Sports Psychology

At Corwin Sports Psychology, we believe that true athletic excellence extends beyond physical ability; it encompasses mental resilience, focus, and the right mindset. Our mission is to empower athletes of all levels to harness the psychological tools necessary for peak performance, whether on the field, court, or track. Through evidence-based techniques, expert insights, and personalized strategies, we guide you in overcoming mental barriers, enhancing motivation, and achieving your goals. Embrace the journey of mental mastery, and elevate your performance to new heights!

"Whoever exalts himself will be humbled,

and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."

What is Sports Psychology and what does a Sport Psychologist do?

Sports psychology acts as a coach for your mind in sports, emphasizing the impact of thoughts and emotions on performance. A Sports Psychologist assists athletes in developing mental resilience, maintaining focus, and boosting confidence through techniques such as visualizing success, goal-setting, and managing pressure. This mental training not only improves your game but also enhances your overall enjoyment and satisfaction in playing sports.

Why is Sports Psychology important to Athletes?

Sports psychology plays a pivotal role in athletes' success, injury recovery, and performance enhancement. Firstly, it equips athletes with invaluable mental tools and strategies to optimize their performance. By cultivating mental resilience, focus, and confidence, athletes are better equipped to overcome challenges, adapt to pressure situations, and maintain peak performance levels consistently. Moreover, in the realm of injury recovery, sports psychology offers crucial support by facilitating positive mindset shifts, aiding athletes in coping with setbacks, and fostering a sense of control over the rehabilitation process. This psychological support not only accelerates physical recovery but also minimizes the psychological impact of injuries, promoting a smoother return to competition. Additionally, sports psychology addresses the psychological factors that can impede performance, such as anxiety, fear of failure, and self-doubt, enabling athletes to unlock their full potential and achieve their athletic goals. In essence, sports psychology serves as an indispensable asset in athletes' journeys towards success, injury resilience, and peak performance.

Is it too early or too late to get involved with Sports Psychology?

Sports psychology is invaluable for athletes of all ages as it provides fundamental mental skills essential for success in sports. Regardless of age, athletes encounter challenges such as performance pressure, setbacks, and self-doubt. Sports psychology equips athletes with tools to manage these challenges effectively, fostering resilience, confidence, and focus. For young athletes, it instills healthy attitudes towards competition, promotes emotional regulation, and enhances enjoyment of sports, laying a strong foundation for long-term athletic development. Similarly, adult athletes benefit from sports psychology by refining mental skills, overcoming performance plateaus, and managing the demands of competitive sports alongside other life responsibilities. Ultimately, sports psychology empowers athletes of all ages to navigate the mental aspects of sports, unlocking their potential and fostering a lifelong love for athletic endeavors.

Sports Psychology

S.M.A.R.T Goals

"If you haven't set yourself challenging goals, it's too easy to turn back and go home when it's a miserable day and training doesn't appeal. Goal setting is the key to motivation." - Kirsten Barnes, Canadian Rower, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist

S is for Specific

When you are setting a goal, you should make it very clear in your head of what that goal is aimed towards. We want to encourage you to be precise as possible. We don't want, "I want to get better at performances" because we need a target of how much improvement is desired.

M is for Measurable

We want to set a goal that is capable of being measured. If it is not being measured then how are you to know if you are making progress? I like to encourage the use of objective measures in order to assess our goals. One of the tools we will utilize is a Mental Skills Questionnaire which we have found to be very useful and insightful.

A is for Adjustable

You should think of goal setting as a dynamic process, one that can slow down or speed up depending on progress. You may become injured or a different obstacle may arise so we should be able to adjust. If you are making solid progress, be bold and extend your goals.

R is for Realistic

It is a common error that we set goals that cannot be achieved. Yes, we want to set goals that challenge us but not to the level where you never get to fulfill those goals. Be realistic with yourself but keep the ambition.

