Upside-Down: Headstands & Handstands

In recent months I have been spending time after each workout upside-down.

I follow a lot of yogis on Instagram who post videos of themselves in headstands and handstands and I have gotten it in my head that I will conquer the skill as well.                                                                        

          

              


I began with headstands, and have all but mastered that. I started by balancing like a tripod with my hands on either side of my head, moving them if necessary to avoid toppling over. As you might guess, based on our history of competition with one another, Patrick decided shortly after I did, to take up this challenge. He sent me a video of himself in a headstand, and instead of using his hands, he was balancing on his forearms. I thought maybe I had been doing it the hard way the whole time (wouldn't surprise me), but upon attempting this form I found it much more difficult than my way. Strangely enough, Patrick maintains the opposite is true, which brings up a very important fact regarding physical movement and ability:

                         What is challenging for one individual may come naturally to another. 

Try as I may, I cannot seem to understand where the difference in our bodies lies. What am I lacking that Patrick is not? Is this to do with core strength, or simply with balance. Really... what is it? Try as I may, I have not found anything that sheds any light on these questions. 

Whatever the case may be, both elements along with arm strength (obviously more so in handstands), are essential in this skill development. I have continued my regular workout regimen which includes work on all muscle groups, but like other yoga poses, headstands and handstands will work to sort of fine tune the related muscles. I was able to find a comprehensive tutorial on performing these moves.  The author is Ryan Hurst, GMB program director and the star of the videos in the tutorials. This shall be my sacred text as I continue this practice, and if interested the website features gymnastic training programs. I'll be honest, I haven't tried them... but being the nerd I am, I have perused the website (thoroughly) and recognize the plethora of very good information. 

At present, I use the cool down portion of my workout to focus on headstands. Since I have progressed to a point where I can comfortably balance upside-down for several minutes, I have begun working on moving my legs while in the pose, to different positions and taking them from pointing straight upward, slowly down to a 90 degree angle... which kills my abs, but hurts so good.

I finish each day, by attempted 6-7 handstands, using a wall as a spotter. I am getting better at cartwheeling out, so as not to tip over backwards, but just in case (I am 28... no broken hips please). On a good day I have hold the handstand, without touching the wall, for a few seconds but it is getting better every week. 

If you're like me, and hope to someday accomplish the poses you watch yoga_girl post check back for progress updates. While she makes it look effortless, it may not come so naturally to all of us, and it will take baby-steps to get there. As always, let me know how your practice is coming along!

*I'm sure yoga_girl has practiced a whole lot too ;)

Yoga For 2015

In the challenge I posted a couple days ago I talked a little bit about how I use yoga at the beginning and end of my workouts, and I wanted to take some time to elaborate a bit about that. I also incorporate yoga into my physical fitness routine and I have been meaning to share how I do that as well. 

I think there's this perception of yoga as this sacred practice you have to do in a studio in front of other sweaty people in order to benefit from it. Or another view might be yoga in itself is a workout (especially hot yoga). I hate to break the news to ya, but just because you sweat, it does not mean you're increasing your level of fitness. In fact, if you're not drinking water constantly you're doing bad things to yourself by becoming very dehydrated. Being dehydrated whether that be your blood, your skin, your mouth.... is always a bad thing. Anyway, my point is there is not a prescribed manner in which someone can reap the benefits of the body movements of yoga. For that matter, there is nothing prescribed about fitness in the first place. As usual, please note the views expressed above and below are based, for the most part, on my own experience and are not research based in the true sense of the word, "research".

Warm Up. Like I mentioned a few days ago, I often begin my workout warm ups with a simple yoga flow. If you aren't familiar with that terminology the way I've come to understand it, is as an almost rhythmic movement between yoga poses. I begin in mountain pose, standing up with arms outstretched toward the sky (or ceiling if you're less of a hippie). 

Mountain Pose

Then, I swan dive and fold the top half of my body forward, allowing my head to hang heavy. This is exactly what my body needs first thing in the morning, as my back is often super tight. I let gravity pull my head down, stretching out my spine. Sometimes it is a little uncomfortable, however, and it that case I swoop my arms back up and reach outward then upward, and then repeat the same movement again. I stretch side to side, and then reach back, arching my spine. All the while focusing on how i'm breathing. Breath. Breath is huge in yoga. Always with the breathing... from the belly (diaphragm).

