Don’t Think About The White Bear: Thought Suppression

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by DV

Junior World Players of Handball Foundation Press, September, 13th, 2026:

Written by JR WPH Coach Ciana Ni Churraoin

JR WPH Welcomes Coach Ciana HERE

A lot of the time if we don’t like a thought, we try to avoid them, change them, and make them go away. And we often, perhaps without knowing, encourage others to do the same.

Here are some examples:

Don’t think about making mistakes
Don’t think about how nervous you are
Don’t think about failing the exam
Don’t think about how bad this could go

Before we go on I would like you to try this simple activity: I want you to start a timer for 1 minute, close your eyes, and don’t think about ANYTHING. Shut your mind off. No thoughts.

How did that go? Were you able to think about absolutely nothing?

Let’s do that again. Now I want you to turn on the timer, close your eyes, and as soon as you have a thought I want you to open your eyes and see how much time has passed.

How long did it take? Two seconds? Four? Ten?

This simple activity highlights that it is very hard to control our thoughts or to think about nothing. Even when we tell ourselves “think about nothing”, we are thinking about something. The same way the waterfall keeps flowing, thoughts are endless.

Similar to that waterfall, it is impossible to control what types of thoughts surface and how they will impact us. Some are helpful and some are unhelpful to us.

Let’s talk about thought suppression.

There are a lot of reasons why we try to suppress or change certain thoughts. They can feel uncomfortable and we might think that certain thoughts are problems if they appear and that we will perform worse because of them. Therefore we don’t want them and try to get rid of them when they appear. For example: many people associate nerves with something negative, so they may say “don’t be nervous” or they may associate planning for mistakes with an increased chance of making mistakes, so they say “don’t worry about mistakes”. Our mind and body is built to protect us, so we try to block out / avoid certain things to do so.

Not only is avoiding / blocking out certain thoughts very difficult to do successfully, it can also prove to do the opposite of what you actually intend.

In 1987, psychologist Daniel Wegner et al. published the famous White Bear Study. In this study, he examined thought suppression by asking his participants to think about anything but a white bear.

Very few people were successful at suppressing the thought of the White Bear.

Not only did most people struggle to block out the white bear but the ones who felt they were successful later experienced a REBOUND EFFECT. Meaning, they had many more thoughts about a white bear and those thoughts felt much stronger compared to the people who had struggled to block out the white bear in the first place.

This study actually found that suppressing the thought had the opposite effect of what was intended. It actually made participants think about the white bear MORE.

Think about that for a second. How often do you tell yourself to not think about something? Are you able to not think about it? Have you ever experienced something similar to the white bear study?

Going back to the examples at the start. There is nothing wrong with thinking about making a mistake, being nervous, failing an exam, or being worried how things will go. It is normal to have these thoughts. It’s what makes us human. These very thoughts can actually help us prepare and handle the adversity that may lie ahead.

It’s thinking that we shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts that can be problematic. Most of the time, it’s not the actual thought that’s impacted us, it’s our response and understanding of the thought that we are experiencing.

If you think about the white bear study, it’s the people who were unable to suppress the white bear that didn’t think about it in the long-run. They did not experience the rebound effect. They had a thought, accepted that it was there, and after the study, they moved on.

So what can you do with this information?

Instead of trying to avoid a thought, remind yourself that a thought is just a thought, thoughts are not always true and that you can choose how you respond to it.

As a coach, allow your players to have all their experiences. They do not need to think in a specific way. They may even benefit more from knowing there is nothing wrong with thinking a certain way. It is what they do with those thoughts that really matters.

Let’s look at how two different coaches handle the same situation:

Player A & Coach A:

– Player A: What if I make the same mistake I did in the last game?

– Coach A: Don’t worry about mistakes until they happen

– Player A: Okay…

Player B & Coach B:

– Player B: What if I make the same mistake I did in the last game?

