The Merseyside Nighthawks have recruited a second sports psychologist as they aim to improve their performances for the 2024 season.
Ethan Smith has been brought to the team to work under the club’s psychologist, Emilie Haspel.
Smith explained his role ahead of the match against the Edinburgh Wolves on Sunday.
He said: “The goal is to work on the culture, the team, that’s why the observations are so impossible when I first come in.
“This is my first time doing anything like this, but I’m sure that we’ll – there’s value to add to the team for sure.
“Coming to the team it’s clear that the culture is a nice one it’s a nice place to be.
“It’s already quite a facilitative environment but the job is to see where we can improve what is already good.”
Plans to achieve greater performance
Playing in the British American Football Association Premier Division North, the Nighthawks finished the 2023 season 1-9.
Their only win came in their final match of the season beating the Leicester Panthers 36-6.
Last week the Nighthawks lost their first game of the season 43-7 to the East Kilbride Pirates.
Smith hopes his work will improve the team’s results.
He said: “We are looking at trying to achieve greater performance within the team so, I think that would like maybe belief in one another which I think they already have – confidence within themselves as well is something that we’d like to facilitate.
“Make sure that they really believe in themselves and the goals of the team what the teams about, do they have confidence in that, the coaches and themselves?
“That’s what I’d like to see for sure.”
The Nighthawks got off to the worst possible start at the JMO Sports Park on Sunday afternoon.
Their opening punt was ran straight to the end zone to give the Wolves their first touchdown of the match.
Edinburgh ran out 53-7 winners as the home side search for their first win of the season.
The Nighthawks now have a two week break before their next match against Tamworth Phoenix on May 12th.
Observing the Nighthawks
Smith said he will use this time to observe the team and identify improvements.
He said: “If the opportunity where to arise or the situation where to come about where one-to-one would be useful, I would work in the one-to-one basis.
“But with it being such a big team, its probably most beneficial to try and get a message to one of the leaders in the team and have that message diffused to the rest of the players.
“If you spend your time working one-to-one with players you can be here to the end of the season and still not get through everyone so its definitely not the most efficient way, not even efficient let alone not the best way to approach it, efficient or effective it’s not the way to go about it.
“I would like to work on the team level.”