T is for Time-Based

We want our goals to have a specific time-frame. If we don't set a target date then that goal will have less motivational impact on you. Setting goals that can be short term, intermediate term, or long term with a specific focus is encouraged.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a well known experience for athletes, often manifesting as nervousness, fear, or excessive worry about performance. In the high-pressure world of sports, managing anxiety is crucial for optimal performance and overall well-being. Understanding the psychological and physiological aspects of anxiety can empower athletes to cope more effectively, allowing them to focus on their skills rather than their fears. In this section, we will explore the nature of anxiety in sports, its impact on performance, and proven strategies for managing it. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a beginner, gaining insight into anxiety can help you harness its energy and turn it into a powerful motivator for success.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as a psychological and physiological response characterized by feelings of tension, apprehension, and worry that can arise in anticipation of performance or competition. It is the anticipation of a future threat. Anxiety tends to arise when we are uncertain about how something will play out. Simple way to say it is that anxiety is the uneasiness of the mind. A very important piece of information that you should know regarding anxiety is that avoiding whatever it is you fear will only increase anxiety over time.

State vs Trait Anxiety

State Anxiety: stress responses are typically short lived. (Ex: doing a presentation, writing an exam, watching a close game)

Trait Anxiety: regularly experience high states of anxiety to the point that it could be considered a apart of their personality. Varies according to how people have conditioned themselves to respond to and manage their stress.

High Trait Anxiety: feel anxious in many different types of situations.

Low Trait Anxiety: keep their clam regardless of what's going on around them.

Psychological and Physiological Changes that Occur in the Body as part of the "Fight or Flight" Response

Activation of the Autonomic Nervous System. Preps the body to respond to the perceived threat.
Release of stress hormones. Adrenaline and Cortisol are released from the adrenal glands, which increases alertness and prepares the body for action.
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and our breathing becomes faster and more shallow in order to increase oxygen intake.
Our muscles become tense and our senses are heightened.
May feel that "knot in the stomach" feeling along with sweating and dilated pupils.

Terms Relating to Anxiety

Hormone: chemical produced by a gland, secreted into the bloodstream, influences the function of cells or organs.

Fight or Flight Response: (stress response) when you perceive a threat, your sympathetic nervous system responds to the challenge by releasing a flood of stress hormones (Adrenaline and Cortisol). The physical changes experienced increase your strength, stamina, and speed up your reaction time, and enhance your focus. It takes 3 minutes to burn out of Fight or Flight mode.

Adrenaline: a hormone secreted by the medula in the adrenal glands.

Relaxation Response: the stressor is no longer a threat, individual has the coping resources to deal with the threat. Brain stops sending emergency signals to the brain stem. Cease messages to the nervous sytem.

Hypothalamus: primary activator of the autonomic nervous system that plays a central role in translating neurological stimuli into endocrine processes during stress reactions.

Anxiety In Performance

Anxiety is a common challenge faced by athletes, impacting their performance and mental well-being. This section explores the typical worries that contribute to mental anxiety, the importance of arousal regulation, and various safety behaviors athletes may employ. We’ll also delve into the differences between cognitive and somatic anxiety, providing insights and strategies to help athletes manage their anxiety effectively and perform at their best. Whether you're dealing with pre-competition nerves or seeking ways to enhance focus, understanding these concepts is essential for overcoming anxiety in sports.

Worries Causing Mental Anxiety

Worries of athletes that cause mental anxiety_edited.png

Bull, Stephen.,The Mental Game Plan (pg 113)

Cognitive vs Somatic Anxiety

Cognitive anxiety arises from the apprehensions and concerns we have regarding the demands of a given situation. It is characterized by feelings of worry, low confidence, and difficulty concentrating. Athletes often experience heightened levels of cognitive anxiety in the lead-up to a competition.

Somatic anxiety, in contrast, stems from how we perceive our body's physiological reactions. Recognizing sensations such as butterflies in the stomach, muscle tension, sweaty palms, and a racing heart are all indicators of somatic anxiety. Typically, levels of somatic anxiety rise closer to the start of a competition and often dissipate shortly after the performance begins.

Managing Arousal & Anxiety

It is widely believed that mental anxiety typically hinders performance and should be minimized. Conversely, physical anxiety, particularly in certain sports, can be beneficial when kept at manageable levels. There may be times when increasing arousal is more helpful than calming down. Many sports psychologists recommend that the approach to reducing excessive anxiety should align with the type of anxiety being experienced. In other words, mental anxiety calls for a mental strategy, while physical anxiety necessitates a physical strategy.