– Coach B: That’s ok. You might. And you also know how to respond to mistakes. How will you do that?

– Player A: If I make the same mistake, I will take a deep breath, remind myself that mistakes are a part of the game, and focus on returning the serve.

I think we can all agree that Player B & Coach B handled the situation more effectively. Instead of avoiding, telling them to deal with it when it happens, and maybe causing more concern, we come up with a working solution.

So next time, you find yourself trying to avoid certain thoughts / emotions, or encourage someone else to do the same, take a second, and consider: How can I respond to this more effectively? How can I help this player with this concern / thought?

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Keep an eye out on juniorhandball.org, as new clinic opportunities and recaps pop up weekly. Want to coach a clinic or a junior handball program? Need more information regarding junior handball? The Junior WPH group spans multiple countries, continents and oceans with clinics happening daily. We can help! Contact WPH Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv

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JR WPH Clinic at the 2026 R48 Men’s LTE in Mexico!

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by DV

Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, Junior-WPH Press, September 13th, 2026:

JR WPH was proud to host a junior handball clinic at the 2026 Abierto Mexicana de Handball R48 Men’s LTE, with Race 4 Eight pros John Bike and Dylan Schmitt working with the Juarez youngsters after the R48 final. Coaches Bike and Schmitt worked on serves and serve returns with the juniors, followed by rallies.

Thank you to John Bike and Dylan Schmitt for inspiring the next generation of players in Juarez.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

How Coaches and Players Can Manage Expectations

Posted on September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 by DV

When game-day finally arrives, the buildup of pressure, adrenaline, and excitement can often dictate the outcome long before the first point is even played. In the recent WPH feature on game-day psychology, experts dive deep into how both players and coaches can keep their cool, align their goals, and navigate the unpredictable nature of competition.

Key Takeaways for Game-Day Success

Understanding the Mental Shift: Transitioning from rigorous training mode to competitive execution requires a distinct change in mindset. Athletes must learn to let go of preparation anxieties once they cross the threshold into the match arena.
Communication Between Coach and Player: Aligning expectations before stepping onto the court ensures that both sides are working toward realistic, adaptable targets rather than chasing perfection.
Handling Pressure and Momentum Swings: Matches rarely go entirely according to plan. Learning how to reset emotionally after losing a run of points is essential for maintaining composure under fire.
The Post-Match Reflection: Evaluating performance based on effort, adaptability, and execution—rather than strictly the scoreboard—lays the groundwork for sustainable long-term improvement.

Whether you are stepping onto the court as a competitor or guiding from the sidelines, managing your mental framework is just as critical as physical conditioning. Check out the full discussion in the video linked above to refine your game-day strategy!

___

JR WPH was thrilled to welcome Ciana Ni Churraoin as a JR WPH Coach in 2026. Coach CNC is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with a Master’s degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology (Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2020), Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach, and experienced handball coach. On the court, CNC has applied her expertise to her own performance which shows through her achievements, such as winning the 40×20 Open World Championships, Senior All-Ireland titles in singles and doubles, and winning a Women’s Race 4 Eight stop in 2024. Coach CNC will be a frequent contributor to the WPH website, social media pages, and YouTube page, providing content for handball players to develop their mental and physical performance. Coach CNC will also coach JR WPH clinics at Race 4 Eight events.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

JR WPH Coaches National Champions in Albuquerque

Posted on September 7, 2026 by DV

Albuquerque, NM, WPH Press, 9/6/26

JR WPH was proud to travel to Albuquerque to train two current junior national champions on the 3-Wall courts at North Domingo Baca Park on Labor Day Weekend. WPH Master Instructor David Fink worked with AJ Valenzuela (12) and Victor Guajardo (17) on techniques to develop an offensive and defensive off-hand, starting with overhand and sidearm throws and transitioning to sidearm drills. Coach Fink then discussed and demonstrated the power serve and finished the lesson by playing points with the two national champions.