Workout. Right. I said it is not a workout. I know. However, I do sometimes attend a yoga class or follow along with a yoga YouTube video for an hour or so... on my off days. Meaning rather than actually take a full day off from being active, I just let myself go to yoga. It's mild, so you're not overdoing it, but you're still stimulating blood flow, and engaging muscles. Also, two of the most prominent benefits of yoga are improvement of balance and flexibility. Both are infinitely important and helpful in attaining other fitness goals. I think of it like a fine tuning process for the body. Just making sure everything is in prime condition for the real pump.

Cool Down. I also said this in the challenge, but yoga can be used to bridge the gap between going full force and resting. Rather than going for a run and then abruptly coming to a stop (you should never do that!) you could finish with a walking lap around the block and then a calming chaturanga. Start in downward facing dog, then high to low push up, then upward facing dog. 

Downward Facing Dog

Upward Facing Dog

Warrior II

Extended Side Angle

Reverse Warrior

Then I really just let whatever happens, happen. Especially after a run, I find myself in a pose called half-pigeon designed to stretch the hips and knees out, giving them respite from the hell the run has just put them through (I don't care what Christopher McDougall says, running breaks your joints down... unless it doesn't, and in that case you're a freak of nature and I'm jealous of you). From downward facing dog I lift one leg up behind me, extending it toward the ceiling. Then swoop the leg underneath my body into low lunge and turning it sideways so both ankle and knee rest inline with one another and bring my chest down to meet them. This one takes some practice, so begin with low lunge and slowly work your way down, further each time you attempt this. 

Half Pigeon

Meditation. Meditation is my favorite use of yoga. Hands down. Like yoga, I think a lot of people have an image embedded in their minds about meditation. I literally never sit with my ankles resting on top of my knees to meditate (ouch!) Instead, I work to center my mind, focus on my breathing and dismiss outside thoughts while running through my favorite poses. I find a calming Spotify station and begin to clear my head by paying acute attention to the detail in the music. Sometimes I work on picking out the instruments I hear. As I feel myself relax I concentrate on the present moment. Something that is sooo much easier said than done, as I write this I know my head isn't totally appreciating the moment that surrounds me (although I'm kind of okay with not being "in the moment" right now: I'm on an airplane... it's stuffy, and hot, and the tray table is too small, so I have to just hold my computer on my lap. #firstworldproblems anyone?) Presence is a difficult concept in my world. I am always one step ahead of myself, always thinking about what's next. What I'm eating next, the next thing on my to do list, and the next step in my life. 

This trick works for me (sometimes): identify 3 thoughts in your head, then 3 sounds you can hear, then 3 bodily sensations. Repeat this until the three thoughts are only to do with the present. I do this all the while moving from position to position. Thoughts about what I have to do next, or money, or school, or work, or whatever else is on my mind are always going to be floating around in my brain, I accept this and try to envision them coming up, and then like closing apps on my iphone, I swipe them out of view.

Music. Okay, I'm going to take a step up to my soapbox about music now. Music is a part of every facet of my life. I can't think of something I do everyday that isn't improved when music is incorporated. All kinds of music too. Not too long ago, I believe it was a Saturday night. I had invited my uncle to my apartment to watch the Notre Dame football game, but I didn't know what time he would be there. In the meantime I decided to get a workout in and naturally, had my music blasting. I was near the end of my workout, and finishing with some yoga when he showed up. He kind of laughed at me and said, "That's some pretty funky music for yoga!" He was definitely right... who does yoga to hip hop?! I do, it's me! And really, why not? Especially when it's meant as part of a high intensity workout. Do it, you'll have more fun and who says yoga can't be face paced?

Tapas. TAPAS! I am so obsessed with this concept right now. A couple weeks ago, in anticipation of this post actually, I decided to take myself to a yoga class. I don't pay for a gym membership so I recently decided I am allowed to drop in on yoga classes, or pay any other "day rate" related to fitness if the moment and motivation strikes. Anyway, about halfway through the class (which was only okay overall, if you ask me), the instructor mentioned "tapas." This is a yogi concept she said, which means basically, "a sense of fierce determination". Ahh!!! I have been searching for so long for a term to describe how I feel about fitness goals, and life goals really. If you want something out of life, then go get it for yourself! Find the tapas within you, and stop at nothing! The word "fierce". Just say it to yourself, "fierce", it's so powerful, so gritty. Did you ever watch John Elway play football? When the game was on the line, he would get this look in his eye like, "I am going to put this football in that end zone", and then he would. He just would. Disclaimer: I have little to no recollection of this look, but my dad tells me stories.

