Mike Kallai Sr. left a major footprint on Ohio wrestling

Filed by Brad Bournival May 25th, 2011 in Sports.
  

The late Mike Kallai Sr. will receive the Al Thomas Award at the Medina County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 16 at The Galaxy Restaurant in Wadsworth. (GAZETTE PHOTO BY RON SCHWANE)

All questions have been answered, and Mike Kallai Sr. is undeniably this year’s Al Thomas Award winner.

A member of the 26th Medina County Sports Hall of Fame class, some were confused as to what the award meant when asked for tidbits for this story.

When told the winner was selected for his tireless behind-the-scenes contributions to high school sports without expecting anything in return, the praise poured out.

“Yep, that’s him.”

“Without a doubt, it’s Mike.”

“Well, it’s about time.”

“That describes Mike perfectly.”

Those were just some of the responses.

Perhaps no man was as revered in wrestling as the late Kallai, who was seen by many as an ambassador for the sport. That belief doesn’t just resonate in Medina County, it is shared across the state.

“There are a lot of things that typify him. He didn’t just start getting compliments after he died (last summer),” Wadsworth wrestling coach John Gramuglia said of his former assistant, who will be honored at The Galaxy Restaurant during a June 16 banquet sponsored by The Gazette and the Medina Breakfast Kiwanis Club.

“He loved wrestling so much that he made you love it. It was hard not to get into it because of the way he treated it, talked about it and put back into it. It was natural for him to do it. He was always involved.”

Kallai’s locker still sits untouched in the coaches office. The “M.K.” with the Wadsworth logo underneath rests on every headgear worn by a Grizzly.

Because if you knew Kallai, you knew how much the former Barberton police chief loved the mats.

A wrestler for Coventry High School, Kallai began his assistant coaching career at Barberton before coming to Wadsworth in 1991.

It was there that “Chief” made his mark.

A catalyst for the sport, he dipped his toes into every aspect of wrestling to see how things could be improved on all levels.

Not just from a competitive standpoint, but issues involving safety and friendliness. There wasn’t an avenue Kallai didn’t walk to bring awareness to wrestling.

“Mike was a giver,” said Bob Pruesse, a longtime writer for Amateur Wrestling News. “He was the guy that shunned any personal recognition, but he was a bedrock guy in Ohio wrestling.

“He was doing the dirty work, the details that most people don’t want to be involved in. He was low key, but you could always count on him.”

Ohio surely did, as Kallai ran the Division I State Duals for 14 years. He also was the glue that held the Grizzly Invitational Tournament together, letting Gramuglia coach while he did the “little things.”

Kallai was also the president of the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches Association and Greater Cleveland Coaches and Officials Association.

“Mike not only came to Wadsworth, but to the Northeast Ohio Coaches Association, the state board and the district board and gave them his hours for the betterment of the sport,” state rules interpreter Ray Anthony said. “What he did for us was tremendous. I’m not sure one guy can fill his shoes. It’ll take awhile to get back to that position.”

Kallai leaves behind an undeniable footprint, as he was the catalyst for the new format for the state duals starting in 2012-13.

A complex formula used to determine the top eight teams from each division in the duals. Now, every school will be eligible to participate in a tournament format that will conclude weeks before the individual state tournament is to take place.

That typified Kallai. When it came to wrestling, he wanted everyone involved.

“You knew you could count on Mike,” Wadsworth assistant coach Larry Kaufman said. “He was always ready to go, always under control. He had that levity to take a tense situation and make it easy.

“He is a good example of what it means to sacrifice for a sport and to make it a priority, to get involved and not be afraid to make changes that needed to be made.”

Winner of the Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity Award by the OHSWCA in 2009, Kallai embodied everything the honor bestowed.

Kallai was also the rock everyone turned to when things got tough. Medina coach Chad Gilmore wrestled for his former assistant coach, but also turned to him in tough times.

That’s possibly where he’ll be missed the most.

“He meant a lot to me and still does,” Gilmore said. “The character he had as a dad, police chief and coach showed wherever he went. When he talked, people listened. He was a true leader no matter what he did. People need that in their lives.”

Added Anthony: “Our sport is a fraternity. Without him here, we’re missing a key part of the puzzle. Whether it is something to talk about or someone to bounce something off of, he’s a big part of the family that is missing.”

