Dec. 27--The sound of silence.

Sometimes the loudest messages sent during a sporting event are those where not a word is spoken.

It does not take much to tell who is ahead or who is behind by looking at the posture of the players. It is called body language, and it can often reveal what is inside the heads and the hearts of competitors.

"They've done studies where they've taken video of tennis players, between points only, and asked other observers if this person winning or losing?" said Northern State women's tennis coach Jessie Daw. "And people can tell 90 to 95 percent of the time who's winning and who's losing by body language between points."

Daw, who has studied sports psychology for more than a decade, spends plenty of time with her players dealing with issues such as body language and the mental aspect of the game.

"What happens between points is really pretty important in terms of what happens at the next point," Daw said. "What are you focusing on? Can you learn from the last point? What are you going to do to get prepared for the next point? Do you have a general strategy in mind?"

Most coaches can tell where their athletes are mentally just by looking at them, or in the case of Aberdeen Central wrestling coach Toby Bryant, by touching their hands.

Bryant pays close attention to his wrestlers, especially during a tournament.

"I call it the cold-hands theory," Bryant said. "We'll be in a gym somewhere, and I'll walk by and I'll just grab their hand. I believe your heart is not right if your hands are cold."

If a Golden Eagle wrestler has Bryant grab his hand, he usually knows he might not be mentally or physically prepared to wrestle.

"I don't have to verbally say anything because sometimes kids don't like that coach-talk when there's a whole bunch of people around them," Bryant said. "If their hands are cold, they know what I mean."

During a battle, athletes look for the slightest indication that a foe might be wearing down. Once athletes are doubled over, breathing heavy or start hanging their head, the end is near.

"You notice that stuff," said Northern State football player Mike Zerr. "At that point, that's when you have to raise your game. You have to be the hammer to the nail in the coffin. That's something (former Aberdeen Roncalli defensive coordinator Tim) Beck always said: Be the hammer, not the nail."

That body language tells a story regardless of the sport, regardless of the participants.

"I think there's something to be said about that for every sport," Daw said. "It's that critical mindset that impacts how you carry yourself."

Bryant tells his wrestlers about the breaking point during a match.

He said if you can pressure and frustrate an opponent enough, they will eventually sigh during their breathing.

"As soon as he sighs, he's done. He mentally quit," Bryant said. "Then you go for the kill."

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