When I think about what I want to do with my life I have this feeling like if I were to reach a brick wall I would use force to go through it rather than take the long way around. I'm like, "Oh, it's happening, mark my words."

So, like I said, right now I'm on a plane. I am headed to Denver to see family, friends, and specifically this "Patrick" I've now mentioned a couple times. He is so great, and I really couldn't be more excited but listen to this: On Thursday I asked if there was a yoga studio near him (and then promptly googled it myself). But as I was looking at the schedule I get a response with the nearest studio to his house. So I'm like, "You wanna go with me Sunday morning?" I had to laugh out loud at my own little joke, assuming there was no way he was going to get up a 7am to try yoga for the first time. He writes back, to my surprise, "I might embarrass myself but yeah, I'm willing to give it a shot!” Ugh, what a doll!

AFTERWORD: I meant to post when I got to Denver, but alas it is now five days later and I have not. It's okay though, because I have thought of a few more things I want to include. First of all, the aforementioned yoga class was a huge success. Patrick got a free week of yoga, for one. Also, the instructor at the Bel-Mar Corepower was so awesome. I left feeling like she must have somehow read my words above. Throughout the class she joked around, I laughed a lot, probably more than appropriate. She played current, upbeat music, and even talked about the music with me a bit after class. During the 60 minutes she spoke several times about the irony of the term "human being". Rarely, as humans are we ever just "being" in this day and age. We are constantly doing something and yoga is more than exercise, it is an opportunity to just be. Especially on a week like this one in which it has snowed a record total of 22 inches (so far).

Finally, I wrote above about balance and flexibility. My dad is 55 years old and has always been one of the most active people I know, but is incredibly inflexible. I am sitting in my room right now and just heard him pull up. My plan is to go bombard and make him let me teach him a simple sun salutation. My hope is he will use it as a tool to keep his body, "in tune" and active for the next 55 years. It is maintenance, and it is necessary. Okay, I'm done. Go turn on some J. Cole and give me your best down dog.

Photo Cred: The one and only, Stephen Martinez (aka my papa). Thanks Dad!

Gettin' Tricky

I have a notebook with several pages of ideas of things I want to cover in this blog. I mentioned it before, and since then it has grown quite a bit, thanks in part to many of you sending me your ideas and topics of interest related to sports, fitness, and health and/or psychology. Despite all these great starts, I have spent the entire week trying to write something interesting. I thought I might stay in line with what I have already talked about, maybe discuss the Broncos loss to the Colts, or maybe continue discussing confidence in another arena maybe mentioning the shooting slump my favorite basketball player had been in for the past few weeks (emphasis on "had"). I wanted to comment on the state of professional sports in terms of league rules, in the aftermath of a call against the Cowboys', Dez Bryant ruling this was not a catch.

While these are all topics I would definitely like to discuss at length in the future, my heart just wasn't in any of them this week. In the first month of this new year I have already made some major changes to my routine including quitting my "big girl" nine to five in exchange for a low stress lifestyle as a nanny while I embark on my final year of graduate school, and a 20 hour per week, unpaid internship. The change in my schedule has freed up some time for me to concentrate on my eating habits, and my workout routine. Still, change is never easy and it has required some discipline on my part, especially with the lack of outdoor running (outdoor anything if I'm being honest) as an option for cardio. Let this serve as a disclaimer: you will not catch me running in this Chi-town cold. Something I have realized about myself in the past year or two, however, is my high intrinsic motivation to workout. I think for me, it's simply because I enjoy physical activity. I find it fun, really. Not to mention, physical activity triggers the release of endorphins in the brain, a feel good hormone and my degree in psych makes me acutely aware of this fact. Plus I swear I notice an improvement in my overall mood after getting some energy out. Anyway, not everyone feels the way I do and therefore getting motivated may be easier said than done,. So I figure now, the beginning of the year and peak of ambition to workout for many, is a good time to talk about creating and maintaining a plan to stay in shape.