It is crucial for athletes to understand the arousal levels within which they perform their best. This is a trial and error process, but the process could be enhanced by paying close attention to pre-competition feelings and performance. Many athletes habitually "over psych" themselves without realizing how detrimental over-arousal can be. Some athletes want to focus on their breathing and enter the competition with a relatively calm mind while others may hit each other on the pads and have the desire to get pumped up before the game.

Types of Safety Behaviors

These safety behaviors provide temporary relief but keep you from learning that most of the situations you worry about won't end in catastrophe.

Excessive Reassurance Seeking: you seek reassurance when worrying about a decision. Asking multiple times in order to counteract the anxiety that your worry generates.

Distraction: daydreaming, compulsive TV or internet use, counting, tapping, planning, etc.

Procrastination: putting off a feared experience as a way to delay worrying about something or to minimize your sense of threat or risk.

Checking/Double Checking: double check stove is off, garage closed, this is your attempt to feel less anxious when faced with uncertainty.

Avoidance: may avoid tasks or challenges where you worry about failure.

Overpreparation: you will seek out as much info and prepare yourself as much as possible to decrease the level of uncertainty when you face a worry-provoking challenge.

Perfectionism: trying to do everything flawlessly to eliminate uncertainty and mistakes. Not delegating so you can make sure the tasks get done the way you want. Overworking to avoid the possibility of errors.

Drugs/Alcohol/ Anxiety Medications

Stress

We all experience stress in different ways. How do we deal with stress? Are you aware of what creates stress in your life and have you taken any measures of how to combat it? How do you cope with the stress in life?

What is Stress?

Stress is the response to threats or challenges.

Positive Stress (Eustress): any form of stress associated with a feeling of fulfillment. (Ex: securing a job promotion, making a big putt, birth of your child.)

Negative Stress (Distress): suffering of the body or mind. That could look like pain, physical injury/illness, work demands, death, or money problems.

Psychological Stress: concerned with foreseeing or imagining a stressful situation. High stress levels can lead to anxiety, reduced focus, and negative self-talk, which can detract from an athlete's ability to perform effectively.

Physiological View & Reactions

Cortisol and DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) are stress hormones present in our body. The constant release of these stress hormones, in response to continuous stressors people experience, can result in hormonal imbalances and adrenal dysfunction. The lasting result of the release of these stress hormones over time has negative effects on people's overall health such as sleep, mood disturbances, and suppressed immune system.

Stress Response: begins at the cerebral cortex, sends an alarm to the hypothalamus (midbrain), stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to make a series of changes throughout your body.

Physiological Reactions: rapid beating of the heart, sweaty palms, blood pressure rises, pupils dilate, stomach like a knot, lump in throat, tight feeling in chest.

Behavioral Reactions to Stress

A person under stress will function with a behavior that is different from ordinary behavior. These behaviors can be classified as counter (defensive), dysfunctional, and overt (expressive).

Counter Behavior: the person will sometimes take action that is intended to counteract the stressful situation.

Dysfunctional Behavior: this is reacting in a manner that demonstrates impaired or abnormal functioning, resulting in a lower level of skill performance than the individual is ordinarily capable of accomplishing. Think of the term "mental block".

Overt Behavior: this behavior exhibits such reactions as distorted facial expressions, frequent spitting, shaking of the hands/fists, or flailing of the arms. You may fill the need to pace around.

How Can We Manage Our Stress?

Establishing a solid social support from coaches, teammates, or family.

Goal setting is important to help the athletes concentration and reduce stress by providing a clear path forward. We can also use Mindfulness and Relaxation techniques (click on the underlined words) to help manage stress levels. Another method to help relieve stress is by changing our negative thought patterns to more positive and constructive one. Learn to identify what triggers your stress response and attempt to avoid those situations.

Stress in Athletes

Stress is an inevitable part of the athletic experience, influencing performance, motivation, and overall well-being. Athletes face unique pressures—from competition anxiety and performance expectations to balancing training with personal life—which can lead to both positive and negative stress responses. While some stress can enhance focus and drive, excessive or chronic stress can hinder performance, lead to burnout, and negatively impact mental health. Understanding the sources and effects of stress is crucial for athletes seeking to optimize their performance and maintain their mental resilience. This section explores effective strategies for managing stress, empowering athletes to thrive in their sport while fostering a balanced and healthy mindset.

