To apply the skills you learn in practice to competition, you must to practice like you play. Your goal should be to make practice as close to competition as possible. You will be better able to relate the information you learn in practice through specificity training, goal oriented practice, and improving your mental skills. Many athletes have trouble applying mental skill to competition because they do not rehearse mental skills in practice. Mental skills, just like physical skills must be practiced to make them automatic (well learned). When mental skills are ingrained, you can easily apply them to competition. […]
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18
Sep
2012
How to Enhance Your Performance in Practice
31
Aug
2012
Championship Team Building Part One
Motivation can have many effects on an athlete as an individual and a team as a whole. Depending on the type of motivational strategies used, a coach’s motivational strategies can have positive or negative effects. Truman (2003) identified how motivational techniques such as inspirational direction and bragging promoted more motivation on a team and, as a result, created team cohesion. To expand on the notion of cohesion, Kenow and Williams (1999) bring to light the importance of players and coaches having similar goals, promoting team cohesion which ultimately leads to a team becoming successful. In order to achieve cohesion […]
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08
Aug
2012
The Power of Visualization
The Power of Visualization – 5 Tips that will change your experience Visualization is one of the primary technologies used in sports psychology. I’m a big believer in the phrase, “What happens out there is a result of what happens in here”. In simple terms, this means your performance is often the result of what’s happening inside your head, or more specifically the movies and soundtracks playing inside your head. In this article I’ll reveal five key tips to get you started in producing more potent results in your sport by tapping the power of visualization. Tip 1 – […]
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22
Jun
2012
Pre-Game Routines in Sports
People often think they have a routine, but it’s not always the case. Common questions regarding routines are: What’s the difference between a routine and a superstition? What should I be thinking? How do I know it’s not a superstition? What behaviours or actions should I be doing? Will it really help me perform better? Hopefully the following article will help explain these and any other questions around pre-performance routines. A pre-performance routine is defined as ‘Sequence of task relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to his or her performance of a specific sport […]
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19
Jun
2012
Understand THE ZONE in Sports
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. Entering the zone requires total commitment your game plan and the process of winning. Many athletes have mental barriers that limit their ability to enter the zone, such as fear […]
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26
Apr
2012
Tips for Breaking Free of a Slump
1. Focus on your performance instead of results. Do not become obsessed with or pay so much attention to your wins or personal statistics. Instead, focus on your actual performance such as improving your pre-at-bat routine or enhancing your quarterback skills to read defensive formations. 2. Stop making comparisons to your competition. Don’t worry about athletes or teams that are passing you in order or rankings. Focus on small performance gains and areas you have to do to improve your game daily. 3. Stay committed to your dream in sports. When you are in a slump it is easier […]
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24
Apr
2012
How to Perform Your Best in Big Games
Playing in the big game can present several mental game challenges for athletes. The ability to cope with the pressure is key to allowing athletes to reach peak performance in key situations. Pressure can cause you to focus on results, tighten up and try too hard. When the season is on the line with a championship game, do you rise to the occasion, or fall under pressure? The best athletes and teams do raise the level of the performance in big games. They thrive on big games. Philadelphia Flyers stepped up in the 2012 playoffs to reach their first Stanley Cup finals […]
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21
Apr
2012
How to Prepare Mentally for a Big Game
All the hype and distractions leading up to a big game can be overwhelming for athletes, coaches, and even parents. In order for athletes to perform their best when the stakes are high they need to avoid: 1. Getting caught up external distractions 2. Conjuring up self-limiting internal distractions External distractions can become a challenge for some athletes. Worrying about the expectations of others, personal relationship, your opponent, school, and the media are all examples of external distractions. They distract athletes from focusing on the steps they need to take to achieve their mission. However, the most harmful distractions […]
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12
Apr
2012
Achieving Peak Performance
Sport psychology theories and mental training strategies to enhance focus, confidence, composure, mental preparation, and team cohesion have proven to increase performance in sports, business and life. Important elements of sport psychology aim to: 1. Improve focus and deal with distractions by helping athlete to stay focused on the present moment and let go of results. 2. Enhance confidence in athletes who have doubts. If players maintain doubts prior to or during their performance, this indicates low self-confidence. 3. Develop coping skills to deal with mistakes and errors. Players with high or strict expectations have trouble remaining confident and […]
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11
Feb
2012
Letting Go of Errors and Mistakes
Mistakes or errors occur every day in baseball, but many players don’t have the mental game that allows them to let go of errors and this hurts their chances for success. Errors such as missing a throw, botching a simple ground ball, striking out at the plate, or dropping a pop up occur all the time in baseball. Nobody is perfect, therefore errors are just another part of the game. However, these errors often become a huge mental barrier for athletes who cannot cope with mistakes, and as a result it affects their performance. In many cases, especially with […]
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