Ch. 10 Sports Psychology

Objectives

• Discuss the importance of sports psychology to athletic performance

• Describe goal setting and its effect on motivation• Draw up a personal goal-setting program• Explain the difference between imagery and simulation• Explain the benefits and dangers of stress• Discuss the dangers of burnout

Sports Psychology

• Study of sport and exercise and the mental factors influencing performance

• Growing field where athletes of all levels find success and happiness• Ron Artest thanking his psychologist after winning 2010

NBA Championship

Sports Psychology

• Can help athletes with• Goals• Self-Confidence• Motivation• Positive self-image• Strategies to cope with stress and disappointment

Motivation

• Motivation is an inner state or condition that serves to activate or energize behavior and give it direction

• Extrinsic: motivated by external reward, such as money or praise; based on goals, interest, and values of others

• Intrinsic: comes from within; doing something for yourself

Goal Setting

• With goal setting, individuals can• Achieve more• Improve performance• Improve quality of training• Increase motivation to achieve at a higher level• Increase pride and satisfaction in performance• Improve self-confidence

Goal Setting

• Those who use goal setting• Suffer less from stress and anxiety• Concentrate better• Show more self-confidence• Perform better• Are happier with their performance

How to set goals…

• Set positive goals• Instead of “I will not turn the ball over”, use “I will control

my ball handling”• Instead of “Don’t foul out”, use “I will move my feet on

defense”• Instead of “Don’t miss any serves”, use “Every serve will be

in bounds”

How to set goals…

• Prioritize- each person will have many goals on their plate at once. Determine the goals most important to you.• Example goals: Get 7 hours of sleep a night. Workout

everyday. Make 4 A’s this 6th weeks.• What if you don’t have enough time to accomplish all those

goals? Which ones are most important to you?

How to set goals…

• Write goals down• Avoids confusion• Gives goals more power• Should be visible and read each day

• Set specific goals• Make goals specific so they are measurable• Helps increase confidence when achieved, will set more

difficult goals• Example: score a lot of points vs score 20 points

How to set goals…

• Keep operational goals small• Operational goals are mini goals that help you accomplish a

larger goal• Example: Run mile in 7:30 mins. If you currently run a 8:30

min mile, the first goal should be to run a 8:15 min mile. • Individuals can see progress and self-confidence is

improved as operational goals are achieved

How to set goals…

• Set performance, not outcome goals• Athlete retains control over achievement• Outcome goals can fail due to issues outside of individual’s

control such as weather and injury• Set a deadline for you to achieve your goal• Example: Instead of “win the game”, say “score 20 points

and grab 10 rebounds”

How to set goals…

• Set goals at the right level• Can only be acquired with practice• Set difficult but attainable goals

• Set short-term and long-term goals• Short term goals should be reached within a set period of

time (day, week, month, few months)• Long term goals are accomplished by achieving short term

goals

Imagery

• Training process done within the mind• Can strengthen neurologic pathways important to

coordination of muscles• Pre-experience achievement of goals• Allows for practice at all times while an athlete may only

physically practice a limited time

Simulation

• Teaches brain to cope with certain circumstances• Making physical training as close as possible to real

competition• Playing crowd noise during practice

• Simulation is better than imagery but it takes more resources and time to set up and implement

Stress

• Proper amount of stress can increase and improve performance• Increase awareness• Maintain focus• Increase motivation• Filter distractions

• Too much stress can hinder performance and cause problems

Transitional Stress

• Occurs when athletes make a transition between levels in sports• Facing increased competition• New teammates• Facing many unknown factors

Injuries and Burnout

• Injuries set athletes back from his or her training and performance goals

• Athlete must understand injuries are a part of athletics and modify goals

• Burnout can occur both mentally and physically• Pressure to win• Criticism from coaches and parents

• Quits because the sport is no longer enjoyable

Managing Stress

• Goal Setting• Positive Thinking• Time Management• Talking with friends• Taking breaks

Self-Confidence

• Athlete’s assessment of his or her own self-worth• Large role in athlete’s happiness• Increases as goals are accomplished• Decreases with consistent failure• If athlete is under confident, will not take risks• Overconfidence will lead to decrease in performance

because athlete is not trying