Camp Aims to Develop the Mental Side for Athletes

Carlton Bogan sees it everywhere.

He sees it in Tom Brady’s unflappability. He sees it in the Los Angeles Lakers’ epic collapse in the NBA playoffs this year. He sees it in the criticism of NFL No. 1 draft pick Cam Newtown.

It’s the mental side of sports.

“Watching today’s athlete, mentally, they’re just not prepared,” Bogan said.

That observation lead him to spot a niche in training young athletes, and develop something he said he couldn’t find anywhere in the tri-state area: a summer sports camp that focuses as much on the mental side of the game as the physical.

He’s spent the better part of the last year putting together everything he wanted to include, from a nutritionist to a flexibility trainer to a pharmacist to talk about the negative effects of performing-enhancing drugs.

And now he’s launching Sports C.H.A.M.P. Camp at RiverWinds this summer.

C.H.A.M.P., which stands for Conditioning Honorable Athletes Mentally and Physically, is a non-sport-specific camp that Bogan thinks can bridge that gap on the mental side of sports–or any competitive activity, from golf to cheerleading to dance.

“We’re taking a holistic approach to the athlete,” he said.

A big part of that means bringing in sports psychologist Rob Gilbert, who teaches at Montclair State University, to talk with kids about what it takes to take the next step–whether as a novice looking to build a foundation, or an elite athlete trying to push to a higher level.

“We need help in that we need someone to push us to believe in ourselves, to put a plan together to deal with stress,” Bogan said.

And he’s seen the outcome of not having a plan to cope with stress. As a basketball coach, Bogan’s had players with all the physical tools, who simply couldn’t handle things like bad calls or tough opponents. It’s just not something most athletes think about before hitting the court or running on to the field.

“No one tells you handle stress, opposition, no one’s telling you how to overcome anxiety,” Bogan said. “That needs to be conditioned.”

By bringing in all those specialists–the nutritionist and sports psychologist and even a life coach–Bogan said his camp can offer something for “mind, body and soul.”

“We’re bringing something reserved for the upper-echelon athlete…to the everyday person,” Bogan said.

The camp runs six one-week sessions in July and August, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at RiverWinds.

Bogan stressed it’s for kids playing any sport, competing at any level.

As for No. 1 draft picks with major questions marks, such as Newton?

“He should come to my camp,” Bogan said.