UD women remain focused from sports psychologist

Rebecca Cook credited with giving UD women ‘an uplifting spirit.’


A-10 women’s basketball tourney:

First round, today

Game time

Quarterfinals, Saturday

La Salle (13-16) vs. Xavier (8-19)

11:30 a.m.

La Salle-Xavier winner vs. St. Bonaventure (25-2)*

Saint Joseph’s (19-9) vs. Fordham (12-17)

2:30 p.m.

Saint Joseph’s-Fordham winner vs. Richmond (22-7)

Duquesne (19-10) vs. George Washington (11-17)

5 p.m.

Duquesne-GW winner vs. Temple (20-8)

Charlotte (16-12) vs. Saint Louis (10-19)

7:30 p.m.

Charlotte-Saint Louis winner vs. Dayton (20-6)

Semifinals: Noon, 2:30 p.m. Sunday TV: CBS Sports Network Championship: 5 p.m. Monday TV: ESPN2

Tournament at Saint Joseph’s *Game starts at noon

Jim Jabir, the University of Dayton women’s basketball coach, saw positive results of sending his players with personal problems to Dr. Rebecca Cook, the associate director of the counseling center at UD.

After several years of watching troubles turned to burdens lifted, he wondered what Cook’s department might be able to do for his team.

“He asked me, ‘Does anybody up here get sports psychology?’ ” Cook recalled.

“I said, ‘What do you think I’ve been doing with your players?’ Yeah, I’ve been working on their issues, whatever they may be, but I’m always working on performance enhancing and how can I make your performance better. He got that.”

After more give and take between coach and counselor, the Flyers ended up with their own volunteer team psychologist. Cook comes to practice, attends every home game and even will be on the bench at the Atlantic 10 tournament this weekend as the Flyers try to nail down their first league crown.

Since coming aboard two years ago, she’s been a calming influence on the Flyers.

“I think Becky’s brought, I guess, an uplifting spirit to our team,” senior star Justine Raterman said.

“As any athletic team knows, you go through ups and downs in a season. You go through things in your mind that you really can’t explain. Becky is always even-keeled. No matter how bad we played or all the negative things that happened, she’s always positive, and I think that’s so refreshing in a program.

“A lot of people can get focused on details, and she looks at the big picture. I know a lot of girls have really turned to her for help with personal issues and issues in basketball as well.”

Raterman experienced Cook’s impact in a key Atlantic 10 game this season. One of the psychologist’s ploys is to walk the Flyers through some guided imagery. She encourages the players to picture themselves for several minutes completing various basketball functions successfully.

When Raterman was fouled with five seconds left as her team trailed by two against Richmond, she didn’t feel pressure or dread. She practiced the mental technique she learned from Cook.

“Before every practice that Becky is there, we go through visualizing. I always stand at the free-throw line and visualize free throws (going in) through repetition,” Raterman said. “And that came into play when I had to make the free throws to tie the game.”

The all-league forward connected on both foul shots, and the Flyers prevailed, 81-78, in overtime.

“As a coach, I’m always, pushing, pushing, pushing. I think sometimes the emotions get involved,” Jabir said. “She gives us a pause, a breath, an opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate with a different set of eyes. We usually find out things weren’t as terrible as we thought. And I think she focuses the kids, gives them a lot of confidence.”

Sports psychologists are abundant with individual athletes such as golfers, and they’re gaining acceptance on the team level, too. Jabir said most schools in the six power conferences have them, although the expense can sometimes be a deterrent.

Another hindrance is the stigma that seeing a psychologist signifies weakness.

“I don’t think it’s for everybody. I think a lot of people think it’s hocus-pocus,” Jabir said. “But I do think it has a place. I think in athletics in general, anything physical is pretty mental. The more relaxed we are, the more focused we are. And it would just make sense that you would try to develop that part of your game.”

Cook has worked with other sports at UD, including golf, tennis and volleyball.

Basketball is her love, though. She grew up in hoops-crazed Indiana and attended Purdue University, which has a rich history in the women’s game.

“I told Jim, that’s my therapy,” Cook said of being around the Flyers. “I can have a tough day with students — because we have some tough issues that come in — and I can go to practice, and it’s heaven for me. I can sit and relax, and I know he appreciates what I do, and the players appreciate what I do and the coaches appreciate what I do. It feels good to be appreciated.”

Sometimes, though, the sports doc needs a little therapy herself.

“It’s crushing when they lose,” Cook said. “I go, ‘Oh my God, what did I do wrong?’ I remember the first game they lost last year after I started working with them. (Jabir) said, ‘Becky, this isn’t about you.’ But I said, ‘It sure feels like it.’ ”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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