Mental preparation is a very broad topic within the arena of sports psychology. The purpose of mental preparation is to create a mindset that lets you consistently perform up to your capabilities and talents in competition. Mental preparation includes two pain components. The first component begins days (or even weeks) before competition and includes learning the strategies that instill greater mental toughness. For example athletes should begin working on their focus, confidence, composure and other important mental game strategies. The second component of mental preparation is applying specific pregame routines that help you perform at your best. These routines […]
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06
Apr
2011
Mental Preparation in Sports
27
Mar
2011
How to Get in “The Zone”
What every athlete must know to achieve peak performance in competition! The “zone” is a state of supreme focus helps athletes in all sports perform at their peak potential. It is when your mind fully connects with achieving a goal, such as getting a hit, or stealing a base. Attention is absorbed into the present (the here and now only). When you’re in the zone your mind only processes the thoughts and images that help you execute your task successfully. Free Mental Game Report: How to Get in “The Zone”
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23
Mar
2011
The Downside of Perfectionism in Sports
The saying “practice makes perfect” has its downside in sports. Today many athletes who strive for perfection in practice also embrace this mindset in competition. Athletes who aim for perfection in competition often struggle with fear of failure, fragile confidence, lack of trust and frustration during games. On the other hand, perfectionism has its advantages. Perfectionists tend to be highly motivated, work hard to succeed, and strive to be the best. However, perfectionists rarely perform up to their abilities because they’re afraid of failing or making mistakes that will prevent them from winning. These are the athletes who want […]
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17
Mar
2011
Team Cohesion Determines Team Success
You can be the most talented team in the world and still fail if you lack team cohesion. Also known as teamwork, team cohesion is an active process where players come together to achieve a common goal and remain united in pursuit of that objective. The Great Bambino once said: “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” – Babe Ruth In order for teams to reach their true potential every […]
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14
Mar
2011
How Stephen Strasburg Gets Into A Rhythm
Baseball players like to get into a certain rhythm. Pitchers and batters alike go through a routine to get into that rhythm to help them reach peak performance. Washington National’s pitching phenom, Stephen Strasburg, prefers to feel a good rhythm on the mound. “I like to keep the same tempo throughout the game. When I get out of rhythm, or speed up a little, it affects my focus. I just got to remember to stick to my routine before each pitch. This helps me keep the same rhythm and focus no matter what happens,” said Strasburg. Why is it […]
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13
Mar
2011
Anticipating the Unexpected in Sports: Part 1
In game 1 of the American League Championship Series, the Texas Rangers broke out to a 5-0 lead over the New York Yankees. After six straight shutout innings the Yankees looked as if they were ready to throw in the towel. “They’re pitcher was rolling, but the last six, nine outs are the toughest to get. We know one pitch to another can change the momentum of the game,” said Former Texas Ranger, Alex Rodriguez. “We always say we have 27 outs,” said Robinson Cano, who had three hits and two RBI for the Yankees. “Until they get the […]
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09
Mar
2011
Four Goals to Enhance Your Performance
There are four different types of goals you should set for your performance. The first are your long-term or dream goals. These are the driving force behind playing a sport; every other goal supports this dream goal. What do you want to accomplish in the next two to three years? Write down your long-term goal or “dream goal” for your sport. A long-term goal is what you want to ultimately achieve in your sport. It may be something like, “Make my high school soccer team,” or “Play on Coach Bill’s traveling team in middle school.” Next, you should set […]
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08
Mar
2011
Goal Setting for Athletes
Setting goals is critical to your success as athletes in both sports and life. It’s important that you stay committed to evaluating and changing your goals when needed. You should create and monitor goals for practice and competitions or games. Younger athletes’ goals may simply be to have fun, make friends or learn to run faster. As you get older, your goals can be more specific and more focused on improving your performance. It’s important to remember that goals should not become expectations that weigh you down. In other words, it’s one thing to have a goal and work […]
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07
Mar
2011
Goal Setting and Self-Motivation
What is self-motivation? Athletes who are self-motivated take part in sports for the pure enjoyment of it. They do not need rewards to participate. To succeed in your sport, it’s important that you love to play or perform. It’s not a good idea to take part in sports because you want to make others happy–your parents, coaches or peers, for example. When you have a real passion for the game, you’ll have more staying power and feel more committed to sports over time. Dan Coyle, author of the book, “The Talent Code: Greatness isn’t born. It’s Grown,” says passion […]
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28
Feb
2011
Examining the “Yips” in Golf
The ’yips’ are one of golf’s most perplexing challenges, and have driven many good golfers to give up the game. Symptoms of the ‘yips’ include jerks, tremors and freezing, which act as a performance barrier for golfers in competition. Players describe the ‘yips’ as involuntary muscle spasms and feelings of pressure and anxiety. In many golfers, the pathophysiology of the ‘yips’ is believed to be an acquired deterioration in the function of motor pathways (e.g. those involving the basal ganglia) which are exacerbated when a threshold of high stress and physiologic arousal is exceeded. Research suggests that the ‘yips’ […]
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