SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST Saul Miller performs well under pressure. By Anna Marie D'Angelo News Reporter But not only can he easily han- die his own pressure, he specializes in handling other peo- ple’s pressure as well. “‘What it is all about is enabling people, not just in sports, but in all aspects of life, who have goals and have talent to achieve their potential,” said Miller. ‘Part of it is getting people out of their mind the part that says, ‘I can’t.’ ” The North Vancouver resident has worked with a variety of pro- fessional athletes, including Dave ‘Tiger’ Williams; Glen Hanlon when he was playing with the Detroit Red Wings; Joe Paopao; and members of the Canucks, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets and L.A. Rams. He is currently working with two divers training for the Olym- pics, two cyclists, two NHL hockey players and one profes- sional golfer. “41 don’t think you have to be a sports fan to do this type of work. But J think you have to have an appreciation of the game and _ap- preciation of the pressures that an athlete may endure so you can help,”’ said Miller. Miller has also worked with Olympic athletes who competed in the °84 and ’88 Games. He watch- ed the recent winter Olympics in Albertville, France, from a decidedly psychological point of view, “*Let’s put it this way. | think that certainly some of them didn’t handle the pressure very well,” said Miller ‘*Kurt Browning was clearly not in the right space. I don't know if he was hurting, that’s another issue, but certainly he wasn’t prepared so he was more vulner- able to pressure,’’ said Miller. Miller pointed out that the three-time skating world champi- on has been known to perform well under pressure, and Browning had come from behind in major competition. “But this time what was missing was the preparation,”’ Miller said. “He (Browning) was injured, and he hadn't had competitions leading up to the event.” Miller said Canada's Olympic darling and gold-medal downhiller Kerrin Lee-Gartner had almost the opposite psychological sports profile going into the Olympics. **No one had expectations for her to win. She was a very good international skier, ranked 15th to 20th in the world, but she was not expected to win,’’ said Miller. He said Lee-Gartner had prepared well, had come back to form after an injury and had the right perspective. “She said, ‘Hey, I’m going for it.” Whereas with Kurt Browning, if he doesn’t get a gold, everybody is disappointed because that is ex- pected and that puts = lot more pressure on him,’’ said ~‘:ller. Miller got started «1 sports psychology in 1979 when he ran a university counselling centre in the southen U.S. ‘For some 46 Fart of it is getting people out of their mind the part that says, T can't F#F feason’’ the tennis coach asked him to work with the team which resulted in **some success.”’ The golf coach and baseball coach soon arrived at Miller’s door for help, too. When Miller moved to Van- couver, he started working with the Vancouver Canadians, then the B.C. Lions, followed by the Vancouver Canucks, who at that time had made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Miller’s techniques involve releasing tension, gaining more psychological and physical control through breathing, and developing a positive psychological focus on yourself through the creation of images. “If you have done everything and prepared weil, then there should be a sense of the hay is in the barn. Or ‘I've done what | can, and I'm going for it,’ *’ said Miller. He said athletic slumps have to do with a cycle of pressure related to not performing well. That pressure causes tension, tension causes automatic negative and defensive thoughts that in turn impede performance and trigger more pressure. He said a sports psychologist’s job is to heip an athlete break the mental and physical cycle that is responsible for stumps. Miller said pro athletes using sports psychololgists are a “distinct minority’’ and points out that there is a disproportionate focus on the physical part of training. He said the techniques he uses apply to all performers, including those performing in the game of life. “Ct think there should be more time spent in school showing young people how to perform under pressure,”” said Miler, who has a 15-year-old son. He rejects the ‘Ben Johnson solution’’ in excelling in sports, but says it is not unexpected as our culture looks to drugs for quick results for everything from losing weight to calming down. Miller, who is also head of the Columbia Centre for Integrated Health Services, (a clinic for chronic-pain sufferers), has just released his third book, Perform- ing Under Pressure (McGraw-Hill Ryerson), which documents some of his successful techniques. NEWS photo Cindy Goodman NORTH SHORE'’S top-ranked diver Megan Gordon does seme sports training of the psychological variety under the direction of fellow North Shore resident and sports psychologist Sau! Miller. Miller has worked with famous athletes in the U.S. and Canada to improve sport performances. NV cyclist Sydor receives award 1986, has dominated Canadian races with gold medals at the Canadian National Road Championships and she has won all but one NORTH VANCOUVER'S in- ternationally ranked road and mountain bike cyclist Alison Sydor received a Promotion Plus leadership award March 7 in recognition of her outstand- ing contribution to women's sport. Sydor, 25, who automatically qualified for the Olympic road tace team, was recentiy ranked fourth in the world by the prestigious French magazine, Cyclisme International. Her recent international results include a bronze medal at the 1991 World Champion- ship Road Race, fifth at the World Mountain Bike champi- onship and stage wins in both the Tour de l’Aude and the European Community Tour. Sydor. a resident of the North Shore since Canada Cup stage race she entered, Sydor received ane of four Promotion Plus leadership awards given out at the Ar- butus Club in Vancouver.