Sport Psychology for the Sports Coach
Understanding the importance of sport and exercise psychology is paramount to getting better results on the field, in the pool or on the court. Often though, coaches find the topic daunting and therefore put it in the “too hard” basket. Other coaches employ the services of a sport psychologist to assist their athletes and subsequently miss important benefits of a holistic coaching approach. In this article, we define what sport psychology is and what aspects are best incorporated into training and competition day by the sports coach.
What is Sport Psychology?
Sport psychology is the understanding of how the mind influences an athlete’s performance in their chosen sport. Within the principles of sport psychology are various concepts such as how do athletes prefer to learn, what is their personality, how can they attain states of relaxation and concentration (narrow and broad focus), how does an athlete learn to visualize a successful performance, do they understand and overcome their limiting beliefs and how does an athlete develop high levels of self-awareness.
Why is Sport Psychology Important?
The importance of sport psychology has been realized for decades, however many coaches and athletes pay too little attention to how it can help them perform better. Many coaches and athletes still overly focus on the physical aspect of sporting performance at the detriment of the non-physical. There is a greater emphasis on proven physical training programs and biomechanical analysis of the equipment and technique. These physical aspects of sport are critical and they become even more valuable when combined with an effective mental training program. No athlete, no matter how strong or physically gifted can be successful if for example, they let their nerves overtake them and they crumble in the heat and pressure of competition.
Sport Psychology is not just the domain of a sport psychologist and there are many aspects that coaches can become very effective themselves, to the benefit of their athletes and team. This can also have the additional benefit that it is incorporated into a holistic training program and more potent then one-time interventions. Having said that, some issues athletes have to deal with may not be of a sporting nature and are in fact clinical psychology issues. An example would be if an athlete has an eating disorder or other serious psychological challenge. If a coach realizes this, then we strongly advise the coach to seek professional help for their athlete.
So what can a coach do that falls under the realm of sport psychology and that will make a significant impact on their athletes’ performances?
Bo Hanson is 4x Olympian, Coaching Consultant & Director of Athlete Assessments. To learn about Sports Psychologist, please visit http://www.athleteassessments.com
Processing your request, Please wait....