Perceptions of Stress in Athletes

Pressure
Anxiety
Overwhelm
Frustration
Conflict
Worry
Tension

Consequences of Stress

Impact on mental and emotional health.
Impact on physical health.
Negative impact on athletic performance.
Negative impact on academic performance.

1/2 of male athletes and slightly more than 1/2 of female athletes said stress affected their mental and emotional health.

Causes of Stress in Athletes

Academic problems
Athletic demands
Time
Relationships with others
Finances

Coping Behaviors & Techniques

Practice good personal health habits.
Learn to recognize and value your own accomplishments.
Learn to take things one at a time.
Learn to take some things less seriously.
Do things for others.
Talk things over with others.

Coping Techniques

Physical exercise
Recreational activities
Muscle relaxation
Meditation
Practice in your faith
Avoid alcohol

Motivation

This section will dive deeper into the essential role motivation plays in athletic achievement. You may notice if you are intrinsically motivated which is engaging in a behavior for its own sake or the pleasure it provides. On the flip side, you may be extrinsically motivated which is a person motivated by external factors, such as rewards or punishments, to accomplish a particular task or engage in a certain behavior. What are you motivated by? Ask yourself honestly. Why do you do what you do? What motivates you to engage in that activity every day or week?

Self- Efficacy

Self efficacy is a situation specific construct. Self-efficacy refers to the belief in one’s capability to execute specific tasks or achieving their goals. Higher self-efficacy leads to greater effort, persistence, and resilience in the face of challenges. The most important source of self efficacy is personal mastery experiences.

Mood States: Mood states can influence self efficacy through either affective priming or cognitive priming.

Affective Priming: occurs because previous successes and failures are stored in memory and recalled with associated mood states.

Cognitive Priming: memory of a failure might be stored with the negative mood state, but its also stored an accompanying cognition/ an attribution for example.

When we are successful, we store that experience in memory with feelings of joy, elation, vigor that accompanied it.

When we fail, we store that experience in memory with the feelings of frustration, sorrow, depression, and so on that initially accompanied it.

Barrier Efficacy: represents an individuals beliefs about possessing the capability to overcome obstacles to physical activity. Obstacles can be social, personal, or environmental.

Task Efficacy: confidence to perform the specific activity itself.

Motivation Terms to Understand

Threat Appraisal: the evaluation of the consequences of engaging in an unhealthy behavior.

External Regulation: engaging in a behavior to receive a reward or to avoid punishment.

Identified Regulation: engaging in a behavior to achieve a personal goal.

Integrated Regulation: engaging in a behavior because it aligns with other behaviors and choices in one's life.

Introjected Regulation: engaging in a behavior to relieve or prevent guilt.

Perceptions in Motivation

Perceived Barriers: person's opinion of the physical and psychological costs of the advised action.

Perceived Benefits: person's opinion of the efficacy of the advised action to reduce risk or seriousness of impact.

Perceived Severity: person's opinion of the seriousness of a condition and its consequences.

Perceived Vulnerability: person's opinion of their chances of getting a particular injury or illness.

Priming: non-conscious influence on responses to a cue as a result of recent experience with or exposure to the same cue.

Verbal Persuasion can play an important role in self-change if a person perceives the verbal persuasion as realistic.

Imagery Explained

In this section, we’ll explore the various types of imagery, its benefits for athletes, and practical techniques for incorporating it into training routines. Whether you’re preparing for a big competition or aiming to enhance your skills, mastering imagery can be a game-changer in your athletic journey. Discover how to harness the power of your mind to achieve your goals and elevate your performance!

What is Imagery?

Imagery is a polysensorial creation of recreation of an experience in the mind (Vealey & Forlenza, 2015). It is a process of seeing yourself performing or practicing a sport related skill, or imagining yourself competing in a certain situation. Imagery is the reproduction, in the mind, of all the relevant sensory information which contributes to the successful execution of a skill, or the correct behavior for a specific situation.

How is Imagery Used in Sport?

Bull, Stephen.,The Mental Game Plan (pg 67)

Perspectives & Tips

Internal Imagery Perspective: image as if they are inside their own bodies.You are creating an image that replicates exactly what you see during a performance.

