Performance in Sport
In the high-stakes world of sports, what separates champions from the rest? Often, it’s the mental game. Performance in sports psychology explores how athletes can harness mental skills to boost focus, resilience, and motivation, transforming pressure into peak performance. Whether you're an athlete, coach, or sports enthusiast, understanding the psychological factors at play can empower you to reach new heights in competition. Come along as we look into strategies and insights that can unlock your full athletic potential!
Performance Psychology explores the factors that influence the athlete's ability to perform at their optimal level. Peak performance is influenced by not just our body but our minds and the mental aspects like motivation, concentration, confidence and resilience. The goal here is to provide insights into strategies and techniques that can help you athletes overcome mental barriers, maintain peak performance under pressure, and develop a winning mindset.
S.M.A.R.T Goals
You can, you should, and if you are brave enough to start, you will. - Stephen King
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. Linked to this section will be a Mental Skills Questionnaire which I have found very useful in the athletes I train.
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.
Focus & Concentration
Managing Distractions
Identifying Distractions: The athlete should reflect on what commonly distracts them and develop strategies to manage those distractions.
Environmental Control: Athlete should create a distraction-free environment if possible to enhance focus.
Factors Affecting Focus & Concentration
External Distractions: noise, crowd behavior, and environmental factors can impact the athlete's ability to focus.
Internal Distractions: Anxiety, negative self-talk, and personal concerns can disrupt concentration.
Fatigue: Physical and mental fatigue can reduce the athletes attention span and concentration levels.
Types of Attention
Selective Attention: Focusing on relevant stimuli while filtering out irrelevant distractions.
Sustained Attention: This is the ability to maintain that focus over a period of time, important for those overtime or extra time games.
Divided Attention: The athlete can manage tasks simultaneously.
Techniques to Enhance Focus & Concentration
Mindfulness Training: This practice can help athletes become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, allowing them to refocus on the task at hand.
Breathing Exercises: Deep, controlled breathing can help calm the mind and sharpen focus.
Focus Cues: Developing keywords or phrases (e.g., "execute," "attack") can serve as mental reminders to stay concentrated during performance.
Mental Toughness
Key Characteristics of Mentally Tough Athletes
Resilience: The athlete can bounce back from setbacks or adversity.
Focus: Maintaining concentration on performance and goals while ignoring distractions.
Confidence: Believing in one's abilities and maintaining a positive self-image.
Motivation: The athlete displays a strong internal drive to succeed and get better every day.
Emotional Regulation: The athletes ability to manage their emotions effectively.
Strategies for Building Mental Toughness
Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: meditation and deep breathing can improve your emotional regulation and focus.
Routine Development: We want to establish pre-performance routines that can help athletes enter a focused mindset.
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Developing Mental Toughness
How do we develop mental toughness?
Goal Setting: Establishing clear, achievable goals provides direction and proper motivation.
Self Talk: Positive self-talk can enhance confidence and reduce your anxiety.
Visualization: Imagining successful performances and overcoming challenges can prepare the mind for competition.
Exposure to Pressure: That's right. Training in high-pressure situations helps athletes acclimate to competitive stress and develop proper coping strategies.
Benefits of Mental Toughness
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Improved Performance
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Increased Resilience
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Enhanced Enjoyment
Stress Management
Understand Stress
Eustress: this is positive stress that can enhance performance.
Distress: this is negative stress that can lead to anxiety, decreased performance, and burnout.
Greatest stressor for athletes is the pressure put on them to win.
Look for pages 6 & 7 in the Sports Psychology section for more information on stress.
Cognitive & Relaxation Techniques
Cognitive restructuring reframes negative thoughts to positive ones. For example, swapping "I can't hit this free kick right now" with "I have practiced this a thousand times, I'm ready" can reduce that anxiety. Mindfulness is another avenue that can help athletes stay present and reduce anxiety. Meditation, breathing exercises, and body scans are all techniques to use. For relaxation techniques, I recommend Deep Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or Visualization which can be found in the Mindfulness & Relaxation section.
Pre-Performance Routines & Goal Setting
Developing a pre-performance routine can help athletes feel more in control of their body and mind. Incorporate breathing or visualization into that warm up. You could also use cue words or phrases to help maintain focus during the competition. For example, "lock in" or "elevate" are good engaging phrases.
We want to focus on process goals (what to do during performance) rather than outcome goals (winning). This shift encourages athletes to concentrate on their actions rather than results.
