Sports Psychology is the study and application of the attitudes and behaviors of athletes (including team athletes) that impact (either positively or negatively) performance in sports and/or competitive settings. The goal of sports psychology is to help athletes and teams identify unhealthy attitudes and beliefs, apply mental toughness skills and peak performance strategies to perform at optimal levels.
Sports psychology can help team athletes by enhancing confidence, improving focus, increasing practice efficiency, and building team. We can also help the slumping team identify why performance is below potential and how implementing mental game strategies can positively impact performance.
What is mental game or mental toughness coaching?
Mental Game Coaching (also known as mental toughness training) is the practical aspect of sports psychology. Mental toughness training helps athletes by working through mental barriers, such as confidence, concentration (focus) or composure related issues. It requires replacing unhealthy attitudes and beliefs with more healthy ones to achieve peak performance in sports.
What does it mean to be "in the zone"?
Being "in the zone" is desired goal of sports psychology coaching. It is defined as having a higher level of concentration and being totally engrossed in an endeavor to the point where time almost stands still and outside distractions almost disappear. At some point, whether in sports or not, most people have experienced being so deep into concentration that outside distractions seem to disappear.
Finding the mental "triggers" that can help an athlete enter the zone and learning to stay in the zone are the prerequisites for any successful athletic performance.
What is the difference between sports psychology training and traditional work with a therapist?Unlike psychotherapy, sports psychology doesn't use couches, prescribe medicines, or work with abnormal behavior. Instead, the goal of mental game coaching and/or sports psychology is to teach athletes how to be more confident, refine focus, stay composed under pressure, practice more efficiently, and develop better pre-performance routines. The main difference between a mental game coach and a therapist is that mental game coaches work with athletes on sports performance enhancement and not personal challenges (e.g. working through a divorce, coping with an addictive behavior, etc.) or abnormal behavior (e.g. schizophrenia).
What’s the difference between a mental game/ mental toughness coach and an athletic team coach?
The difference between a mental game coach and an athletic team coach really depends on the coach. Great athletic team coaches always help to athlete.COACH PLAY THE VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN EVERY SPORTS TEAM.They know how to help their teams identify the mental obstacles that hold them back from optimum performance, and how to implement sports psychology strategies to help the team be motivated and confident. A mental game coach specializes on mental skills for peak performance and does not work on technique (e.g. physical skills training)or fitness as would a team coach.
