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Page 6, Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, November 23, 1983 Spo £4 THE ROAR OF THE CROWD - Help or Hindrance to Players? by DENNIS HRYCAIKO Crack!. The young- ster's stick snaps. The surprised seven year- old scurries to the bench where his father controls the gate. The head coach passed the young boy a stick while the whistle halts the action for a face-off at his team's blue line. In con- fusion, the boy* races back to his position as a left winger. ' Immediately, players, coaches and father yell, "David! You're in the wrong position!" Time expires, and a line change occurs. Young David returns to the bench and tearfully cries, "Why is every- body yelling at me?"' David is too young to understand. His situa- tion dramatizes the crowd's impact on the behaviour of the indiv- idual. Here are some thoughts on the matter. Impact of Other People 'Generally speaking, a highly-skilled athlete performs better in front of an audience ..." The two factors which usually affect the per- formance of a young athlete are (1) the coach and teammates, and (2) the spectators. While spectators increase the player's motivation, NOTICE RE: OPEN HOUSES To Review Draft Forest Management Agreements For The Longlac And Nakina Forests Of The Kimberly-Clark Of Canada Licence Area NAKINA FO Terrace Bay REST a LONGLAC FOREST onglac All interested persons are invited to attend an Open House conducted by the Ministry of Natural Resources to review the Draft Forest Management Agreements for the Longlac and Nakina Forests of the Kimberly-Clark of Canada Licence area. The Open House will address the Ground Rules of the Agreement, Exclusions and FMA timetable. Modified Management Area policy will also be discussed as it applies to the Forest Management Agreements. The FMA's are scheduled to be signed in the Spring of 1984 and we hope that you will take this opportunity to comment before the terms and conditions are finalized. The timetable for the Open Houses is as follows: December 6th, 1983 December 7th, 1983 December 8th, 1983 December 9th, 1983 Terrace Bay Longlac Geraldton Nakina - Recreation Centre - Woodlands Inn - Legion Hall - Legion Hall 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you have any questions concerning the above, please contact Earl Stone, District Manager, or Darko Jovic, Crown Representative, at the Ministry of Natural Resources District Office, 208 Beamish Avenue West, Box 640, Geraldton, Ontario, POT 1MO, Telephone (807) 854-1030. Ministry of Natural Resources Ontario Hon. Alan W. Pope Minister W. T. Foster Deputy Minister every competition has a peak motivational level for best performance. Jf that level is exceeded or not reached, maximum performance is unlike- ly. Spectators may have a positive or negative in- fluence on your child's performance. Their in- fluence depends upon the feedback they pro- vide over and above their presence. "The less skilled ath- lete suffers a drop in performance level be- fore an audience ..."' Motivation level is higher for simple or well-learned skills than for complex or new skills. The factors which influence learning and performance of skills are: (1) the difficulty of the skill for the players, (2) the presence of team- mates, audience, com- petitors, and (3) the individual's personality and ability to deal with stress. Generally speaking, a highly-skilled athlete performs better before an audience than in practice, while the less skilled athlete suffers a drop in performance le- vel. In fact, the competi- tive athletic situation is much more complex than this. Athletic Competition and the Crowd Athletic competitions take place in the pre- sence of coaches, pa- rents, officials, team- mates and spectators. Although the player may practice alone, the game situation involves so- cial interaction. 'Even the presence of neutral observers sig- nificantly affects per- formance."' In competitive situ- ations, rivalry exerts a stronger influence on performance than other factors previously dis- cussed. In laboratory _well-learned skill, experiments, even the presence of neutral ob- servers (the research- ers and technicians) sig- nificantly affects per- formance. It is generally accepted that emotion- ally-involved, loud spec- tators affect the game by increasing stress. What Does This Mean for the Young Athlete? Research has conclud- ed that audiences en- hance performance of a but hinder the learning of new skills. Professional and top amateur ath- letes perform well-learn- ed and familiar tasks based on years of ex- perience. Therefore, game performance (a high stress situation) should exceed prac- tice' (low-stress situa- tion). Young athletes are less skilled, therefore, low stress situations (e.g. practice) are more conducive to effective learning. For some youngsters, the presence of parents and peers causes anxiety, while for others it has a calming sup- portive effect. In team sports like hockey, teammates can have a positive or nega- tive influence on a youngster's performan- ce. Sympathetic team- mates may reduce a young athlete's anxiety, but negative reactions may cause considerable stress. Team players are likely to face individual evaluation by their coach. The team as a whole, shares' the experience of being evaluated by the specta- tors. The "home team ad- vantage" may be de- ceptive. In addition to the positive or negative feedback, the makeup of the crowd is significant. For some youngsters, parents and peers cause anxiety, while for others it has a calming, sup- portive effect. Size of the audience is also important. The lar- ger the crowd, the more likely evaluation is to take place. Most young- sters see this as threat- ening. Experience in these situations teaches youngsters to handle this stress. Studies indicate that stimulation and ag- ressive behaviour in- crease together. In a contact sport such as hockey, the influence of others should be control- led where it has a detri- mental effect on the de- velopment of young ath- letes. In conclusion, while the presence of others may enhance the per- formance of elite ath- letes, the young players' interests may be better served by low-stress games and practices. Major Appliance Repairs Servicing done in your own home to ranges, washers, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, electric hot water tanks and electric heating units. Bill Campbell Electric 824-2743 or 824-2574 Servicing Jackfish, Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Rossport and Pays Plat. WIN a FREE YEAR'S SUBSCRIPTION to the Terrace Bay - Schreiber "NEWS" The "NEWS" will be featuring a special "Christmas Cooking' section just in time for Christmas. We need your help in supplying us with your favourite Christmas recipes. One winner from each of the following categories will be selected: ® cookies ethnic dishes °® cakes candies ® pastries estive beverages © main dishes CHRISTMAS IS FOR SHARING - SHARE WITH US "FESTIVE RECIPE Submit your recipes to: (by December 7th) CONTEST" Box 579, Terrace Bay Ontario, POT 2WO (or drop them off at the'NEWS" office)