“We had a very productive lesson,” stated Fink. “I explained to the two champions that in order to become a player, you have to live on the court and you have to practice and play with purpose. If you don’t practice with a purpose, you will never improve.”

Thank you to AJ and Victor for their passion for improving their games and to JR WPH for continuing to inspire, teach, and, motivate the next generation of players.

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

David Fink

WPH Master Instructor

JR WPH Clinic at the 2026 Rams Invitational

Posted on September 1, 2026September 1, 2026 by DV

San Angelo, TX, JR WPH Press, Aug 31, 2026 –

Contributed by Martin Mulkerrins

Angelo State University proudly hosted the 2026 Rams Invitational, this last weekend of August. The event celebrated the official opening of the school’s four renovated Handball courts, courtesy of Doug and Nick Randolph and the Randolph Foundation. The WPH were thrilled to support the 2026 Rams Invitational by sanctioning the Men’s and Women’s Open Divisions as WPH R48 Pre-Qualifiers, as well as offering a JR WPH clinic to participants.

JR WPH Rams Invitational Clinic Highlights

The 2026 JR WPH Rams clinic was led by Texas A&M Head Coach and WPH R48 no.1 ranked pro, Martin Mulkerrins. Race 4 Eight pros and coaches Diarmuid Mulkerrins and Mark Doyle also attended and contributed to the clinic. The clinic covered a number of topics, to include defensive and offensive shots, as well as recommendations for practicing and improving participant’s all-around game.

“It was great to have another JR WPH Clinic during a tournament in Texas, and to see the interest in learning about different shots and strategies,” stated Coach Martin Mulkerrins. “The first shot we discussed and demonstrated was the fist shot to the ceiling. This involved broader discussions and demonstrations of the underhand stroke, as well as how and when to hit the fist shot. Following the underhand stroke instructional, the group had the opportunity to learn the paddle kill from Coach Mark. To conclude, the coaches reinforced the learnings from the clinic, as well as emphasizing the importance of allocating time to practice shots and serves and not solely ‘practice’ by playing games. Focusing on a couple of shots per session and practicing them on your own is critically important and we hope that this will be something players will continue, or further incorporate, into their training. On behalf of the players and administrators in Texas, I thank the WPH for supporting this event and I look forward to the WPH R48 Pre-Qualifiers and Clinics at Texas A&M University at the end of September (25-27^th).”

Photos courtesy of Hannah Olson (Angelo State University) and Eilish Mulkerrins (Texas A&M)

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

JR WPH Coach Mulkerrins at USGAA Nationals

Posted on August 17, 2026August 17, 2026 by DV

Boston, MA, WPH Press, 8/15/26

JR WPH Coach and WPH R48 #1 Martin Mulkerrins traveled to Boston, MA to promote Handball at the USGAA (USGAA HERE) Finals; featuring Gaelic Football, Ladies Football, Camogie, Hurling, and for the first time, Handball!

Coach Martin was joined by R48 #9 Jeff Streibig and 23-time R48 champ Killian Carroll. The Race 4 Eight pros built a 1-Wall handball court at the Games, coached various handball clinics and demonstrations throughout the weekend, and supervised target games and open play.

“I’m excited to be here at the Irish Cultural Centre (home to the USGAA National Finals) here in Boston where Handball will be included for the first time in the USGA National Finals,” stated Coach Mulkerrins. “People will have the opportunity between games and while they are watching to come through here and give Handball a try. We are very proud to be able to celebrate Gaelic Games, celebrate Irish heritage, and people will be able to see that Handball is part of the GAA family.”

“It’s really incredible,” boasted Streibig. “The sports (at the USGAA national finals) are amazing. The cross-over is amazing. We are going to try to show the benefits of Handball alongside Hurling, Football, Camogie. There is a lot of cross-over; footwork, using both sides of your body, and everything else.”

