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International Coaching SchoolMental Skills – Level 3
University of Victoria
August 24, 2002
Presenter: Tanya Berry
What do great performers do that enable them to excel?
• In general?
• Specific to your sport?
• Who are some examples of great performers?
Model of Performance
Theoretical Limit orAbsolute Limit
Personal limit
Current Standard
Actual Performance
Why are psychological skills important?
PsychologicalTechnical
Tactical Physical
Optimal Performance
Principles
• The Ideal Performance State• Individual Differences• Self-direction
AND: Integration with other skills
Progression
Stage 1: Positive Environment
Stage 2: Emotional Control
Stage 3: Attentional Control
Stage 4: Precompetition and competition strategies
Stage 5: Applying skills and strategies
Principles of teaching mental skills
• Learning is most effective when mental skills are taught/coached as an integral part of training, not as an “add on” activity.
• Because mental skills are best learned at the same time as other skills, the coach is the best person to teach them.
• Like all learning, mental skills learning is a developmental process; it begins with simple familiar examples and gradually develops with practice and good instruction to apply to complex and unfamiliar situations
• The objective is to make athletes self-sufficient – not reliant on the coach or expert.
• The quality of effort of both coach and athlete is the same as for learning and acquiring physical skills; problems with adherence to training can be anticipated.
• Individual differences are as obvious in learning mental vs physical skills – hence the need for individualized programs early in the season
• The most powerful influence in all learning, including mental skills, is the example of the coach.
• To be effective:
YOU, THE COACH,,
MUST BE A POSITIVE MODEL
OF THE SKILLS
BEING TAUGHT.
General Preparatory Phase
Sell the Program
Getting to know the athletes and determining their goals
Introduction of mental skills (LEARNING)
Specific Preparatory Phase
Team Building
Arousal Control Learning &
Confidence Building SIMULATION
Pre-competitive Phase
Focussing – including skills such as Imagery, Self-talk, Pre-game routines, Thought-stopping, Refocussing techniques
Competitive Phase
Refining of Skills
and APPLICATION
Transition Phase
Evaluation
Stage 1Positive Environment
• Plan for long-term involvement
• Multiple incentives
• Set goals
• Team harmony
• Effective communication
In order for long-term involvement you need:
Motivationcharacterized by:
• Direction of effort
• Intensity of effort
An internal state that arouses, directs, and maintains behaviours.
Major motives for youth sport participation
• Improving skills
• having fun
• being with friends
• experiencing thrills and excitement
• achieving success
• developing fitness
Goals
An objective, standard or aim of some action
• outcome v performance goals
Long-term goals
Short-term goals
Daily (practice) goals
Why goal-setting works
• Direct attention to important elements of the skill
• mobilize performance efforts• prolong performer persistence• foster the development of new learning
strategies• influence performance indirectly by affecting
psychological factors such as anxiety, confidence, and satisfaction
Team Harmony(Cohesion)
Need:
Effective communication
Respect
Feeling of closeness
Friendly atmosphere
Mutual acceptance of goals
Mutual encouragement
Consequences of Cohesion
• Increased satisfaction
• Increased adherence to team norms and values
• Greater stability
• Greater conformity
Cohesion
Performance
The relation between cohesion and performance is circular, with performance success leading to increased cohesion, which in turn leads to increased performance
Ways to develop Cohesion
• Discussion starters• Team slogans or sayings• Team name as an acronym• Reciprocal Teaching
Stage 2Emotional Control
Stimulus
Appraisal of SituationPrimary – personal stakeSecondary – resources
No stress response Stress Response
Active Coping
Sources of anxiety and stress
• Sport is “a self-inflicted stressful situation” Graham Mourie
• Event importance• threat to person’s ego• threat of personal harm• ambiguity, uncertainty• disruption of routine• threat of negative social evaluation• Personal - trait anxiety, self-esteem
Symptoms of stressFight or flight response
• Butterflies• Can’t sit still, fidgety• Biting nails• Dry mouth• Increased heart rate• Urination• Muscle tremors and
tightness
• Headaches• Nausea and vomiting• Insomnia• Concentration errors• Narrowing of visual
field• Profuse sweating• Dazed look in eyes
Interventions• change the environment or perceptions of
environment
• cognitive stress management techniques
• somatic stress management techniques
Somatic• Relaxation• Progressive Muscular Relaxation• Hypnosis• Biofeedback• Yoga
How could you incorporate one of them into a practice?
SelectionWinning finalPassing exams
Time on study, assignments, self-esteem, Training,
effort etc.
MoneyWeight, Looks
Car
CrowdWeather
Unimportant
ImportantU
ncontrollableCon
trol
labl
e
Stage 3Attentional Control
A useful definition of attention or concentration contains 2 parts:
1.Focusing attention on the relevant environmental cues
2.Maintaining that attentional focus
Attentional Problems
• Attending to past events
• Attending to future events
• Attending to too many cues
• Over analysis of body mechanics
• Choking (ANXIETY!)
Attentional Focus Training
• Thought-stopping
• Centering
• Simulation/practice
• Attentional cues– listening cues– visual cues– physical cues
Tips for Improving Concentration
• Practice with distractions present
• Use cue words
• Employ nonjudgmental thinking
• Establish routines
• Practice eye control
• Stay focused in the present
What is imagery?
• Visualization, mental rehearsal, mental practice
• Imagery involves creating or recreating an experience in your mind
• Can involve all senses - visual, kinesthetic, auditory, olfactory, tactile
• Can involve moods and emotions
Internal – imagine executing a task from within your own body; emphasizes movement(throwing a ball imagining the weight, feel of the grip, stretch of your arm)
External – imagine watching yourself from at a distance
When to use imagery
• Before and after practice
• before and after competition
• during breaks in action (in practice and competition)
• during personal time
• when recovering from injury
Imagery Tips
• individualized• proper setting - relaxed concentration• realistic expectations, sufficient motivation• positive focus• videotapes• imagine execution and outcome• imagine in real time• vividness and controllability
Imagery Exercise
Imagine telling an athlete they’ve been cut
Imagine telling an injured athlete their career is over.
How did it go?
Stage 4
Precompetition & Competition Strategies
The Ideal Performance State The IPS is currently best described in terms of specific “feeling” states experienced by the athlete
Competitive toughness is essentially the ability to create and sustain the IPS regardless of the circumstances of play
Control seems to be at a sub-conscious level.
Components of the IPS
• Physically relaxed
•Mentally calm
•Low anxiety
•Positively energized
•Optimistic
•Enjoying the activity
• Effortless
•Automatic
•Alert
•Focused in the present
•Self-confident
•In control
Precompetition & Competition Strategies
Dealing with distractions:
The best surprise is no surprise.
What are possible distractions:
Precompetition?
During competition?
The final 5 minutesFrom: Bruce Howe, PhD
The “big three”
1. Relaxation
2. Imagery
3. Cue words
Work through each activity in order
Concentrate on that which provides the best IPS
Reinforce the image of the opening action
Keep an uncluttered mind
During Competition From: Bruce Howe, PhD
The Focus Loop
1. External broad
2. Internal
3. External narrow
Limit goals
Cueing
Imaging
Rofocusing strategies – thought stopping & the focus point
Stage 5
Applying Skills & Strategies
Individuality
Visualization
Integration into practices
Evaluation