Mental Preparedness for Training and Sport

Written on March 1, 2011 by admin in Mind Training

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INTRODUCTION
Recently, I wrote an article pertaining to the theoretical Training Hierarchy Pyramid (THP) that provides a conceptual model for the development of an athlete.  Similar to Maslow’s psychological hierarchy of needs model, the THP suggests that certain athletic capacities need to be attained prior to others being addressed.

In reality, some or all levels of preparedness in this pyramid will be trained or practiced congruently during certain times throughout the year.  So, I prefer to think of this model as an interconnected, 3-dimensional pyramid, where deficiencies in lower levels will have an adverse affect on performance in the upper levels.
The last article focused on defining and establishing the importance for athletes of all sports to build big athletic foundations or “bases” through GPP and SPP training.  This article will focus on mental and emotional preparedness or “mind training”.  Mind training can and should play a vital role before, during and after all training or competition.  Assuming same or similar base physical and sport preparedness, mind training IS what separates the best from the rest.  More importantly, it is the developmental ingredient that will determine if an athlete realizes his or her own potential.
It is well documented that most athletes who have made the Olympic team in their sport practiced some form of mind training, while those athletes that failed to make the team did not.  Mind training is now a part of nearly every successful program because of its documented success and impact on athletic performance.  However, chances are still good that your next opponent is less than optimally prepared mentally and emotionally.  This presents an opportunity for you to gain a competitive advantage!
There are many forms of mind training.  What works best is largely dependant on the individual.  My recommendation is to try all of them before deciding which methods/tools you will regularly practice and eventually master.  These are presented in no particular order of importance of effectiveness.  The method or methods that work best are the ones that you put into practice!
#1  SELF TALK
I feel comfortable saying that every athlete ALREADY uses self talk as a method of mental preparedness, but self talk can either be extremely beneficial or extremely detrimental to performance.  Becoming aware that self talk can be used as a tool to improve confidence and performance is a positive step in itself.  Self talk is that little voice inside your head that is you coaching yourself.  The internal dialogue of thoughts directly affect feelings and emotions, and ultimately, athletic movement and performance.  Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings and poor performance, while positive thoughts lead to feelings of confidence and high performance.
It is not uncommon for many athletes to engage in negative self talk.  Negative self talk often times creates feelings of nervousness, anxiety, fear of success and fear of failure.  These feelings will most certainly have an adverse affect on athletic performance.  This can be easily remedied by first becoming conscious of it, then replacing the negative self talk with positive affirmations.  Every athlete is capable of doing this, but it takes practice to master.
SELF TALK BEST PRACTICE:

Find a verbal cue that turns your attention away from negative thoughts and feelings to the task at hand.  The verbal cue or reminder can be one word or a phrase that helps you focus on the present moment, encourages focused relaxation or acts as a self pep talk.  You may have one or more verbal cues for different situations, but this should be decided and practiced before competition, so that it becomes automatic.  Examples of verbal cues include:

“Focus”
“Breathe”
“Stay present”
“Be ready!”
“Let go”
“I’m exceeding my own expectations”
“I feel good”

The list could go on and on.  The verbal cue or cues that you choose should be very personal and address those specific situations that have led to negative feelings, emotions and poor performance in real or imagined events.

#2  BREATHING/MEDITATION
Deep breathing and meditation (relax the mind) is a skill that is mostly practiced before competing or anytime anxiety or nerves have taken over.  Proper breathing relaxes the mind and the body.  It oxygenates the blood and energizes the brain, nerves, and muscles, allowing for optimal performance.  Proper breathing could easily be the most important aspect of staying focused during sports or any athletic activity. Inefficient breathing consists of short, shallow breaths that never reach below the upper chest.  Proper breathing consists of large breaths that are pulled deep into the lungs using the diaphragm.  Think of filling up your lungs with air from the bottom up.  Breathing this way will help to reduce anxiety, improve focus or encourage relaxation, whether you are training, competing, or lying in bed having trouble falling asleep.
BREATHING/MEDITATION BEST PRACTICE:


The best way to practice and master deep breathing is through meditation, which is performed separately from any physical activity (preferably in solitude).  Meditation is a self-directed process for calming the mind and body using deep breathing.  Meditation should be practiced in a quiet room or setting, with your body situated in a comfortable position.  Your job during meditation is to calm the mind through deep breathing:

• Start by closing your eyes and taking in a deep breathe, filling your lungs from the bottom up.
• Hold your breath for a period of 10-30 seconds.
• Release the breath, releasing all feelings of anxiety and muscle tension.
• Repeat this procedure, focusing all of your attention on your breathing, until your mind chatter slows down or stops or until you feel calm and relaxed.

