Psychological Preparation

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The Role and Use of Sports Psychologists

Aim: to establish mental toughness
Sports psychology: involves the study of human behaviour in sports setting and the influence of coach, athlete and environment on performance
The sports psychiatrist aims to
- Help athletes overcome the pressures of competition
- Improve performance by teaching techniques for mental control and alertness
- Educate and teach coaches/players
Psychological skills training (PST) can enhance both performance and self-confidence. But these skills need to be practiced
Focusing: staying in a controlled emotional state and concentrating on the immediate event, sometimes employs the use of cue words
Centring: process that gives the athlete a feeling of being grounded, in control
Positive self-talk: can help in rehearsing and correcting a skill and refocusing

Relaxation: characterised by a decrease in breathing rate, heart rate, muscle activity and oxygen consumption
Anxiety: fear/apprehension as a result of a proposed threat
Progressive muscular relaxation: tense then relax a muscle group
Mental relaxation: visually tranquil experience relax the mind and body
Mental rehearsal: repeat a mental picture before a performance
Centred breathing: focus on breathing depth and rate
Flotation: floating in water to produce a sense of calm
Meditation: exclusion of surrounding interferences
Sports massage: manipulating soft tissue
Autogenic training: mental creation of feelings of heaviness and warmth in the muscles
Biofeedback: uses instruments which measure changes in bodily functions (skin temperature, breathing, heart rate etc)
Hypnosis

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