Chapter 6

Anger: How to Moderate Hot Buttons

By Mitch Abrams and Bruce Hale

Anger

It is a normal emotion.

Precursor emotions include hate, fear, frustration, and disappointment.

Physiological response is similar to anxiety.

Charles Spielberger

Anger-in• Athletes direct their

anger at themselves or attempt to suppress the expression

• Kicking the dirt; swearing Anger-out

• Physical or verbal affront to others or to objects

• Punching an opponent; destroying a water cooler

Types of Violence

Hostile• Intent to harm an opponent• Spontaneous or planned• Spontaneous violence usually

accompanied by anger• Planned hostile violence is deeply

troubling

(continued)

Types of Violence (cont)

Instrumental• Goal is to achieve

external prize.• Physical contact is a

normal part of the sport (e.g., a hard check or a heavy tackle).

NFL: National Felons League? Is planned hostile violence in sport criminal?

NHL: Marty McSorley striking Donald Brashear in the head from behind with his stick

NHL: Todd Bertuzzi punching Steve Moore and breaking his neck

NFL: Bill Romanowski punching Marcus Williams at practice and breaking his orbital bone, leaving him partially blind

The Myth of the Violent Athlete

Research is equivocal; There is little strong evidence that athletes are more violent than nonathletes in life away from the playing field.

Why does the image of violent athletes persist?

Aggression vs. Assertiveness

Aggression: the use of force to reach a goal.

Assertiveness: to insist on one’s rights.

There is no “right to win” in sports. Athletes are not assertive; they are aggressive in reaching their goals.

Instinct Theory

Freud, Konrad Lorenz.

Man = animal.

Aggression is an inborn drive like sex, hunger.

Catharsis: purging of pent-up aggression.

Social Learning Theory

Imitating, modeling

Reinforcement (reward and punishment)

Aggression and Performance Bill Morgan: Athletes tend to have lower anger

levels. Yuri Hanin: Anger-in especially has deleterious

effects on concentration and focus. Associated with increases in physiological arousal:

• It may move a player out of IZOF.• Many coaches believe that angry players are more

aroused and play better. Aggressive behaviors in sport hurt performance.

Also, aggression does not cathartically release anger.

Aggression and Performance: Research Needed

Can anger-management programs be effective in sports? • Awareness training• Role playing

Can anger facilitate arousal or enhance an aggressive attitude in sports such as weightlifting, football, boxing, or rugby?

Identifying Your Anger Threshold

Warning signs Nonverbal cues

• Stiff neck• Rigid posture

Behavioral cues• Loud responses• Unwillingness to

listen Bodily feelings

• Feeling hot• Pounding heart

Developing Awareness

Hassle log Identify situational

cues Feedback from others Hostility bias: the

tendency to perceive neutral stimuli as provocative

Measuring Anger in Sport No sport-specific

measures exist

Spielberger’s State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI): 44-item self-report

The POMS

Measurement

Bredemeier Athletic Aggression Inventory

Sport Aggression Inventory

Scale of Children’s Action Tendencies

Measure aggressive intent, not anger or violence

Intervention Strategies

Resistance to anger control in sports may be based on these beliefs:• Athletes are healthy, so

they don’t have problems with emotions.

• Anger is necessary for sport success, and removal of it will hinder an athlete’s performance.

Physiological Interventions

Relaxation

Imagery

Music

Cognitive Interventions

Talk it out. Communicate. Take a time-out. Problem-solve. Evaluate and modify. Exercise.

Implementing Anger-Management Training

Individual interventions Privacy, more comfortable Group sessions With peers Modeling Team-building

The Role of the Coach

Modeling anger and violence sends the message that losing control is OK.

Coaches who instruct players to act aggressively promote angry aggression.

Coaches who fail to discipline athletes involved in assaults and violent behavior send the message that violence is acceptable.• Model anger control.• Set team rules and codes of conduct.• Be proactive.