jirskyr
Well-known member
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/state-of-origin-2017-how-james-tedesco-rebuilt-body-mind-after-paranoia-set-in-20170614-gwqvls.html
**State of Origin 2017: How James Tedesco rebuilt body, mind after paranoia set in**
Michael Chammas
>
There was a time James Tedesco couldn't take a step on a football field without fear his body would abandon him.
>
His paranoia about his physical frailties was compounded by a relentless battle to convince his mind there was actually nothing to fear at all.
>
"Obviously coming in first game doing your knee and coming back and doing it all again, there was a time after that where I had low confidence and was wondering if I would hurt myself every time I took a step or if I could get through a game I played," Tedesco said.
>
"They are pretty negative thoughts and that's why I wasn't playing my best footy during that period. That was affecting me back then but I don't think it's affecting me at all now."
>
So how did this teenage prodigy overcome the mental demons that threatened to see another future superstar cut down to size because of an extended period in rehabilitation?
>
Enter Joe Wehbe. The mentor to Tedesco and Aaron Woods who was at the centre of the pair's defection from the Tigers because of the club's inability to keep him on the books.
>
"After all those injuries, I talked to him every week and he got me in a good mind set," Tedesco said.
>
"He told me if I'm thinking about the injuries then it's in my head and it's going to cause me problems. I've learnt through him to block out any bad thoughts or any thoughts of injury. If it's not in my head, they won't re-occur. If my head is clear and I'm just playing footy, those injuries won't come.
>
"I'm not going to lie, those thoughts come and go, but it's about the amount of energy you put into it that matters. If the thought comes in that 'if I step off this leg then something might happen', I used to start thinking about that for five or 10 minutes. That's where you drain all your energy. If that thought comes now, I'll let it pass and then I'm not draining too much energy."
>
Wehbe's name was somewhat dragged through the mud in the contract saga surrounding the "big four" at the start of the season, but Tedesco and Woods never wavered in their support of him.
>
He remains a close confidant of the Tigers duo, who were regularly on the phone with him in the lead up to the Origin I ambush at Suncorp Stadium.
>
"Talking to Joe is sort of like my meditation," Tedesco said.
>
"It's when I'm in the moment. The big thing from him to me is to take deep breaths before the game. That gets me in the moment on the field so as I'm not worried about other things. I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me. After all my injuries and everything that happened to me, he's always been there for me picking up my phone calls and always having a chat. He always makes time for me. I know me and Woodsy have such a lot of respect for him.
>
"We wanted things to work out for us at the Tigers with him but that didn't work out. He would say everything happens for a reason. We still remain close. During camp for game one, I was pretty much talking to him everyday to get in that mindset of preparing for that game."
>
As well as Wehbe, there's also massage therapist Anthony Carbone who Tedesco credits for ending his horror stretch with injuries.
>
Carbone, who was also turned away by the Tigers at the start of the year, is the masseuse Jarryd Hayne regularly flies down to Sydney to visit.
>
The NSWRL paid for Carbone's flights and accommodation in the week leading into Origin I to allow him to treat Woods, Tedesco and Hayne before the big game.
>
Given the performance of the Blues players in the opening game of the series, there's little doubt as to Carbone's whereabouts over the coming week.
>
"He's another guy, with Joe, that I started seeing after all my injuries," Tedesco said.
>
"The mental side is big but physically my body, I've seen him every week, sometimes twice a week, since I had those injuries. I haven't had any ankle issues or knee issues. He's got my body prepared every week and having him in camp for game one to see him every day, my body felt great."
Reads a little precious to me. Has Joe Webhe been guaranteed a spot at Roosters?
Begs the question does every sportsman need some mental training, or does the need to speak to someone every day reveal mental frailty? Is it possible that one of the reasons we don't make the finals every year is because the players lack a mental fortitude, and whilst talking to a counselor or therapist helps the players, it also reveals their _need_ for help.
I think it's a healthy thing, to talk to someone about your concerns. Less healthy if it has to be one person, that's a big investment. Less healthy again if your future employment is impacted by this one person.
