PSYCHOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT

Week 11

What you need to know…

What is Psychological Skills Training? Arousal Mental imagery Concentration Confidence What are all of the above? How do we

improve them to help performance?

Psychological Skills Training (PST)

PST: Rehearsal or practice of a variety of psychological techniques

Examples: arousal, mental imagery, concentration and confidence

Three stages in PST• Education: explanation of the PST

• Acquisition: how they are learned/developed

• Practice: in training for game situations

Arousal

Arousal: the level of readiness or activation a person has when faced with performance

Optimal arousal is needed for optimum performance

This is generally at a moderate level Low arousal: unmotivated, bored, lethargic High arousal: tense, highly excited, anxious

Arousal Regulation

Arousal reduction techniques• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Tensing and relaxing major muscle groups from head to toe

• Muscle group contracted slowly and held ‘tight’ for 5-10 seconds and then slowly released

• Idea is to ‘let go’ of tension, which also decreases mental tension

• Often done during time outs, change of ends

• Breath control• Helps to relax and refocus while preparing for the next

stage in the match

Arousal Regulation

Arousal promotion techniques• Elevated breathing rate

• Short, sharp breaths to increase state of awareness and block out distractions

• Positive talk and sounds• Use of emotive words: ‘tough’, ‘aggressive’,

‘commitment’ increase arousal levels

• Listening to up-beat music can also increase arousal levels

Mental Imagery

Mental imagery: ability to picture events via thoughts in the brain

Also known as mental rehearsal or visualisation

The more sense involved the more powerful the experience• Eg: kinaesthetic, auditory, tactile, visual

Mental Imagery

Improves performance by:• Improving neural pathways b/w brain &

muscles

• Providing a mental template to be used

• Practise and prepare for possibilities

• Pre-experience achievement of goals

• Slow down complex skills

• Identify potential technique problems

Concentration

Three parts to concentration• Focusing on relevant environmental cues

• Maintaining attention focus over time

• Having awareness of the situation Improving concentration

• Simulation: practising real-life situations

• Routines: help make actions automatic

• Cue words: instructional (‘follow through’) or motivational (‘keep chasing every ball’)

Confidence

Self-confidence: is the belief individuals possess that they will be successful

Similar to the arousal ‘inverted U theory’ Improving confidence

• Experience success at training in game-like situations

• Act and think positively

• Use positive self talk

Activities

You Tube videos Newspaper article – Visualisation Basketball free throws Test your knowledge questions