When will athletes benefit from mental skills training?
When athletes wish to maximize their physical and technical talents or go as far as possible in their sports.
Some specific indicators for when an athlete may benefit from mental skills training are when he or she:
- Performs much better in practice than in competition.
- Entertains self-doubts about him / herself (doubt in own abilities) before and during competition.
- Feels very nervous or very anxious or even “chokes” in competition.
- Has tough time playing well because others (i.e. family or crowd) are watching them.
- Only plays their sport to feel better about him/herself as a person.
- Easily loses focus or has mental concentration lapses while competing.
- Although 100% physically fit – can’t seem to perform the way he / she did before getting injured.
- Loses confidence quickly or lacks confidence even after tasting success.
- Has difficulty rebounding from mistakes or hanging on to mistakes for too long.
- Wants to improve and maintain motivation.
- Wishes to develop good habits by developing healthy mental strategies and game plans.
- Wants to improve his/her mental toughness.
- Wishes to know what it’s like to be in the ‘flow’ consistently and truly enjoy his/her sport.
- Wishes to take his/her game to the next level.
- Wants to reach full potential and go as far as possible in his/her sport (and in life).
How does Mental Skills Training really work?
[please note that service can be delivered in various settings - i.e. office, via workshops, during practice or competition]
1. The initial intake process.
a) “Breaking the ice”;
b) The initial intake process & assessment;
c) Initial identification of “problem areas”.
2. Overview of MST (Mental Skills Training).
a) Emphasizing Educational approach;
b) Dispelling common myths & biggest fears about MST;
c) Phases of MST;
d) Overview of coping & re-focusing mental strategies & techniques.
3. An (in-depth) mental profile assessment / evaluation.
4. Analysis, Feedback & Recommendations for improvement.
5. Customized 1v1 counseling and Mental Skills Training.
a) Searching for “Performance Keys”;
b) Customizing solutions & development of an “Action Plan”;
c) Acquisition Phase (acquiring specific strategies & skills);
d) Creation of a “Customized Mind Gym Skill Pack”.
[athlete's "mental barriers" are un-blocked & strengths are optimized.]
- ‘Mental Toughness Guide‘ – Mental skills training and the foundation of the mental toughness.
- ‘Customized Athlete’s Guide‘ – “Customized Road Map” provided for Athlete – goals and ambitions are directly tied to realistic expectations, assisting in reaching full potential in sport and life.
- ‘Customized Parent’s Guide‘ – “Customized Road Map” provided for Parents to help Athlete make his/her sport experience more enjoyable and successful.
6. Monitoring, Support & Self-Regulation Phase.
a) Progress benchmarking & monitoring;
b) On-going support (whenever necessary);
c) Athlete transitions into the “Self-Regulation” phase.
[athlete is able to self-monitor, cope and even thrive under pressure situations]
To master the game – first, and foremost, one has to master own mind. Without being able to control and manage one’s emotions or without possessing strong mental skills (i.e. ability to focus well, handle the pressure of competition, rebound from mistakes as well as inevitable setbacks, becoming and staying motivated and confident, etc.), no amount of physical and technical training or talent will enable an athlete (in any sport) to rise to the top or realize his / her full potential. All the great athletes (in any sport) have one thing in common, besides being masters in their respective sports – they, first of all, are all masters of their minds.
So mental game training and coaching is really for athletes who want to improve upon their current performance and take their game to the next level with the help of a Mental Game Coach. Assuming players prepared themselves technically, tactically and physically, it’s the athletes with stronger mental skills who go the furthest. It’s what separates good players from the average, excellent from the good, top class from the excellent players (and athletes in general).
“This ability to conquer oneself is no doubt the most precious of all things sports bestows on us” – (Olga Korbut – multiple Olympic & World Champion Gymnast)