“Handball is part of the Gaelic Games,” stated Carroll. “It’s nice to showcase and give handball some exposure here in Boston. It is just fantastic.”

Thank you to JR WPH Coach Martin Mulkerrins for continuing to promote the game and inspire players all over the world. Thank you to the USGAA and the USHA for collaborating on this outstanding event. Thank you to WPH Race 4 Eight pros Jeff Streibig and Killian Carroll for donating their time and sharing their passion for Handball with the USGAA athletes.

Photo of Gaelic athletes courtesy of USGAA

Learn more about the USGAA HERE

Learn more about the USHA HERE

Martin Mulkerrins Joins JR WPH HERE

List of JR WPH Coaches HERE

David Fink

WPH Senior Writer

How Coaches Can Foster a Positive Environment

Posted on August 7, 2026August 7, 2026 by DV

JR WPH Press, Tucson, AZ, 8/7/26

JR WPH was thrilled to welcome WR48, All Ireland, and World Champ Ciana Ni Churraoin (HERE) to our group of JR WPH handball coaches to inspire the next generation of players.

In this edition of Coach Ciana’s Coaching Coaches, Coach Ciana discusses how coaches can foster a positive environment for their players.

How Coaches can Foster a Positive Environment

One of the beautiful things about handball (and many sports) is that anyone can get involved, play, and become a coach. This means that coaches can have very diverse backgrounds and experiences that they bring with them to their role within the sport, which is important to allow a sport to continue to grow. On the other hand, it can lead to questionable coaching methods at times.

While we want to encourage and welcome people to take up coaching roles in handball, it is also important that coaches accept and embrace their responsibility. It isn’t just about being there and demonstrating physical skills. Coaches have a direct impact on; 1) The participation of individuals in sport at a young age and 2) The success of individuals/teams as they grow (on and off the court).

You don’t need a background in sport psychology or to be a highly skilled athlete to be a successful coach, but understanding and nurturing a positive environment could be the difference between helping people thrive and enjoy the sport or creating a space in which they struggle and never want to play again.

Outlined below are key strategies you can use to foster a positive environment for you and your players.

Developing a ’Winning Mentality’

Weirdly enough, the key to developing a ‘winning mentality’ is to stop talking about a ‘winning mentality’.

We are constantly being told or telling people to develop a ‘winning mentality’. We know that what we focus on has a huge impact on what we do and what outcome we get. Are you, as a coach, aware of what you are focused on and the impact that has on your player(s)?

When we focus on winning/losing, being better than others, or punishing mistakes, we create an ego-oriented or fear-based climate in which player(s) fear outcomes such as losing or making a mistake (Nicholls, 1989). This climate increases anxiety around performances and makes players focus on the outcome, instead of the process. Player(s) may fail to see their improvements and developments because they only see success set by the coach; winning, being the best, and not making mistakes.

Imagine this; a player plays the best they have ever played. They execute the tactics set out and they make smart decisions during the match. The player loses the match and is terribly disappointed. They dread the next conversation with the coach because winning was the goal. They fail to acknowledge that they’ve just performed the best they ever have.

Remember, talking about winning doesn’t mean you’ll win.

Instead, talk about what your players can do to get their best performance. By creating a mastery-oriented climate (Duda & Treasure, 2015), we can help player(s) focus on development, on learning new skills, and on giving their best effort. Research shows that coaches who focus on the task decrease a player’s anxiety around performance, increase improvement and enjoyment around their performances, and end up with better results. At the end of the day, the goal should be to help athletes improve and perform their best and hopefully, success (whatever that is to your athlete) will come with that.