Also SMH clearly don't know that a masseuse is a female massage therapist, unless Anthony Carbone is a woman, it's the second time they've referred to him thus (Proszenko did it first).
**State of Origin 2017: How James Tedesco rebuilt body, mind after paranoia set in**
Michael Chammas
>
There was a time James Tedesco couldn't take a step on a football field without fear his body would abandon him.
>
His paranoia about his physical frailties was compounded by a relentless battle to convince his mind there was actually nothing to fear at all.
>
"Obviously coming in first game doing your knee and coming back and doing it all again, there was a time after that where I had low confidence and was wondering if I would hurt myself every time I took a step or if I could get through a game I played," Tedesco said.
>
"They are pretty negative thoughts and that's why I wasn't playing my best footy during that period. That was affecting me back then but I don't think it's affecting me at all now."
>
So how did this teenage prodigy overcome the mental demons that threatened to see another future superstar cut down to size because of an extended period in rehabilitation?
>
Enter Joe Wehbe. The mentor to Tedesco and Aaron Woods who was at the centre of the pair's defection from the Tigers because of the club's inability to keep him on the books.
>
"After all those injuries, I talked to him every week and he got me in a good mind set," Tedesco said.
>
"He told me if I'm thinking about the injuries then it's in my head and it's going to cause me problems. I've learnt through him to block out any bad thoughts or any thoughts of injury. If it's not in my head, they won't re-occur. If my head is clear and I'm just playing footy, those injuries won't come.
>
"I'm not going to lie, those thoughts come and go, but it's about the amount of energy you put into it that matters. If the thought comes in that 'if I step off this leg then something might happen', I used to start thinking about that for five or 10 minutes. That's where you drain all your energy. If that thought comes now, I'll let it pass and then I'm not draining too much energy."
>
Wehbe's name was somewhat dragged through the mud in the contract saga surrounding the "big four" at the start of the season, but Tedesco and Woods never wavered in their support of him.
>
He remains a close confidant of the Tigers duo, who were regularly on the phone with him in the lead up to the Origin I ambush at Suncorp Stadium.
>
"Talking to Joe is sort of like my meditation," Tedesco said.
>
"It's when I'm in the moment. The big thing from him to me is to take deep breaths before the game. That gets me in the moment on the field so as I'm not worried about other things. I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me. After all my injuries and everything that happened to me, he's always been there for me picking up my phone calls and always having a chat. He always makes time for me. I know me and Woodsy have such a lot of respect for him.
>
"We wanted things to work out for us at the Tigers with him but that didn't work out. He would say everything happens for a reason. We still remain close. During camp for game one, I was pretty much talking to him everyday to get in that mindset of preparing for that game."
>
As well as Wehbe, there's also massage therapist Anthony Carbone who Tedesco credits for ending his horror stretch with injuries.
>
Carbone, who was also turned away by the Tigers at the start of the year, is the masseuse Jarryd Hayne regularly flies down to Sydney to visit.
>
The NSWRL paid for Carbone's flights and accommodation in the week leading into Origin I to allow him to treat Woods, Tedesco and Hayne before the big game.
>
Given the performance of the Blues players in the opening game of the series, there's little doubt as to Carbone's whereabouts over the coming week.
>
"He's another guy, with Joe, that I started seeing after all my injuries," Tedesco said.
>
"The mental side is big but physically my body, I've seen him every week, sometimes twice a week, since I had those injuries. I haven't had any ankle issues or knee issues. He's got my body prepared every week and having him in camp for game one to see him every day, my body felt great."
Reads a little precious to me. Has Joe Webhe been guaranteed a spot at Roosters?
Begs the question does every sportsman need some mental training, or does the need to speak to someone every day reveal mental frailty? Is it possible that one of the reasons we don't make the finals every year is because the players lack a mental fortitude, and whilst talking to a counselor or therapist helps the players, it also reveals their _need_ for help.
I think it's a healthy thing, to talk to someone about your concerns. Less healthy if it has to be one person, that's a big investment. Less healthy again if your future employment is impacted by this one person.
Also SMH clearly don't know that a masseuse is a female massage therapist, unless Anthony Carbone is a woman, it's the second time they've referred to him thus (Proszenko did it first).
