Thread by @SteveEnglishbey

The Simone Biles situation has obviously generated much discussion. Quite a few have characterized her decision not to perform as heroic. Others have referred to her as a "coward" or worse, as a "selfish sociopath." I think all of the above characterizations are wrong.

Nor do they really help at all in explaining what HER mindset ACTUALLY was in coming to the decision to not compete.

Her own words as regards trying to explain her decision, were, from my vantage point, not all that helpful. This is not a criticism. As I have said many times, athletes are not typically very adept at explaining the what, why, and how, they actually do what they do.

So, I wanted to add some possible insight--based on my own experience as regards how mental breakdowns can happen. And based on quite a bit of reading from sports psychologists on such matters.

And based on some empirical ex. of breakdowns from some well known athletes.

As to the latter, there is the case of a MLB catcher [cannot recall the name] who overthrew the pitcher with a runner on third resulting in losing the game.

This botching of an utterly routine activity somehow [and later I will try to explain why] overwhelmed the mindset of this player. Such that eventually he left baseball.

Some may recall a similar situation with Yankee second baseman Chuck Knoblauch wherein he botched some routine throws and rather than just quickly dismissing it, he let it linger in his mind and grow.

In a manner such that he eventually moved to the out field. And I will add that many yrs. later ---according to guys that I know and that know him ---he is still bitter about how the fans treated him.

To some extent his reaction to fans is important in that it sheds some light as to how external factors --and one's reaction to those factors ---can contribute to the kind of mental breakdown that CAN occur in elite athletes.

Here's a pretty good article about the Knoblauch situation --citing some psychologists trying to shed light on how this kind of breakdown can happen.

nytimes.com/2000/06/17/spo…

This is twitter, so I won't cite some of the relevant quotes.

But here's one which is key: ''Ballplayers, by the time they get to the major leagues, know how to automatically run from home to first; they know how to throw a ball,'' Mr. Wolff said. ''They don't think about that stuff. "

[cont] : "But when you start thinking about these things, when you start thinking, 'How much pressure should I put into my throw? Should I try to grip the ball a certain way?' you're gone.''

Another empirical ex. somewhat similar to Simone I think, is the Rick Ankiel situation. Rick was an outstanding pitcher who had performed very well at all levels. Until the playoffs wherein he --without any seeming rational reason---threw a record breaking no. of wild pitches.

And thereafter, never was able to regain his outstanding pitching performance. Here's an article from Psychology Today talking about Ankiel:

psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-co…

One key quote: "He described becoming aware of the millions of people across the nation who saw him throw the first wild pitch. He described thinking of his family, friends, hometown, and teammates who he had let down with the first wild pitch."

Again note the athlete's reaction/interpretation of those looking AT him. And how HE thought he had let them down.

I think that this kind of quote goes to the issue of the dynamics of many elite level athletes What do I mean by this?

Well, I mean that, many times, these elite athletes, early on, begin to separate themselves from average athletes. And people begin to see them as special, so to speak. They are special because, early on, they seem to be capable of moving in ways that few of their peers can do.

The athlete--like an Ankiel or Biles ---begin to recognize this special capability themselves. And. As time goes on they begin to see their ENTIRE persona as being composed of this special capability.

This evolves into a mindset --and really an entire existence ---predicated upon SUPERIOR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE.

The individual evolves into someone whose sole existence as a person is predicated upon superior athletic performance. THAT is how they judge themselves and that is how others judge them.

And understand that someone like Simone Biles has spent literally THOUSANDS of hours of practicing her sport. And in doing so, has given up many things in life, that most people engage in.

Thus, for her, early on she has spent many yrs. engaged in activity that has come to literally define her existence [from both an internal and external perspective].

Add to this, that her existence has been based upon the fact that she performs in a NEARLY CONSITENTLY PERFECT MANNER. Simply put, her existence is predicated upon the empirical fact that she ALWAYS PERFORMS basically flawlessly.

She knows this and she knows others know this. And she knows she is judged by others by this incredibly high standard. AND. She has come to judge herself---and her existence---by this standard.

ALL of the above sets up the possibility that IF she somehow fails to reach that standard, this could create the psychological conditions wherein she begins to doubt her existence ----which ,again is predicated almost solely upon her superior performance capability.

ANY slip in this very exceptional capability could set the stage to create ....doubt....fear...fear of the future...apprehension.

Add to this the potentially very dangerous kinds of movements she typically creates---IF they go wrong.

Seriously, I know of no other kinds of sporting movements wherein wrong movement could potentially lead to a broken neck or spine.

Bottom line here: I neither think Simone is a hero or a coward in withdrawing. What I DO think is that she is one of the most extraordinary athletes I have ever seem.

And I would only add that I have tried in this thread to possibly shed some light on her mindset involved incoming to her decision to with draw.

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