Fans of professional sports often overlook one of the most important parts of sports: the mental side of the game. It is easy to focus on the physical talent on display in professional sports, but the mental aspect is just as crucial for the best athletes in the world. Dr. Chris Siuta is the team mental skills coach for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League. I spoke with him to learn about his role with the Bandits, how he helps athletes, and why mental performance is critical in professional sports.
Dr. Siuta works directly with the players on the Bandits to provide mental health support, which often equates to performance enhancement. His work, mostly behind the scenes, is very important for the team. Players come to him for confidence, focus, stress management, and even personal support.
The Buffalo Bandits benefit from Dr. Siuta as he works one on one with players to improve mental performance. The combination of sports psychology with real mental health support allows players to reach and stay at their highest level of play. For example, a team mental skills coach helps professional athletes deal with any confidence issues, performance anxiety, slumps, or loss of focus. To take it a step further, the role even allows players to go to the team mental skills coach for stress management, family or relationship issues, substance abuse concerns, and the emotional pressure that comes with professional sports. Dr. Siuta uses techniques such as visualization, self-talking, meditation, and performance preparation strategies. This role goes far beyond just being a motivator, it is structured psychological performance work, which teams value just as much as physical training.
Dr. Siuta got into this line of work because he himself was a college athlete who went through these experiences. That firsthand look at the mental side of sports allows him to personally understand the mental struggles that athletes face. All of this led Dr. Siuta to want to specialize in sports psychology. The field of sports psychology has grown exponentially since Dr. Siuta’s playing days. Mental performance is now more accepted and appreciated in high level athletics.
When working with professional athletes on the Buffalo Bandits, it differs from the typical work of a psychologist. There is a certain level of pressure that professional athletes deal with that make them unique patients. Professional athletes routinely deal with public scrutiny, lofty expectations, job pressure, and media attention. The core goal when working with professional athletes is to make sure that they receive assistance in staying mentally healthy to help them perform.
The mental side of sports, particularly at the professional level, can separate the most elite players from the others. When it comes to playing at the highest level, physical talent is not enough on its own.
Dr. Siuta obviously has to keep specific instances of patients confidential, but he was able to emphasize that even the smallest mental adjustments can dramatically improve performance. Little things like confidence and focus can directly impact the team in a positive manner. Daily things like mental routines can help with consistency. These techniques have helped Dr. Siuta see athletes overcome slumps, rebuild their confidence, fine tune routines, and stay composed in the most high pressure situations. Seeking the support like what Dr. Siuta provides is all part of maintaining high athletic performance.
The Buffalo Bandits provide a unique environment to work in for Dr. Siuta. Coming into this past season (they were eliminated in the first round of the NLL playoffs), they had won three straight NLL Championships. The team mental skills coach sees the success firsthand, and what team chemistry and culture can do for an organization as a whole. Behind all of the success is mental cohesion and commitment from each individual involved to be the best they can be.
As the team transitions out of the wildly successful couple of years they have had, another huge part of the job of the team mental skills coach is to understand that team dynamics will continuously evolve. It is important to keep the same positive energy and good culture afloat that allows for success to continue. Behind the success of the Bandits is organizational culture and mental preparation.
Dr. Siuta’s career in sports psychology shows how sports today, at all levels, involve far more than just physical ability. His role shows the growing importance and acceptance of mental health support in the world of sports.
Nikko Lazzara is a 2L at the University at Buffalo School of Law. He is focused on the legal issues surrounding the evolving landscape of college sports. Nikko works as a student-attorney for the UB Sports Law Clinic on Name, Image, and Likeness matters. Born and raised in Buffalo, Nikko graduated from Hilbert College, where he played on the men's golf team. When he is not on the golf course, he loves watching the Sabres, Bills, Knicks, and Yankees.
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