With practice, you will reach a state of relaxation quicker and quicker.  There is no time limit for meditation.  Meditation sessions can last from 10 minutes to 1 hour or longer.  You meditate and breathe UNTIL.  Once you have trained your body and mind to relax through meditation, you can use self talk (“Breathe” or “Deep Breath”) to calm yourself down before or during stressful competitive events.

#3  MENTAL REHEARSAL/VISUALIZATION
Visual motor behavior rehearsal (VMBR) is a process of creating a mental video of a particular event, before training or competition.  Athletes can use this mental video to:

• Analyze and correct errors that have occurred in real or imagined situations.
• Imagine turning individually specific fears or anxieties into positive situations and improved performance.
• “Experience” the event before it happens.
• Desensitize athletes from stressful situations or environments.
• Imagine perfect sport skill and technique
• Prepare positive reactions to unforeseen situations that “go wrong”.

The main objective of VMBR is to remove unwanted and undesirable movements or situations that could adversely affect performance.  This is time set aside before training, an event or a competition that allows an athlete to overcome fears and anxieties prior to the situation.  This is a critical component of mental preparedness!
MENTAL REHEARSAL/VISUALIZATION BEST PRACTICE:


Step 1:  Pick a quiet, comfortable and tranquil place to sit, in a chair or on the floor.  Practice some deep breathing to get focused and relaxed (see “Deep Breathing/Meditation”).

Step 2:  Once you are relaxed, turn your attention to your upcoming event or competition.  Picture yourself as the participant, not the observer.  Visualize and take in all of your surroundings (internal and external); the sights, the sounds, the smells, the temperature, the feelings and the emotions.  Create a mental video, from start to finish, of the entire event or competition.  See yourself arriving to the venue, getting dressed, warming up, starting the event or competition, executing perfect technique and staying present in the moment.  Imagine everything going exactly as planned, ending with the outcome you desire.

Step 3:  Repeat step 2, only this time, imagine every possible situation that could go wrong.  This is the time to experience the worst case scenario, and control your reactions to it, before you are placed in that situation.  See yourself addressing all obstacles with calm and ease, turning negative situations into positive outcomes.  Visualize yourself using the other mind training tools (self talk, verbal cues, deep breathing) to stay calm, focused and positive during adverse conditions.  DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!

Step 4:  Repeat step 1 to complete your VMBR session.

#4  RITUALS
Many successful athletes incorporate pre-competition rituals or idiosyncrasies that get themselves into a full state of readiness.  Rituals allow athletes to take control of their environments and filter out distractions.  Rituals are very specific to the individual and may include:

• Any of the mind training tools mentioned in this article (self talk, deep breathing, mental rehearsal)
• A specific song or playlist of songs that amps up an athlete’s energy level (be careful not to wear yourself out or get amped too early!)
• A specific warm-up routine
• A specific dressing routine or clothing item
• Performing a specific movement or getting into a specific position before certain situations (think of a basketball player’s rituals at the foul line)
• Any thought, gesture or activity that an athlete does every time he or she is getting ready to perform an athletic movement or compete in a sport event

RITUALS BEST PRACTICE:


Depending on the sport or nature of the activity, some of the mentioned rituals may get interrupted by external situations that are outside of an athlete’s control.  So, the best ritual is to regularly practice and master the mind training tools mentioned in this article, so that you are prepared to handle anything that might interfere with your other rituals and knock you off course.  “Ritualize” self talk, deep breathing/meditation and mental rehearsal/visualization, so that you are mentally and emotionally prepared for circumstances that are confined only by your imagination.

