1. Sport Psychology

2. Mental Side of Human Performance.

3. Sport Psychology
Sport Psychology is the study of how people think, feel and behave in sporting situations (training & competition). If connections between brain activity and performance success can be made and applied it can lead to further successes. Prior to athletic events it is important to be mentally prepared. .

4. Performance States
Ideal performance state – “In The Zone!”

5. Key Terms in Sport Psychology
Arousal
Anxiety
Each sport has an optimal arousal zone where if too low an athlete can be bored or lack concentration or too high where stress and anxiety can cause muscle tension and choking.
Choking –

6. Personality Of An Athlete

7. Key Terms in Sport Psychology
Relaxation
Concentration
Motivation

8. Audience and Fatigue Role of the audience Fatigue
© iStockphoto.com/”LordRunar”

9. Sport Psychology Tools
Athletes can use many tools to motivate themselves, relax and concentrate on the task at hand.
Motivation
Positive Self-Talk -
Self Efficacy

10. Tools For Motivation Improving Motivation
Four basic principles that relate to athletes:
Personal traits vs. environment
Multiple Motives
Staying Motivated
Leadership
© iStockphoto.com/”amygdala_imagery”

11. Sport Psychology Tools – Relaxation & Concentration

12. Sport Psychology Tools – Concentration & Relaxation
Imagery –
Visualization

13. Sport Psychology Tools
Goal Setting
Objective goals
Empirically quantifiable
Subjective goals
Outcomes harder to quantify
S.M.A.R.T. Principle
Specific - Able to be precisely defined
Measurable - Able to be quantified
Attainable - Within an athlete’s limitations
Realistic - Attainable within constraints
Timely - Achievable within a set time frame

14. Sport Psychology and Children
Can have significant impact on approach to sports from a physical, social, and mental perspective
Children respond well to praise and encouragement
Enjoyment of activities will help them build skills and confidence
Children benefit from participation during both games and practices

15. Sport Psychology and High School Athletics
High school sport is designed to be educational. The goal should be to develop the self worth of athletes and build team unity. A seasons goals should revolve around achieving and working hard toward personal excellence and team excellence – a championship may be the result of strong team unity. Professional athletics is entertainment, high school sport is educational; the key is to not confuse the two. If the only reason a team is competing is to win a championship then for most teams the season would be considered a failure at the end. A coach who continually praises his athletes will build the self esteem of the athlete and they will be more confident, productive, resilient and willing to take risks for the rest of their lives. If goals were set around personal measures like playing time, starting positions, personal stats and winning instead of values high school sports have missed their calling.

16. Building Self Worth

17. Building Team Unity