I really believe finding the fun and enjoyment in being active and fit has more to do with the way you approach it mentally than anything else. I really do. Here are a few little tricks I play on myself:

Avoid routine. I never do the exact same workout twice. Seriously. This is so important. I have a Pinterest board, "Workouts" and I spend some time every week or two updating it with new pins, usually when I first wake up in the morning and need a minute before I get out of bed. I just browse the homepage and see if anything stands out to me. If I think it's doable it goes on the board. When I get ready to workout I set myself up with my tunes and then look at the board and figure out which workout I wanna do. [Also important: don't start a workout you don't really feel like doing, one that's unrealistic in terms of completing all the reps, or one with moves you don't know how to do. You'll half-ass it, I'm tellin' ya.] Even if I really enjoy one of the workouts I do, and am sore enough the next day to consider it a job well done, I don't do it in exactly the same order again or if I do, I combine it with another workout; maybe one that focuses on a different muscle group. Along with not getting stuck in one exercise routine, I try to mix up the times of day I workout. I hear people say things all the time like, "I only workout in the morning." But what if you happen to get off work early one day and have no plans?! Instead of sitting on the couch for an extra hour you could get busy on your body! I just think it's a shame to limit yourself like that. Another glimpse into my life:

Try new things people!! Life begins at the end of your comfort zone! You will feel great afterward, ready for dinner, a cold shower, a little House of Cards, and then you will sleep great, all exhausted,clean, and freaked out by Frank Underwood (if you haven't watched House of Cards, do some dabbling.)

Playlist. Above I mentioned getting my music established before I workout. Actually, maybe I should have written this part first because it is absolutely essential and really I just love music. I might love music as much as I love sports. Make yourself a playlist of songs that really pump you up and ones you just generally enjoy. I also use Pinterest here, and I am afraid you might be catching on to some of my problematic behaviors when it comes to social media at this point of the blog, but there are tons of lists of great songs to get your sweat on to. Some of my favorites are (don't judge me): Gaga- Do What U Want, Britney- Till the World Ends (the remix y'all, with Nicki and Ke$ha), Rihanna- Where Have You Been, Justin- Let the Groove Get in, and (duh), Katy- Dark Horse. Also really into Hozier- Take Me to Church thanks to the LeBron Beats commercial.... gets me pumped to pump iron... you're welcome. Disclaimer #2: I'd like to think I have better taste in music than this list exemplifies. these are just my workout jams... I swear.

Theme Song. On the topic of music, something I came up with recently to keep things interesting and fun, is finding a song that's particularly motivational for a certain exercise, to include on my workout playlist. Whenever that song comes on during my workout I stop whatever else I'm doing and switch to the exercise I like doing to that song. For example, for whatever reason, I think "Get Buck in Here" -DJ Khaled is a good song to do crunches to. I'll be mid-burpee and it will come on and I'll immediately grab my yoga ball and get to work on my abs. You could have two or three of these songs without it becoming a distraction from the actual work you're doing.

Treadmill Blues. I don't typically run on a treadmill because it makes me resent the workout and the stale, smelly gym air. However, I have in the past, and I know sometimes it might be the best option for cal burnin' especially if you are in the mid-west during Winter, like me. What I did to cushion the blow to my soul, is play little games with myself. I would agree (with myself) to run at 7.0 mph for 5 minutes and then the deal was, I could gradually decrease the rate by 1.0 mph per minute for the next five. Then I would change it up based on how I was feeling. If I still felt good I would work my way back up to 7.0 mph over five minutes, stay there for five, and then go back down (or really whatever worked). It simply distracted my mind and gave me accomplish-able short term goals to work toward. At the end of the treadmill workout however, you have to "kick it" as my dad would say. My step-mama, Brandi Martinez, told me one time the only way you will get anything out of the run is if you run as fast as you possibly can for the last part of it whether that be the last mile, half mile, or 30 seconds. I don't have any research to back that up, I'm sure she knew what she was talking about though so it stuck with me and I don't feel accomplished unless I give it my all at the end. For me, the real key to running is to run outside in a place with scenery that inspires me. I am incredibly fortunate to be able to live a 5 minute run from Lake Michigan so here's my view while running on Lake Shore Drive path:

South facing view of Chicago along Lake Michigan, from this morning's run
01/23/2015

View at night 01/19/2015

Find somewhere beautiful and just use it to enjoy the grind!