CONCLUSIONS
Mental/emotional preparedness plays an important role in all training and competition.  The most successful athletes regularly practice one or more of the mind training tools mentioned in this article.  If you want to separate yourself from your competition, and more importantly, KNOW your potential as an athlete, you will begin to consciously practice and master the mind training tools that best prepare you mentally and emotionally to perform at your best.  Through trial and error, you will develop rituals that will allow you perform or compete with a healthy level of “focused relaxation”.  Winning and losing or succeeding and failing will become side effects of your level of physical, mental and emotional preparedness instead of what defines you as an athlete.  If you have any thoughts or questions about mind training or mental/emotional preparedness, please post to comments

“Breaking Down” Mental Breakdowns – Sports Leadership for Success

“Breaking Down” Mental Breakdowns – Sports Leadership for Success

by Dr. Chris Stankovich

 

Every athlete knows the importance of mental toughness, but many struggle with understanding the skills, and to what degree to use the skills, apply to maximizing athletic potential for their specific sport (Sport Success 360).

Mental toughness skills can be loosely defined in sport psychology as an athlete’s cognitive and emotional abilities relationship to behavioral movement (sport skills). Mental skills are “thinking and feeling” experiences athletes have while simultaneously attempting to successfully execute sport skills.

Examples of Mental Breakdowns

When athletes over-think sport situations to the point where fear and anxiety disrupts the natural execution of sport skills, the problem is a mental breakdown.  For example, when you see an athlete become upset after a bad play and loses focus in the plays that immediately follow, the athlete is suffering from poor emotional coping skills – or a mental breakdown.

Unlike machines, humans do not simply follow algorithms that lead to perfect solutions.  When a basketball player steps to the free throw line, she clearly wants to make the shot – and has made free throws hundreds of times before in practice.  As she takes her warm-up dribbles, she even reminds herself that nobody can disrupt her shot – after all, it’s a free throw.  Still, she misses the shot.

Coaches generally do a good job of teaching sport skills (like making free throws), but when athletes are called to execute the skills in they have learned in game situations they often fall to pressure – and end up choking as a result.  Making things worse, most athletes go back to only practicing the physical elements of a sport skill, and often disregard the importance of being able to control nerves and emotions (mental skills) the next time they feel pressure in a game situation.

Only when athletes are able to focus their thinking and control their emotions can they maximize their abilities to successfully master their sport.

The Degree of Training Athletes Need

Most sport psychology mental training skills center around confidence development, improving focus, controlling anxiety, and rebounding from adversity.  All of the skills, like imagery, breathing, and using cue words, can be tweaked and modified to help athletes of all ages and skill levels.  The question is not whether these skills “work” or not (they do), but rather the extent and degree specific athletes should use them.

One simple way for athletes to break down mental skills is to begin by thinking about the type of sport the athlete plays.  The following breakdown is designed to be thought of with respect to intensity, and not to be implied that there are some sports that require no mental training skills.

Gross Motor Sports – Less Thinking, Less Mental Training

Sports that rely on big muscle groups and relatively simple behaviors usually need less focus on mental training skills.   Some examples of these sports include linemen on a football team, track sprinters, and rebounders on a basketball team.  Of course, these athletes still benefit from mental training, but not generally to the degree that athletes who are required to use more fine motor skill movement and precision thinking (see below).

Fine Motor Skills – More Thinking, More Mental Training

Sports that rely on precision movement and a high degree of stress control usually need more attention on mental training skills than the gross motor skill group described above.  Some examples include putting in golf, shooting free throws, and making shots in pool.  Again, this does not suggest that only mentally tough athletes can do these things, but it does mean that mental toughness may have a greater impact on athletic success than most people think.

The reasons why precision sport movements require superior mental toughness include the following:

1.     There is more time to think. In sports, the ideal situation is when an athlete engages in “muscle memory” movement, the kind of action that happens automatically.  In precision sports, the time to think can often interfere with this biorhythm and cause the athlete to fail.

2.     There are more things to control. When athletes are given autonomy to perform a skill (like a free throw), the experience is very different than automatically defending an opponent.  Instead of reacting, when athletes control a situation they must regulate all thinking and feeling and synchronize these experiences with their body in order to execute the skill.

3.     More time to rebound and process from failure. Unlike a lineman in football who misses an assignment and quickly moves on to the next play, a golfer might agonize much longer after missing a 2-foot putt.  It is for this reason that the athlete must work diligently to improve in the emotional skill of becoming more resilient.

Since mental toughness programs are not one-size-fits-all, it is important to understand your sport and then determine the degree and extent to incorporate mental training skills.  Physical, technical, and mental skills are all important as they apply to sport success, but the percentage of training will depend on man of the factors outlined in this article.