Mental Training Strategies
Coaching a Mental Game
Athletes, with the
assistance of
a professional sports
psychologist and coach, can develop an individualized plan to enhance the mental and
emotional environment to maximize practice and competitive
performances. Such a mental training plan should be constructed
using
proven strategies that have helped athletes of all ages and abilities
acquire the skills necessary to perform consistently well in
competition.
Whether you are a
developing athlete, elite competitive performer, or professional, there
are mental
training strategies that can used to boost individual and team
performance, plus help in the
development of the mental toughness that are necessary in the pursuit
of the aspirations in competitive, recreational, or fitness situations
is both in practice and competition..
Start by looking at your
strengths and weaknesses as an athlete
- Uncover behaviors and attitudes that
prevent you from performing your best.
- Excel by mastering the mental strategies
to take you to the next level!
- Learn peak performance routines that pro
athletes use.
- Understand how to practice like a pro and
improve practice efficiency.
- Uncover secrets that pros use to reach
peak performance.
All one-on-one sports psychology
programs include:
- Athlete’s Mental Aptitude Assessment
(AMAP) to identify mental game challenges.
- Outline the qualities necessary to
succeed in your sports
- Map out an individual mental game plan
outlining the mental strategies for improvement
- List specific projects to achieve the
goals and objectives of the plan
- Develop a schedule of activities as a
calendar time line
Mental Game Coaching
Think like a coach and trainer and
learn the mental game skills that are commonly
shared by champions in any sport.
Every athlete looking to
improve their performance must learn to:
- Identify your beliefs and attitudes that
impact how you perform — whether in practice or in the heat of
competition.
- Shatter your mental obstacles and build a
stronger and healthier champion mindset. .
- Master proven mental training
strategies to give your performance a boost!
An
unexpected loss may lead to negative feelings, such as mild
depression, frustration, or self doubts regarding one's ability. What
can athletes do when faced with such difficulties? The following three
athletic training strategies may be helpful to maintain a positive
attitude that is necessary for continued motivation and effort.
Athletic Training
Strategy
1st: View The Poor
Performance
As A Lesson Learned
It is human to make mistakes. Even
the greatest athletes
sometimes
fall short of their goals. After a poor performance or loss, athletes
may initially feel disappointed in response to a poor performance or a
loss. However, if athletes do not view it as a personal disaster or an
indication of personal incompetence, a poor performance or a loss can
teach athletes a valuable lesson.
2nd: Identify Aspects Of The
Performance That Are Controllable
When athletes expect to do well and
do poorly instead, it is
very
important to determine whether the reasons for the loss are
controllable or not. For example, two volleyball players were asked why
they performed so poorly. One player commented: we could not play well
because we did not play as a team and we made too many errors on serve
reception.
The second player felt that the
audiences were too loud and
the
opponents were too strong. Only two of these four factors are directly
under the athlete's control. According to theory, effort and mental
preparation are factors that are controllable, while factors such as
style or skill level of the opponents; playing conditions or
environment are things that athletes can not control. It is obvious
that service reception techniques can be improved by daily practice and
6 players on the court can work as one by setting common goals and
obtaining a better understanding each other.
Studies show that those athletes
who view their effort and
performance as main contributions to their outcome can do better in the
future than those who attribute luck or other external factors to a
poor performance. So when examining the reasons for a poor performance
or an unexpected lose, attention should be focused on the factors that
are controllable.
3rd: Examine Competition Goals
There are two types of goals in
sport. One is focused on the
outcome
or the result of the competition. To beat the opposing team or to win a
race are the examples of those goals. Studies in sport psychology have
indicated that setting outcome goals alone does not enhance motivation
or performance. Focusing only on the end product distracts the
athlete's attention from the task at hand.
In addition, outcome goals are
frequently out of the athlete's
direct control. Research indicates that athletes' goals should be based
on the process. Examples of process goals are improving one's
percentage of passing accuracy to a target or serving the ball to a
certain area of the opponent's court. Process oriented goals are more
effective, because they can help athletes to concentrate on each play
or action. Athletes know exactly what they need to do in order to be
successful without worrying about the outcome.
So, after a poor performance or an
unexpected loss, athletes
need to
determine if their goals for the previous competition were properly set
on the performance. An old Chinese proverb states "A thousand miles'
journey depends on each single step." In other words, one by one
process goals can lead to a successful season.
In summary, an unexpected poor
performance or loss need not
have a
negative impact. Athletes who apply proper strategies and draw positive
things from such outcomes will gain insight, control and motivation
from the experience.
Recommended Reading:
Gill, Diane L., (1986). Psychological
Dynamics of Sport.
Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc. Champaign, Illinois.
Goldberg, S. Alan., (1998). Sports
Slump Busting: 10
Steps to Mental Toughness and Peak Performance. Champaign, IL
Human Kinetics Moran, Aidan P.,
(1996). The Psychology of
Concentration in Sport performers - A Cognitive Analysis.
Psychology
Press, Taylor & Francis. UK
Management Strategies in Athletic
Training - 3E Athletic Training
Education Series by Richard
Ray An excellent resource for athletic trainers who want
comprehensive
knowledge of management theory and practice. The book's organization
strategies can also be applied beyond athletic training to a variety of
fields related to sports medicine.
General Medical
Conditions in the Athlete 2nd edition by Micki Cuppett EdD LAT...
Essentials of
Strength Training and Conditioning
3rd edition published by National Strength and Conditioning Association
References:
Resources:
The following internet
links have been
gleaned from personal communications
combined
with
information from
public institutions and athletic
organizations/
associations
that
have a web presence with information concerning team
and
individual
sports
programs:
All
materials are copy protected.
The limited use of the
materials for education purposes is allowed providing
credit is given
for the source of the materials.
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