It is not only physical preparation that gives athletes the best performance: The proper state of mind will get the best inside of them
How do you physically prepare for a marathon, 5K, championship game, or intramural match? There is a lot of great information available out there on how to physically prepare yourself to be your best. Almost all elite and serious athletes have access to the most cutting edge information on how to reach their physical peak.
Today’s athlete knows how to eat right, lift efficiently, build their cardio, reach their maximum speed, and become the most technically gifted player on the field.
However, too many athletes are ignoring the part of the body that has as much of an impact on their performance -- their brains. How can athletes find that advantage that they have been searching for? Exploring how your mind impacts your performance through sports psychology can give you the advantage you’ve been seeking.
Below are two common reasons athletes come into my office along with the underlying principles.
Building, and maintaining higher levels of confidence.
Most athletes recognize their best performances come when they are feeling most confident, whereas their worst performances rear their ugly heads when confidence is low. While working with a sports psychologist, an athlete can better understand how a confident mind allows for a distraction-free and in-the-moment performance.
On the other hand, a mind that lacks confidence is distracted with thoughts and feelings that cause athletes to make more mistakes. This can truly serve to be detrimental for athletes, and as a result, one must learn to improve their focus, and minimize these inner distractions that lead to mistakes.
Challenging flawed negative self-talk.
All athletes engage in negative self-talk. The two most common reasons for doing so are:
1. Telling myself that I suck, I’m too slow, I’m not fit, or that my teammates hate me… will better prepare me for the time when someone else says those things about me. The problem is that athletes typically never hear that type of harsh criticism. Consequently, they are essentially preparing themselves for something that will never happen and is probably not true. Additionally, the athlete also tricks him/herself into thinking that they can handle negative criticism when it comes from within.
2. Telling myself that I suck, I’m too slow, I’m not fit, or that my teammates hate me… will motivate me. I agree this type of self-talk can motivate an athlete if the statements are accurate and are used sparingly. Unfortunately, athletes usually have negative self-talk on a repeat loop in their heads.
When working with clients who are struggling to break this habit because they see it as useful, I ask them what happened to their motivation when someone did speak negatively of their performance or abilities. They usually respond with, “My motivation went down, I didn’t want to be out there, and eventually I played poorly.” I then ask them to explain why it would be any different if the criticism comes from within. I’m usually met with a blank stare.
When athletes struggle with their confidence, it usually starts with negative self-talk. Subsequently, I help the athlete break the cycle of making a mistake, engaging in negative self-talk, feeling anxious, having a distracted mind, and making another mistake. I help them develop the mentally tough mindset where they can make a mistake and learn from it, make the proper adjustments for the next time, move on, and focus on the moment.
These are just a few of the many ways that sports psychology can help you play better and enjoy your sport more.
Finally, we need to remember that sports psychology help coaches built team cohesiveness.
Source:
Ciaran Dalton, Psy.D
