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Express Yourself: A Northern Star project
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star
The Student News Site of Northern Illinois University

Northern Star

Women’s tennis player gets award

By Ian Waddick | April 19, 2005

After splitting a pair of matches against MAC opponents over the weekend, NIU’s Chrissy Svetlic was named MAC Player of the Week on Tuesday. Over the past week, Svetlic won all four of her singles and doubles matches. "She’s playing rather high in...

New seasons bring different success levels

By Colin Decair | April 12, 2005

A typical student’s mentality can be defined very simply. After Summer Break, most students are enthralled for the fall semester to begin and can’t wait to catch up on old times with friends until Christmas break comes and everyone wants a little...

Tourney brings presents

By Colin Decair | March 30, 2005

With the Final Four this weekend, college basketball fans have been given a gift from the basketball gods. From Bucknell shocking Kansas all the way up to four total over-times in the four Elite Eight games, the madness has been in full effect. "I can’t...

Ongoing trend: In one year, out the next

By Sean Ostruszka | March 24, 2005

Over the past decade, a trend has been growing in college basketball. NIU men’s basketball coach Rob Judson has noticed it along with many other college coaches across the nation. For various reasons, transfers are changing the face of college basketball....

Playing with athlete’s minds

By Sean Ostruszka | March 23, 2005

Motivation hangs on every wall in the room NIU sports psychologist Moira Stuart uses to talk to players.

On the right it’s vision. The left tells the importance of drive. Behind you, the wall reminds to take advantage of opportunities.

But it’s the message on the back wall Stuart likes the best.

Behind a single stand black lamp hangs a picture of a man rock climbing in the desert. Below the image reads "challenge" in bright yellow letters.

"I like that one because I think athletes should not think of challenges as threats," Stuart said. "They should use them as positives. And that’s where I come in to try and help them realize that."

Forgive Stuart’s positive attitude, but in her mind, that’s what it’s all about. To Stuart, athletics are more that just one’s physical ability, but their mental ability as well. And it’s her job to help players and coaches overcome their challenges.

That’s one of the reasons the assistant professor in kinesiology and physical education received an e-mail from softball coach Donna Martin two years ago.

Martin had a few questions about how to make her a better coach. And after Stuart e-mailed her back some answers, Martin knew she wanted her players heading to Stuart’s room.

But in order for Stuart to help players and coaches overcome their challenges, she had to overcome one herself. Her problem: the stereotype of being a psychologist.

Many players don’t want to go to a psychologist because they don’t want to feel they have something wrong with them, Stuart said.

But that’s not what sports psychology is about. And as the seasons pass, more and more of NIU’s athletes have decided to make a visit.

"Players have to realize it’s not about you being broken and [Stuart] having to fix you," Martin said. "It’s about just wanting to improve."

That’s exactly what NIU basketball player Anthony Maestranzi wanted to do.

After Stuart spoke in front of the men’s basketball team prior to last season, Maestranzi’s curiosity took hold and he set up a session.

"I wanted to see what it was all about," Maestranzi said. "She helped me work on a few key points which have really helped me through the season."

Since his first session, Maestranzi has gone back a few times to see those posters in Stuart’s room to both learn new mental skills and to check his progress.

Yet that room and its posters serve a two-fold purpose for those who enter it. The coaches and players visit that room for advice to help them on the playing field. They leave with skills for life.

"When an athlete comes for a session I can teach them skills to help them deal with the stress and pressure of being a college athlete," Stuart said. "But for the rest of their lives, they will benefit from these attitude skills - because attitude is everything."

Huskies put paw print on tourney ties

By Frank Rusnak | March 22, 2005

Johnathan Byrd has some nice moves on the basketball court. But on the dance floor it’s understandable for his ability to be questioned. P Byrd and the rest of the NIU men’s basketball team have been turned into wall flowers at the party known as...

Sims is named NIU men’s hoops MVP

By Nathan Lindquist | March 22, 2005

Junior college transfer Cory Sims was announced as the NIU men’s basketball team’s most valuable player at Monday night’s end of season banquet. The 6-foot-1 guard was third on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg) and first in assists (4.75 apg) while...

Paulsen granted leave from team

By Sean Ostruszka | March 21, 2005

Sometimes a player just wants a place that fits him or her better. That was the case of NIU men’s basketball player Paige Paulsen. The sophomore was granted a release from his scholarship obligations to NIU on Thursday. "Paige is just going to go out...

McKinney gets all-conference recognition

By Steve Brown | March 10, 2005

Mike McKinney became the third underclassman in NIU history to gain All-MAC recognition Monday. The sophomore guard was named to the 2005 All-MAC Honorable Mention Team on Wednesday after leading the Huskies in scoring and rebounding. "We are pleased...

Judson has hand in wins

By Steve Brown | March 9, 2005

Being the No. 1 team in the nation for 14 consecutive weeks has its effects, including a buzz of media frenzy that has shocked the Midwest. But in the case of Illinois, it also has its causes, which are often a bit more subtle. NIU has its ties with the...

Give the Huskies credit

By Colin Decair | March 9, 2005

In just a mere whisper, the NIU men’s basketball season came and passed just as quietly. Unless you were actually in attendance at the games, you probably didn’t even notice that it happened. Who could blame them? For the most part, the season was...

Season dead: No visitation

By Ian Waddick | March 8, 2005

DeKALB - The 2004-05 NIU men’s basketball season died Monday, March 8, 2005 at the Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York. It began Monday, Nov. 9, with a 101-51 exhibition victory over the Illinois Institute of Technology and finished with an expected 73-66...

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