02avr 2009
Hommage à Paul Avis
17:57 - Par Cyril - Le Coach Mental dans le Sport
Je prépare en ce moment un voyage de 2 semaines "Back to Cape Town" en novembre et je souhaitais reprendre contact avec Paul Avis, un des meilleurs tennisman sud africain de sa génération, devenu psychologue du sport, qui a été mon formateur sud africain en psychologie de la performance.
Je l'ai rencontré au sein du South African College of Applied Psychology (Cape Town), lieu où je m'ouvrais à d'autres visions et façons de travailler en psychologie du sport. Alors que j'étais joueur de hockey sur gazon (Pinelands HC) et entraineur d'un autre club (Milnerton HC) et d'une high school (Table View HS), j'avais eu la chance de suivre ses cours et de bénéficier de sa supervision.
J'ai beaucoup appris à ses cotés, non seulement pour optimiser mon approche mentale de la compétition (comme par hasard ma meilleure année sportive) mais aussi pour coacher les athlètes que j'entrainais. En plus des connaissances, méthodes et bien sur le vocabulaire anglais "Sport Psychology" dont j'avais besoin, il m'a accompagné dans ma progression et m'a donné encore plus envie de faire ce métier. Je souhaitais reprendre contact avec lui, hélas il n'est plus de ce monde.
Ci dessous, l'hommage de l'université du Western Cape :
The symposium was dedicated to Prof. P. Avis (1958-2006). Paul Avis was a professor of Sport Psychology in the Department of Sports, Recreation and Exercise Sciences at UWC. He was a committee member for the April 2006 conference Unlocking the potential of Sport for Youth Wellness and development” hosted by UWC/VLIR. Paul was diagnosed with cancer prior to this conference but, true to his character, he honoured his commitment as a conference committee member. In his youth Paul was a prodigious sports talent. He ultimately focused on tennis and became an international tennis star who represented SA at junior and senior levels including at Wimbledon. He dominated the SA tennis scene for several years and won every national tournament available including the SA closed and masters titles. After he retired from tennis he excelled in his psychology studies and became one of the few professors of sport psychology in SA. In his tennis career Paul faced and beat many formidable international opponent. The newspaper accounts speak of his quiet and relentless determination which earned him the nickname ‘lceman’. Paul faced his final opponent with the same unflinching courage that marked his remarkable tennis career. He eventually succumbed in the final set in December 2006 after an epic battle. The University dedicated the symposium to his memory