1. Sport Psychology
"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal, nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong attitude" - Thomas Jefferson

2. KEY KNOWLEDGE KEY SKILLS
Psychological strategies used to improve performance levels and assist recovery including sleep, meditation, motivational techniques, optimal arousal, mental imagery and concentration.
Recognise and understand various psychological factors which impact on either performance and recovery
Participate in, analyse and report on a variety of psychological practices aimed at improving performance levels and recovery.
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3. © Cengage Learning Australia 2011

4. Principles of Sport Psychology
Motivation
Goal setting
Arousal
Concentration
Confidence
Strategies to increase motivation, concentration and controlling arousal levels will enhance sports performance

5. Psychological Skills Training
Deals mainly with the cognitive behaviour: thought processes
It is the rehearsal or practice of a variety of psychological techniques
These techniques can be learned to improve an individual’s mental strength and focus. If executed successfully they can have a dramatic impact on performance
Every athlete’s PST will be different, depending on their needs. However, each will have three common stages:
Education phase
Acquisition phase
Practice phase

6. Why is it important for an athlete to be motivated?
Motivation
Forms of motivation: Intrinsic, extrinsic, positive, negative
Why is it important for an athlete to be motivated?

7. Strategies to increase motivation

8. Goal Setting
" It's a dream until you write it down, and then its a goal." - Anonymous "Obstacles are those frightening things that become visible when we take our eyes off our goals." - Henry Ford

9. Goal setting Goals need to be set for both training and competition.
Three types of goals exist – outcome, performance and process.
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10. Athletes have greatest control over performance goals
Goal setting should be done according to SMARTER
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12. Arousal: Inverted ‘U’ Hypothesis
How would you feel??

15. Under or over arousal: Signs and symptoms

17. Sport Psychology Arousal reduction techniques

18. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

19. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

20. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

21. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

22. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

23. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

24. Sport Psychology
Arousal reduction techniques

25. Sport Psychology
Arousal promotion techniques

26. Sport Psychology
Arousal promotion techniques

27. Sport Psychology
Arousal promotion techniques

28. Sport Psychology

33. Simulation Training
Simulation is when real-life situations are practised and experienced.
Athletes exposure themselves to the typical stressors during training so that they get used to the stressor so that it has less of an impact during competition. It is about making the training environment as similar to competition as possible.
e.g. training in front of a crowd, listening to crowd noise in head phones whilst practising free kicks, penalty shots etc.

34. Concentration
Concentration is being able to remain focused on a set task.

35. Internal distractions (thoughts, worries and concerns)
Difficulties concentrating are usually due to distractions. Rather than focusing on set cues, athletes become distracted by thoughts, emotions or other events. These distractions can be internal or external.
Internal distractions (thoughts, worries and concerns)
Living in the past
Living in the future
Anxiety and arousal
Self-talk
fatigue

36. External Distractions
Visual
Auditory
Gamesmanship
Improving Concentration – Strategies:
Simulation training
CUE words: self-reminders of what you need to concentrate on
Positive self-talk: affirmation statements
“parking” thoughts: bank negative thoughts aside

37. Choking
A situation where performance deteriorates because a heightened sense of pressure or importance is placed on an upcoming event or action.
It causes a shift in concentration – to internal and narrow. This has a psychological and physiological effect on performance:
Psychological:
Decreased selective attention on the important cues in the environment
Negative self-talk
Poor judgement and decision making
Physiological:
Impaired timing and coordination
Fatigue
Muscle tension