Self Care & Social Support
Self care can start at the physical health level. Make sure you are getting sufficient sleep, proper nutrition, and regular exercise. Learn how to manage your time by balancing training, competition, and your personal life. This will help reduce stress and helps the athlete maintain a sense of control over their schedules. Building a support network involves a strong support system of coaches, friends, or parents. Be open to the idea of professional help if you think it can help.
Emotional Regulation
Understanding the Importance of Emotional Regulation
Emotional Regulation involves the ability to monitor, evaluate, and modify emotional reactions. Facing those intense emotions can impact their performance. Quality regulation can help maintain composure and focus. Emotions cause time in the penalty box, yellow or red cards, and flags that affect the teams production.
Techniques for Emotional Regulation
Mindfulness and Meditation: You may be thinking, "Really, again?". Yes! Practicing mindfulness helps athletes stay present and aware of their emotions.
Deep Breathing Exercises: Controlled breathing can help reduce physiological arousal associated with strong emotions. This can promote calmness and clarity for the athlete.
Cognitive Reappraisal: This involves changing the way we interpret a situation to alter its emotional impact.
Key Components of Emotional Regulation
Awareness: Athlete can recognize their own emotional state which involves understanding how our emotions affect our thoughts and behaviors.
Understanding Triggers: Identify what situations elicit strong emotional responses. This can help athletes develop coping strategies.
Response Modulation: This is the ability to modify emotional responses through strategies like cognitive reappraisal or relaxation techniques.
Benefits of Emotional Regulation
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Improved Performance
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Reduced Burnout
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Increased Enjoyment
Self Talk
Self-talk is a powerful tool that can shape an athlete's mindset, influence performance, and enhance recovery from injury. It refers to the internal dialogue we all engage in, and for athletes, it can be the difference between success and struggle. Positive self-talk boosts confidence, sharpens focus, and cultivates resilience, while negative self-talk can lead to doubt and anxiety. Some practical applications are pre-performance routines and the recovery from an injury.
Types of Self Talk & the Impact on Performance
Positive Self Talk: encouraging and motivating statements that build confidence. ("I can do this!")
Negative Self Talk: critical or discouraging thoughts that can undermine performance. (Ex: "I always mess this up.")
Instructional Self Talk: focuses on specific tasks or techniques during performance. (Ex: "Stay calm and breathe")
Self talk directly influences an athlete's focus, motivation, and emotional state. This positive self talk can enhance performance, while negative self talk can lead to anxiety and decreased effectiveness.
Examples of Positive & Negative Self Talk Relating to Sports Injury
Techniques to Develop Positive Self Talk & the Benefits of Positive Self Talk
Awareness: recognizing and monitoring your internal dialogue is the first step.
Reframing: learning to challenge and replace negative thoughts with positive alternatives.
Affirmations: creating and repeating positive statements tailored to your goals and challenges.
Benefits: Increases self confidence and resilience. Reduces anxiety and stress. Enhances focus and concentration. Promotes a growth mindset, encouraging athletes to view challenges as opportunities for development.
Ievleva & Orlick (1993) 'Mental paths to enhanced recovery'. In Psychological Bases of Sport Injury.
Team Resilience & Teammate Awareness
Communication & Trust
If you are playing a team sport, you now how important quality communication is for success. Good communication builds trust and clarity among the team. Non-verbal cues are impactful for your teammates in terms of influencing team morale and motive. Building trust can be done through team-building activities and shared experiences which strengthen relationships and creates a supportive environment.
Feedback & Reflection
First, discover when the best time is to give feedback. Everybody is different in this manner.
Intrinsic: comes from within the athlete, during performance.
Extrinsic: comes from someone else, after the performance.
Terminal: feedback that is given at the end of the performance.
Concurrent: feedback during performance either internally or externally from a coach.
Provide constructive feedback so the individual and team can improve. Reflection practices like film are great for review of their performance and fostering growth and development.
Roles & Motivation
Clearly defined roles help athletes understand their contributions and how they fit into the team structure. There can be some role flexibility based on game situations too. Team captains or coaches play an important role by motivating, communicating clearly, and create a positive team culture. When it comes to motivation, shared goals and a sense of purpose can boost team morale and cohesion when succeeding.
Thierry Henry (1998 World Cup Winner) on how to enhance the skills of his teammates
This video is from a French soccer icon talking about how his coach brought up a unique perspective on how he could help the team when he doesn't have the ball. How can you help your teammates and team in general succeed?
(Just click on the video button below.)