computer time increased, so too did the likelihood of alcohol consumption and marijuana usage.

Lastly – research is suggesting that screen time in the bedroom is particularly problematic: kids who have devices in their rooms are sleeping less, sleeping more disturbed, and suffering as a result!

Sleep is SO important to a young person’s futureThey typically need 9-10 hours per nightMelatonin is the ‘magic’ that is happening to your young athlete right now!

The transition from adolescent athlete to adult athlete

Adolescent• I am ruled by my emotions

• I take no responsibility for my actions

• Other athletes are ‘competition’• I am the centre of the universe and

need constant acknowledgement and reinforcement

• My sport defines my self-worth

• Sport and life exist in isolation. Mutually exclusive in my brain

Adult• I acknowledge my emotions

• I take full responsibility for my actions• Other athletes/competition are

essential to my development• I am an important part of the

universe but not exclusively so• My sport is but one part of my life

journey (although it may be all-consuming during this phase of my life!)

• Sport is life but there will be life after sport

Two things control men’s nature.

Instinct and experience.

Blaise Pascal