Up 'n At 'em. For the days I do want to get a workout in first thing in the morning I find it is extremely important to get up right away removing the opportunity to talk myself out of it. I lay my workout clothes out the night before, have a plan in my head for what the workout will be, and accept zero excuses from myself. Just do it, don't think about it. Maybe even try setting one of your pump up songs as your alarm sound, you hear it and you hop to it. Sometimes I even skip brushing my teeth first just to get myself out the door before I think about how nice it would be to watch sports highlights from the night before (or the news I guess), with a cup of coffee.

Food Matters. I have read a million different things about whether to eat, and what to eat before your morning pump. Personally, I find it best to get on with it without stopping for sustenance. If I wake up and know I won't be able to sustain energy without eating, I do a piece of fruit or a bar (my favorites are: Kind or Cliff Mojo they are ones I have found to be made from the most simple ingredients... I will talk about my weirdness with food another day), anything I can grab and eat without taking more time wandering my home. So of course, I am human, and this definitely does not happen (especially when I have a lot of time anyway on the weekends or days off), so if I am going to get work done before I do work, I make a smoothie which includes a non-dairy liquid (almond or coconut milk, coconut water, carrot juice or pure orange juice), greens (kale, spinach, chard, arugula), a banana, and often an additional fruit and/or veggie (pineapples, berries, cucumber, avocado, beets, etc.), really just whatever I have on hand, and if I have it, chia. Beware, it's green (or brown), but it is always delicious and keeps me full until I do get down to the real job (the workout).

Okay, I'm done for now I guess. That was long winded. I could go on for days... In fact, I think I'll make this a periodic post. I am getting extremely excited for basketball season and can't wait to write about that a bit, but if you're looking for something in particular, keep the ideas coming!

Confidence

About three weeks ago, I saw an instagram post by Andreas Schreiber. The photo was of Kevin Garnett and read, "WHAT IF YOU HAD UNLIMITED CONFIDENCE?" The photo comment included a link to his blog, and there I found an article by Dr. Mitch Smith, (find it here: http://www.dreschreiber.com/mental-skills-in-basketball-what-if-you-had-unlimited-confidence/) The article discussed confidence and Smith's (2014) assessment of it's sources.

So I began thinking about confidence in general, confidence in sports, and then confidence in professional athletes. I am a person who spends a great deal of time thinking about thinking. I think about my own thoughts. I think about what others might be thinking. I think about what I might be thinking if I were in another person's shoes. So i'm thinking, "What if I were a professional athlete?" My first assumption would be that making it that far with my athletic ability would give me quite a bit of confidence in and of itself. But really, if you think of a professional sports organization along the same lines as any other business, and professional athletes as the businesses employees, they're just people doing their jobs, right? I mean business people, lawyers, doctors, etc. they have all made it to where they are based on their skills and abilities too. No one expects them to have 100% confidence in themselves ALL the time. So why would I assume athletes would be infinitely confident? They are professionals, but that doesn't make them anything but human beings. 

Confidence is an intangible we all manage on the reg. It is built up through positive feedback obtained from one's environment. The first example that comes to mind has to do with social situations. As children if we have positive experiences interacting with others, chances are we will grow up with the confidence to make new friends, go to parties, speak up in class or in a meeting. If the opposite is true, say as a child our social interactions include being bullied and eating lunch alone, there is a good chance we will continue to have anxiety in social settings.  

This concept can be applied to sports. If an athlete receives positive feedback from his environment regarding his athletic abilities, his confidence level will increase and he will be more likely to continue working to get even better. A kid picks up a football, throws it, and someone says, "Wow, you've got a great arm." The kid wants to throw the ball again. He does, positive results, he keeps trying. He keeps getting better. Positive feedback from the environment, whether that be throwing a touchdown pass, or receiving a compliment from someone else, is the first step in building a solid foundation of confidence in an athlete. 



Let's shift gears just for a moment, and talk about Peyton Manning. He is among the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. As of this season, 2014-2015, he has thrown more touchdown passes than any other professional football player, EVER. Going into Sunday's playoff game against his former team, the Indianapolis Colts, he has 530 career touchdowns. He has now been in Denver for three seasons and has led the Broncos to the playoffs all three years. However, after last season's complete embarrassment at the Super Bowl and given the fact he has only one Super Bowl title to his name, the question of Manning's playoff competence looms. 

