Coaching: The Art and Science What the mind can conceive, And the heart can believe, The athlete can achieve!

Basic Mental Skills Core Competencies Problem Solving Valuing Critical Thinking Leaderships Interaction

Basic Mental Skills Develop repertoire of techniques Spotting focus and anxiety problems Attentional control Emotional control Goal setting Planning for Mental Preparation

Components of Performance Technical Tactical Physical Mental/Emotional Common to neglect mental skills training Mental preparation - training mind to work with the body, not against the body. Ideal Performance State - Pep talk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a48fe_K6M80

Coach’s Role in Mental Prep Not a psychologist! Making athletes aware of basic mental skills Integrate into performance preparation Prepare for most eventualities Assist athlete’s independence in all areas of mental preparation

Experiential Tasks Grid #1 – numerical order Shuttling or Shifting Attention – pg 9 Reference manual – quarterback Narrow to broad to narrow etc. Grid #2 and forward/backward

Recognizing Gaps in Mental Skills Mental skills and competition Workbook pg 3 Task 2.1.1

Successful Athletes Block out distractions (focus) Leave mistakes in the past (park) Get back on track quickly (refocus) Keep calm (relaxation) Keep competition in perspective Patience

Signs of Trouble Workbook pg 4 Task 2.3.1

Signs of Trouble Focus Anxiety Wandering eyes Doesn’t follow instructions Misses cues Anxiety Bites nails Fatigues easily Yawning Feels sick to stomach

Definitions Attentional Control Concentration Focus Refocus Ability to decipher relevant cues while fully aware of situation Ability to recognize and continually deal with relevant stimuli or internal/external performance cues Ability to concentrate on the present while performing Ability to return to relevant task following a break in concentration

Definitions Information Processing Automatic I.P. Controlled I.P Reading the situation Ability to process cues easily, rapidly, consistently and economically (examples) Paying attention to critical phases of skills or tasks (novice or complex skills not mastered

Attentional Dimensions (Nideffer 1976, 81) Broad Attentional Focus Perceiving and interpreting many cues at same time Narrow Attentional Focus Perceiving and interpreting one or two cues at same time Internal Attentional Focus Directed inward, perceiving and interpreting cues that performer feels or thinks External Attentional Focus Directed outward, perceiving and interpreting cues in surrounding environment that performer can usually see or hear

Distractors (pg 7 Task 3.3.1) Spectators – heckling Coach – instructions Teammates – emotions Competitors – trash talk Officials – bad call Ambient noise – air fan Environment – light flicker Equipment – missing shoes Organization – tournament scheduling

RELAXATION http://www. youtube. com/watch RELAXATION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ygq1W681A&feature=related (Mind to body, body to mind) Visualization What you see is what you get