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

Basic goal-setting principles

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Relevant

• Time-lined

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

Low High

Low

High

Arousal

Per

form

ance

Energizing Need Relaxation

Interventions• change the environment or perceptions of

environment

• cognitive stress management techniques

• somatic stress management techniques

Cognitive

• Routines

• Goal-setting

• Rational thinking

• Self-Talk

• Thought-stopping

• Cue words

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

• Routines

• Imagery

• Goal-setting

• Overlearning

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?

Competition StrategyIncluding Thought Control

(cue words, self-statements)

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

Skills should be learned well enough to come without thinking -

AUTOMATICITY

Remember to keep in mind the athlete’s individual IPS

Practice

Apply

Evaluate

Debrief