Know Your Players

Each individual has different needs to help them play their best. Some handball players are able to have a chat with people right before they step on court, some prefer to put on their headphones and step away from the crowd. When I played Gaelic football (in Ireland), I have been on teams and the coach has said “no talking on the bus, you should be focused on the game ahead” or “no messing around in the dressing room, everyone should be completely focused”. For me, this wasn’t what helped me perform my best. I liked to have a laugh on the bus, or in the dressing room. Sitting there thinking about the game for an hour in the lead up, just made me overthink it and start to get nervous. It wasn’t that I wasn’t focused or that I didn’t care, it was the complete opposite, I knew that I played my best when I felt relaxed, when I felt like it was just another game, and when I enjoyed the experience.

What I’m saying is, get to know your players. Some will want quiet time to focus, others prefer to be distracted, some want a motivational speech, others just want a recap on the tactics. Ask your player: “What do you need from me on the day of a game?” and “What do you want from me during a time-out”.

Your player(s) know what makes them tick, so just ask!

Make Your Words Impactful:

This follows on from the last point… saying “we have to win”, “you have to be confident”, “you have to focus” is well-intended but essentially useless advice. How does a player play with confidence? What does a player need to focus on? Instead of telling players how they ‘need’ to be, tell them what they ‘can do’ to play with confidence, or what they can focus on to help their performance.

Tell your player(s) what to do (not what not to do). We’ve all heard coaches say “why are you hitting that serve?”, or “stop making the same mistakes over and over again”. I get it, you’re pointing out the error so your player(s) won’t do it again. But, what happens when you tell yourself “don’t eat the cake”… all you can think about is eating the cake, right? Instead of telling yourself not to eat the cake, tell yourself what to eat instead.

When you tell your player(s) what not to do, that’s all they can think about, and when we think about something, it’s more likely to happen. Instead of telling your player(s) what not to do, tell them what to do;

Instead of “why are you hitting that serve?”, say “hit a drive serve down the left”.
Instead of “stop making the same mistakes over and over again”, tell your player what they can do to correct that error.

Don’t get me wrong, some player(s) respond well to different types of instruction and motivation, but player(s) are under enough pressure to perform as it is. They need coaches to help them in that moment, and as we know, what we say has a huge impact on others, so think about it and make sure that it is helpful to their performance.

–Written by JR WPH Coach Ciana Ni Churraoin

References:

Duda, J. L. & Treasure, D. C. (2015). The motivational climate, athlete motivation, and implications for the quality of sport engagement. In Williams, J. M. & Krane, V. (Eds) Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (4th ed) (p.274-303). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Nicholls, J. (1989). The competitive ethos and democratic education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Smith, R. E. (2015). A positive approach to coaching effectiveness and performance enhancement. In Williams, J. M. & Krane, V. (Eds) Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (4th ed) (p.274-303). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Coach Ciana’s JR WPH archives

How Coach Expectations Shape Player Growth HERE

The Impact of Expectations and the Power of Curiosity on Athlete Performance (video) HERE

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

JR WPH Coaches Handball at the TRC Summer Camp

Posted on August 2, 2026 by DV

Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 8/1/26

JR WPH was proud to introduce handball to campers at the 2026 Tucson Racquet Club All Sports Summer Camp. JR WPH first starting introducing handball at the Tucson Racquet Club All Sports Summer Camp in 2013, providing campers between the ages of 7-14 with the opportunity to play handball. The campers are taught the handball rules, how to hit the ball with their right and left hands, the serve, and eventually rallying with either unlimited bounces, three bounces, or two bounces.

“Being part of the Tucson Racquet Club All Sports Summer Camp is a summer highlight for JR WPH,” stated WPH Master Instructor and JR WPH TRC Summer Camp handball coach David Fink. “I really enjoy watching the campers progress from learning the fundamentals to playing competitive rallies. Thank you to the Tucson Racquet Club All Sports Summer Camp for including JR WPH in their indoor sports rotation and all the club does for handball.”

JR WPH Coaches HERE

JR WPH would love to have you join our team. If you are interested in joining Team JR WPH as a coach, please contact JR WPH Director David Fink at David.fink@wphlive.tv

Become a WPH Patreon HERE

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Key Takeaways for Game-Day Success

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