External Imagery Perspective: watching as if they were in a video, video game, or third person point of view. You create a picture in the mind in which they see themselves performing from outside. This type of imagery is useful for sessions working on tactical rehearsal or performance reviews.

Some tips for those just discovering Imagery: Maintain a positive approach, image in 'real time', use all of your senses, use video, and focus on the quality of training.

Benefits of Imagery Use

Imagery is shown to increase confidence, improve self-efficacy, improve knee laxity, improve functional mobility, perceived pain, reduced re-injury anxiety, manage unfamiliar situations, and skill acquisition.

Imagery can be involved in improving your confidence and positive thinking, tactical rehearsal and problem solving, along with controlling arousal and anxiety. Imagery can be used as a part of a pre-performance routine, performance review, or during periods of injury.

Imagery In Action

Technical Aids to Imagery

Why Use Imagery?

Athletes use imagery for reasons that fall broadly into one of five functions. These five functions are cognitive specific, cognitive general functions, motivational specific functions, motivational general-arousal functions, and motivational general-mastery functions. (Hall et al., 1998)

Video Modeling

Video Modeling is watching ideal or correct movement being modeled which increases accuracy of imagery.

Skilled performers: record video of their own best performance of skill.

Less skilled performers: select video of skill being performed very well, preferably by person similar to them.

Both: watch video and immediately imagine performing the skill several times.

Biofeedback

The Biofeedback technique teaches athletes how to control physiological functions by providing real time feedback on bodily processes like your heart rate or any tension in muscles.

You would go through one type of Biofeedback and it would provide immediate feedback on your physiological state. That feedback helps you recognize patterns or learn how to control these responses if you were to participate in techniques like visualization or relaxation. We use Biofeedback to reduce anxiety, enhance our self awareness, and optimize performance levels.

Some types of Biofeedback: Electromyography (EMG), Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR).

PETTLEP Model- Imagery

Understanding this approach is important as adopting this can increase the vividness of images as well as the ease of use of imagery (Anuar et al., 2016)

Physical: refers to imaging the perceived physical sensations that would usually be experienced while performing the skill.

Environment: the athlete completing the imagery in the performance environment. Video and photos of the environment can also be used as a replacement.

Task: making the imaged task similar to the actual task that the athlete would perform and it should replicate the expected performance level.

Timing: the imagery training being the same or similar length of time to complete as physically performing the task.

Learning: the imagery should be progressively advanced and remain consistent with the physical capabilities of the athlete.

Emotion: the emotions associated with performance should be incorporated into the imagery training.

Perspective: athlete completes their imagery from an internal or external perspective.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a powerful psychological approach widely used in sports psychology to enhance athletic performance and mental well-being. By focusing on the interplay between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, CBT helps athletes identify and challenge negative thought patterns that may hinder their performance. Through practical techniques such as cognitive restructuring, goal setting, and mindfulness, athletes learn to manage stress, boost confidence, and develop a resilient mindset. Whether dealing with performance anxiety, recovery from injury, or the pressures of competition, CBT equips athletes with the tools to not only improve their mental game but also foster a healthier, more positive relationship with their sport.

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a goal oriented psychological treatment that is effective for problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illnesses.

Core Principles of CBT

Psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking.

Psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior.

People suffering from psychological problems can learn better ways of coping with them, thereby relieving their symptoms and becoming more effective in their own lives.

CBT Can Help

CBT can help:

manage symptoms of mental illness
treat a mental illness when medications aren't a good option
prevent a relapse of mental illness symptoms
identify ways to manage emotions
learn techniques for coping with stressful life situations
resolve relationship conflicts/ learn better ways to communicate
cope with loss or grief
cope with a medical illness
overcome emotional trauma related to abuse or violence
manage chronic physical symptoms

Steps in CBT and How to Get the Most Out of CBT

Steps in CBT:

Identify troubling situations or conditions in your life.
Become aware of your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs about these problems.
Identify negative or inaccurate thinking.
Reshape negative or inaccurate thinking.

How to get the most out of CBT:

Approach therapy as a partnership.
Be open and honest.
Stick to your treatment plan.
Don't expect instant results.
Do your homework between sessions.
If therapy isn't helping, talk to your therapist.