National Championship Basketball Coach Dr. John Tauer on “The ESPN Effect, Individualism and Creativity
Dr. John Tauer, Associate Professor of Psychology and basketball coach for the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, joined host Stephen McCarthy of The McCarthy Project to discuss the role of technology (The ESPN Effect) on future generations of athletes.
In 2009, Dr. Tauer published a study “The ESPN Effect: How Slam Dunks Affect Individualism, Competitiveness, and Optimism” in the International Journal of Sport Communication. He shared his viewpoints on the culture of sport and how technology changes athletes outlook of themselves and their abilities based on what they see on tv or highlight videos. He also talked about the ability of athletes to think creatively based on what they see in these videos.
John has implemented his findings into his basketball team. It is hard to argue with his results to this point. 1 NCAA D-III National Championship, 7 consecutive MIAC Conference Championships, and the 2012-2013 team was ranked #1 in the nation with a record of 30-2.
Lastly, Dr. Tauer developed his ideas on winning and losing, raw talent vs. talent with skills. He put out his thoughts on how coaches and athletes should view their game, how they can get better and ultimately, master life and sport.
For the complete show, listen to the “The ESPN Effect”
For more information on Coach Tauer, visit the St. Thomas website.