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Training Log #14:
Why do we often struggle to understand what the brain is doing during athletic training? We know that sports performance at the highest level requires a wealth of cognitive functions; such as, attention, decision making and working memory to be functioning at optimal levels in stressful and demanding environments. Research shows that playing sports boosts blood flow to your brain. This enables your body to build more connections between nerves within the brain. This improves memory, stimulates creativity, and helps your brain develop better problem-solving skills. One study found that playing sports can improve brain function. There are a lot of ideas thrown around by PhD's and many times this leaves a gap between the general population and the cutting edge research. In acrobatics, if you do not understand the workings of the brain, you will tend to struggle to help the athletes, and help yourself.
I ran across a study done in 2015, where researchers officially mapped out the most up to date map of the brain. The research was led by American scientists and the American government and is called the “Human Connectome Project.” The scientists used imaging techniques that found 180 distinct regions in the human brain that all have their own independent circuitry.
Split brain research stemming from the 1970s actually can give us a huge invite into human motivation. The reality is that many people think that they think at a high cognitive level, but what the research has shown, is that in reality, your brain acts more like the general population during a political election.
During an election, there is a lot of ideas thrown around, a lot of fake news and different opinions thrown at the population. The brain acts the same way when you perceive a new stimulus. America has 50 states that rarely if ever agree on the state of affairs which is why one State culture is often different from another. Imagine that the brain is like 180 different states, with their own motivations and perceptions of the world. Many think that one brain area, does one behaviour. This is not true. Lots of different parts of the brain are active for even basic movements and in reality, the brain tends to fight and argue with the different areas to come to a common-ground. Like in
politics, every time a new decision must be made, it is never the optimal solution. It is a compromise between states and usually the lowest common denominator is the winner because everyone has their own perception; just like each part of the brain.
What does this mean for a coach? It means that your athlete is not making mental decisions to the best level as they think, or their parents may think. In reality, a human decision is the easiest and shortest answer to the quickest and easiest solution. Even when you make a brilliant statement, in reality that statement is the easiest thing for your brain to do, which is why you made the statement. Your brilliant ideas are actually the lowest common denominator of your brain’s actual potential. So keep this in mind when you are coaching athletes.
Athletes, keep this in mind when you do not agree with your coach on a particular matter. Split brain research shows us that in reality, the brain is truly a lot more like politics for each decision you make, so humble yourself next time you feel high and lightly about some idea you have.
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This post is all about The Brain Is Like Politics. Every time a new choice needs to be made, much like in politics, it is never the best choice. Because everyone has a unique perception, much like each section of the brain, it is a compromise between states, and most of the time the lowest common denominator wins. If you need an assignment then I recommend that you should contact cause and effect essay mla format. Keep it up and good luck in the future.