Dr. Rob Bell
Rob Bell is the owner of Dr. Rob Bell, LLC in Indianapolis, helping athletes, coaches, teams and parents build mental toughness. He is a certified sport psychology consultant with The Association of Applied Sport Psychology. He also works as a caddy on professional golf tours. His first book, "Mental Toughness Training for Golf," was published in 2010. A prolific writer, Dr. Bell has been published in the "Journal of Applied Sport Psychology," "Journal of Athletic Insight," "Journal of Sport Behavior" and "Encyclopedia of Sports." He writes extensively on the mental game—for, among others, "Runner’s World," "The New York Times" and "STACK magazine"—and he has been a presenter for numerous teams, schools and organizations. Dr. Bell earned his B.A. in psychology from Shepherd University; his M.Ed. in kinesiology, with a specialty in sport psychology, from Temple University; and his Ph.D. in sport psychology from the University of Tennessee.
March 20, 2013 |
Dr. Rob Bell
For one team to come out on top, another has to lose. This scenario is played out during every season. Every athlete at some point experiences a big loss—one that stings more than others. (Learn how to avoid loss aversion.)
Usually, the...
February 22, 2013 |
Dr. Rob Bell
An athletic director I met with recently discussed how one of his best basketball players, a point guard, always "played safe." On one hand, she made few mistakes and her play was consistent. However, she also held back and never...
November 26, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
Some incredible athletes are just born with unsurpassed talent. But many more have to will themselves to greatness. As a sports psychologist, I’ve observed, studied, critiqued and coached athletes my entire life. And while they almost always have a drive...
November 25, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: “We just gotta take it one game at a time, play our game, and have a do-or-die attitude the next time we play…”
You probably wanted to yell “HALT!” about a quarter second after...
October 20, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
"You don't tug on Superman's cape." But that's exactly what the U.S. team did in the 2012 Ryder Cup. Through three matches, Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley (the duo nicknamed "Keegleson") were the hottest pair of golfers in the history...
May 25, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." — Eleanor Roosevelt
Conflicts with a teammate are tough on both you and your team. Most conflicts occur because of poor communication or when someone doesn't get what he or...
March 29, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
The margin between winning and losing is so slim that teams and players must find small ways to maximize their play. Often, this comes through learning what to avoid or stop doing. Here are three "don'ts" of mental toughness.
Don't Multi-Practice
During...
March 27, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
The numbers don't lie when it comes to mental toughness. Batting .333, scoring two goals in hockey, winning 6-3, 6-4 in tennis, shooting a 72 in golf, swimming a 21.26 in the 50-free and compiling a 9-7 record are all...
March 16, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
Body language is vital in athletics. For example, look at its importance in gymnastics. Not only are gymnasts asked to execute incredible displays of athleticism, they must keep a cheery attitude the whole time. Gymnasts have to smile, even after...
February 26, 2012 |
Dr. Rob Bell
Casey Stengel, manager of seven New York Yankee world championship teams, was known for going easy on his players during tough stretches but becoming downright nasty during winning streaks. This unusual approach helped Stengel keep his team mentally tough by...