More stats: Peyton's playoff record is 11-12. While in the NFL, he has played in 9 Divisional playoff games and has a losing record of 4-5. The good news (if you're a Denver Broncos fan) is, when he makes it to Conference playoffs he is 3-1. I had also planned to mention Peyton's seeming incompetencies in cold weather games, but upon further review have realized statistically, his numbers aren't as bad as I would have guessed when it comes to below average temperatures. Pat Graham of the Associated Press (2014) said, "Although Manning's record is sub-.500 in chilly conditions, his overall numbers really aren't that ghastly. He's thrown 43 touchdown passes and 27 interceptions while completing 62.6 percent of his passes, according to STATS. His completion percentage since joining the Broncos in 2012 is 67.7." (para. 10). I'm assuming he means in sub 40 degree weather, which is what most sources use to define "cold weather" games. 

So what's the struggle? Why is it that Peyton can't seem to bring the heat in the playoffs like he does during the regular season? My natural tendency is to consider how I might think and feel in his position, which leads me to ponder whether it's an issue of confidence. OKAY! I know you're probably shaking your head at me right now. Peyton has every reason in the world to have confidence spilling out from every crevice. But hear me out:  I have already discussed positive reinforcement as a factor in building confidence, Smith (2014), breaks it down into three sources of confidence for athletes. The first source of confidence is achieved through positive, verbal affirmation from others, as mentioned above; you've been encouraged and praised by coaches and teammates. The second is through visualization of prior success, again, mentioned above; you throw a touchdown, you visualize doing so when trying to repeat it, you throw another. The third source is gained through the knowledge of one's own hard work and dedication to greatness; you've worked hard in preparation, you know you've done all you can, you have a sense of preparedness. (paras. 5-7). 

Now, let's consider the even more plentiful, confidence crushing factors. Earlier, I talked about positive feedback from one's environment. Smith (2014), refers to a "feedback loop" (para. 9). The idea that affirmation from others, the visualization of prior success, and a sense of preparedness is on the forefront of your mind. When attempting an athletic feat, in Peyton's case throwing a touchdown pass, he has all three things happening. The problem arises when something interrupts that loop, say an incomplete pass or worse, an intercepted pass. Now, rather than the positive visualization he needs, the most recent image in his mind is this failure, along with all the negative feedback from the environment that will simultaneously occur. 

My conjecture here is when it comes to the playoffs, Peyton is afflicted with a negative feedback loop due to so many past failures at this point in the season. I realize Peyton Manning is a professional athlete. I know he works with a psychologist to overcome game day anxiety, nerves, and has likely tackled the issue of confidence. I encourage you, however, to consider the stakes of each playoff game for him. Put yourself in his shoes and think about the incredible amount of pressure he must feel, regardless of the countless mental exercises, relaxation techniques, and other psychological tasks he does to deal with it: (1) He is constantly reminded of "the window" as he is getting older, in which to win another Super Bowl. (2) He has been incredibly close the past three years in Denver but hasn't achieved the ultimate goal. (3) He is aware of his reputation in the media for "choking" in the playoffs. (4) Despite the fact football is a team sport, and he has a hell of a support system in both the Denver Broncos offense and defense, the failures of the team are absolutely reflected onto him as the quarterback and veteran of the sport. (5) Finally, there has to be a part of him that wants to match his brother, Eli's Super Bowl titles. 

I, for one, know I couldn't deal with that amount and level of pressure and I am absolutely astounded at his ability to handle it as well as he does. He is a professional football player, but he's still a human being. No matter a person's profession, they are always going to have psychological battles to fight in addition to physical feats to overcome. If Peyton truly struggles with this each time he goes to work, imagine the plight of your average athlete... your average person for that matter. The goal has got to be to overcome the negative feedback, and strive to see positive outcomes in one's future. 

Look for my post next week, and Let's go Broncos! 

p.s. The weather in Denver is currently 43 degrees, 21% chance of snow (increasing tonight, but not until after the game), and 3 mph winds.

*Fact checking and editing by: Patrick O'Brien and Ryan Finger

Graham, P. (2015, January 8). Cold Feat: With Weather  Turning Frigid, Peyton Manning Leads Balanced Offense  Into Playoffs. Associated Press. Retrieved  from: http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/287889921.h  tml?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue

Smith, M. (2014, December 15). Mental Skills in Basketball:  What if You Had Unlimited Confidence? Retrieved    from: http://www.dreschreiber.com/mental-skills-in-  basketball-what-if-you-had-unlimited-  confidence/#.VLKactLF_m4