|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
| Dr. Richard Lustberg, Ph.D. | ||||||
|
Print Media Appearances
NYDailyNews
Courant.com
Wave Magazine
ABC News
The Free Press -
Mankato, MN
The Vail Trail
OrlandoSentinel.com
Birkshire Eagle
SignOnSanDiego
Time New
York Post
seattlepi.com
reviewjournal.com
Newsday.com
STL Today
Athens News
InfoSports
KansasCity.com
FresnoBee.com
SignOnSanDiego.com
BerkshireEagle.com:
Daily Herald:
Courier News:
Examiner:
PajamasMedia:
ESPN.com:
VC2:
Kane County Chronicle:
Christian Science Monitor:
smh.com.au:
NewsReview.com:
Philadelphia Daily News:
Winston-Salem
Journal:
The Boston
Globe:
USA Today:
Journal Gazette:
The Associated Press:
Newsday.com:
ReviewJournal.com:
PJM News:
Unabated Sports:
Sports Central:
PE
Canoe
Coloradoan
Orlando Sentinel
Star Telegram
Jacksonville
Belleville News Democrat
Star Telegram
Des Moines Register DenverPost.com dailypress.com SignOnSanDiego.com latimes.com PE.com OCRegister.com Mets
Inside Pitch post-gazette.com Hartford
Courant
Mercury
News phillyBurbs.com York
Daily Record Denver
Post The
Duquesne Duke Chicago
Tribune Sunday
Herald New
York Daily News
The San Diego Union-Tribune
International Network on Personal Meaning
The Plain Dealer
|
The psychology of RexBy Stacy St.
Clair When he is good, he is very, very good. And when he’s bad, he’s horrid. It’s not difficult to see the toll the roller-coaster season has taken on Grossman, who has won both NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors during the current campaign and had five games with a quarterback rating below 37. His news conferences have become soul-searching expeditions in which he struggles to explain what’s happening both on the field and in his head. With puppy dog eyes, he has apologized on several occasions for anemic performances and promised to do better. Everyone from Dan Marino to the Halas Hall janitor has offered an opinion on how Grossman can improve his physical game. The 26-year-old might be better served, however, if he figured out how to conquer his mental one. “He’s under a lot of pressure in Chicago to perform,” said Richard Lustberg, a New York-based sports psychologist. “He’s being subjected to scrutiny all over the country and he knows it.” The biggest clue to Grossman’s mental toughness could be the confessional-type news conferences he has held in recent weeks, experts said. More than once, he has stood in front of the microphones and shook his head at his performance. He has admitted to being unprepared. He suggested New Year’s Eve was an off-field distraction. He swore he had learned his lesson and wouldn’t lack focus again. “It has a pleading quality to it,” Lustberg says. “He’s asking us to understand. He wants us to remember that we don’t always have the best day at the office.” Lustberg doesn’t fault Grossman for having such thoughts. Surely there were other players thinking the same thing after the disastrous Green Bay game. What interests Lustberg, however, is Grossman’s willingness to give a public voice to his doubts. “Deep down, he had to know that people wouldn’t take kindly to those comments,” he said. “My best guess is that he has his own doubts. It’s almost as if he would be relieved if he was relieved.” Philip Clark, a Reiki master who offers energy balance sessions at Chicago’s Ruby Room, say Grossman needs to stop the self-flagellation before he can rebuild his confidence. Clark understands Grossman’s plight perhaps better than the average fan. In addition to helping people find inner peace for the past 20 years, he also spent five years in the NFL. A 1967 first-round draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys, he also spent time with the Bears and New England Patriots. “Rex is very sensitive,” Clark said. “In some respects, he’s very naïve. He has all the mental energy he needs. He’s just using it against himself.” Clark, a former defensive back, said he would encourage Grossman to take his time and not try so hard. The young quarterback, he says, needs to work on regrouping himself emotionally after a mistake. “Rex is his own biggest enemy,” Clark said. “He beats himself up. I think he’s just overwhelmed right now.” Sports psychologist Gloria Balague says she would advise Grossman to recall his most successful games and think about how he prepared for them. She would encourage him to repeat those same steps as part of his post-season preparations. “His biggest problem seems to be maintaining his focus,” said Balague, a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. “That’s the first thing I would address with him.” Not one of the experts, however, believes Grossman’s mental obstacles can be removed overnight. And this could mean disappointment for Bears fans with dreams of seeing their team play in Miami next month. “If I were to start a team, I wouldn’t pick Rex Grossman,” Lustberg said. “The Bears are getting by right now with an inadequate quarterback.” |
|