Virtual Applied Sport Psychology Summit 2024: Check me out!
Over a decade ago, I attended a free introduction to improvisational comedy workshop a small improv school in Long Beach, California. It was probably two hours at most, although it was so long ago I don’t remember. It was incredibly fun, and if I could have, I would have signed up for a course. However, I was still busy with graduate school.
How I started teaching improvisation comedy skills to athletes and performers
Cut to 2019. I was attending a sport psychology conference at National University in San Diego, California. Doctor Sarah Castillo gave a presentation entitled, “Who’s Ball is it Anyway? Training Improv Skills to Enhance Performance in Sport.” I immediately knew that teaching improv comedy skills to athletes was going to be a new staple in my sport psychology work with athletes and performers.
I immediately took the improv exercises that Dr. Castillo shared in her presentation and began using them in my work with collegiate teams. I ordered and started reading the book Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madsen. I listened to her guest appearances on podcasts and took careful notes.
I wasn’t a seasoned improviser. In fact, I only had a couples hours worth of experience. Yet, I was teaching improv to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes. Not only were they having a lot of fun in our sport psychology team sessions, but most importantly, they were practicing focus under pressure, communication, teamwork, resiliency, and a variety of other crucial mental skills.
How I took my improv skills to the next level
In the years following my introduction to using improv in my sport psychology sessions, I learned as much as I could by watching YouTube videos, listening to podcasts, and talking to people I met with improv experience. I was still managing to continue developing my skill set and the athletes I worked with were continuing to benefit from our work together. However, I knew that if I took my improv skills to the next level I could help my athletes even more.
It was finally in the summer of 2023 that I took an improv comedy class. I started by taking a video course on how to use improv comedy skills in your everyday life. I quickly started changing the way I think about improv, which led to improvements in my sport psychology work. Soon after, I graduated from independent study to a class with other students. I took classes in short form improv multiple times (it’s very fun), an introduction to long-form improv class, and an intermediate level class. By no means am I an expert in improv comedy. I am still very much a beginner.
Improv comedy is now a critical part of my professional philosophy
I knew I wanted to learn improv to better help my athletes, and of course, to have fun. However, I was surprised by how much it helped my life outside of my sport psychology sessions. Learning improv helped me with the parts of my job that I like the least. It helped me to do all the random unplanned tasks that come up throughout the workday. What was most surprising was that I actually started to be able to be in the moment and enjoy these tasks. Moreover, I noticed the same benefit when I had unavoidable disruptions in my personal life.
Virtual Applied Sport Psychology Summit 2024
Naturally, when I was offered the opportunity to share my experience at the Virtual Applied Sport Psychology Summit (VASP) 2024 I said “Yes!” This is a sport psychology summit featuring some of the leaders in the field of sport psychology, who will be sharing their experiences working with Olympic athletes and or their professional philosophies. It’s a real honor to be included in this lineup.
If you’re a sport psychology professional, a coach, or someone interested in the mental side of competition, then VASP 2024 is a great way for you to take your knowledge and skills to the next level. As one of the speakers, I am an affiliate and you can learn more and register for the summit through my link here.
Hope to see you there!