A leading Sports Psychologist has explained the ‘significant’ negative impact the absence of Head Coach Sam Burgess could have on the Warrington Wolves in Las Vegas this weekend.
Burgess is currently unable to travel with Warrington to Las Vegas due to issues in obtaining a visa, with the growing possibility that the 36-year-old may miss the historic Super League clash against rivals Wigan Warriors at the Allegiant Stadium.
Speaking on behalf of AskGamblers, Dr Martin Turner, a leading sports psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University, has revealed how Burgess’ absence may impact Warrington: “This has a significant impact. Human beings, in general, like certainty. Uncertainty is stressful, and stress is something that needs to be managed and controlled, which takes effort. So, events like this can be tiring for players.
We are comfortable with the ‘known’ and not so comfortable with the ‘unknown’, so the team should be trying to limit the unknowns as much as possible.”
“Ways to overcome this stress and normalise the situation can include multiple visits to the stadium before the game, interacting with locals and working with the hotel to make sure the accommodation is hassle free and accommodates athlete needs.
Dr Turner further explains the importance of the rest of the team stepping up to “counteract some of the demands”: “Warrington will need to counteract some of the demands of the situation, so effort needs to be applied to make sure the team are ready for the psychological challenge. If they do that, there is no reason to suspect that they won’t get the outcome they deserve.”
“The absence of the head coach is a significant change from the norm, and it’s understandable that these changes can disrupt normal match preparation. One of the things teams try to achieve is consistency in preparation from game to game. Often, teams have very specific, almost ritualistic, approaches to games.
“Now, this isn’t a ‘normal’ match, so the disruption may even be magnified due to the abnormality of the situation itself.
“In good teams, leaders emerge that can help drive the performance despite changes to the normal way of going into a match. There will already be a leadership unit within the team, usually led by the captain, and they will most likely play an important role in this situation.
“But other players will emerge as leaders, and be responsible for ensuring that the psychology of the team is disrupted as little as possible in this uncertain situation. Indeed, some players will see this as an opportunity to step up and show their leadership qualities.”
Dr Turner also states how playing in a big televised game in Las Vegas could impact the performance of players who are not used to the spotlight: “Pressure can lead to performance anxiety, which for some players is either helpful or unhelpful for their performance. One of the most important factors though is how you view anxiety itself.
“Experience can work both ways. A player that is new to something like this has an amount of naivety on their side. They don’t know what they don’t know, so can often go into these situations and play with freedom.
“On the other hand, an inexperienced player can be overawed by the occasion and can sink into themselves, hiding on the pitch, and being very risk averse. They don’t want to mess up on the world stage, and because of this, they are actually more likely to mess up, because they are so focused on not messing up rather than executing the game plan.
“If they see anxiety as the enemy and as something harmful and disruptive, then they are more likely to try to fight their nerves and spend energy trying to control their emotions. This can lead to performance issues, and is a very unpleasant position to be in.”