What does the work involve?
Learning to apply mental skills such as mental imagery, sport-specific concentration or positive self-talk might require the athlete to keep a diary of reflective thoughts, engage in practical training exercises and immerse themselves in mental skill projects that are designed to strengthen the acquisition of key skills. In most cases, the sport psychologist will suggest ways in which this can be integrated to physical practice and training, so that the key mental skills become a normal performance habit. Some of the mental skills that might feature in a sport psychology programme are outlined below…
Goal-setting
Goal setting can help an athlete progress from where they are today to where they might like to be in the future. Setting and achieving goals creates feelings of satisfaction, self-mastery and enjoyment that can increase the likelihood of success in competition. Goals can be set for the short term, the medium term and the longer term and may be linked to processes and skills (i.e. effort), elements of performance (i.e. serving in tennis) or more tangible outcomes such as results in key events.
Imagery
Imagery can encourage an athlete to produce a well-learned skill more effectively during the stress of competition. Being able to create the correct mental image can create a positive focus of thought before and during the sport event. Imagery can be ‘internal’ (where the athlete visualises what they would see as the event unfolds), ‘external’ (where the athlete imagines themselves performing successfully on TV) or ‘feel’, where the athlete creates the physical sensations that would be connected with a successful performance.
Positive Self-talk
Positive self-talk can help an athlete build the self-confidence they need to deliver their best performance in important events. Applying positive self-talk correctly will combat any tendency to think negatively, or be dominated by thoughts on individual technique that often destroy rhythm and flow. Motivational self-talk can direct the athlete’s focus in a way that encourages maximum effort whilst instructional self-talk can encourage the athlete to produce a well learned sports skill in competition.
Body Language
Adopting the correct body language can play a part in helping the athlete maintain a consistent performance in their chosen sport. Competitive sport is a fluctuating experience and being able to cope with set-backs soon after they occur is an important element of success. Choosing to adopt certain facial expressions, positive body shapes and stances can help athletes recover from low points in a performance more quickly, and find a way back to recapture their best form as the event unfolds.
Concentration
Being able to disregard common distractions such as negative thinking is crucial to effective performance in competitive situations. Athletes can learn to control their thoughts by choosing to focus on positive thought content as a key movement technique takes place. Rather than thinking technically, or being concerned about failing, athletes can learn to focus on breath patterns, key words or specific images that allow a natural technique to unfold with more freedom and precision during pressure situations.
Relaxation
All athletes have an optimal state of physical relaxation or readiness that promotes effective decision-making and well-learned techniques to function correctly. Occasionally though, competition stress can cause the athlete to become overly tense and be susceptible to poor decision-making and non-rhythmical movements that limit performance. Being able to regulate individual levels of anxiety, physical tension and arousal can allow the athlete to express their natural talents more consistently in competition.
Being part of a team
Team cohesion and togetherness is fundamental to success in interactive team sports such as football, rugby and netball where individual players must work together to achieve a common goal. Team cohesion is also important in co-active sports where athletes perform individually but as part of a team (i.e. The European Ryder Cup Team, The British Swimming Team, the Scottish Bowling Team). Members of sports teams can engage in training activities that encourage the team output to be greater than the sum of its parts.
Leadership
Effective leadership can encourage members of a team or organisation to work in a way that contributes to the team goal. Being able to create a performance culture through a transformational leadership style will motivate those connected with the team to perform effectively and maximise the opportunities for success. Coaches, team captains, National Governing Body administrators and members of the team’s support staff can learn to show leadership behaviours that increase their own productivity and the productivity of those around them.