1. Psychological Skills Training Programme.
ENHANCING SPORTS PERFORMANCE.

2. Aims and Objectives.
Introduce Psychological Skills Training (PST) for assignment 4 – Initial assessment and 6 week plan.
Identify the importance of psychological skills in sports performance.
Complete an Athletic coping skills inventory assessment (ASCI-28).
Complete a Performance profiling wheel for an athlete in the class.

3. Importance of Psychological Skills.
Whilst athletes practice the physical aspects of their performance on a day to day basis, the same can’t be said for psychological skills in most cases.
1. Have you ever walked off the field of play in disgust, having lost a game you should have won?
2. Have you ever turned up to a game and thought ‘I can’t be bothered today’?
3. Have you ever got to a crucial point in a game and your performance has dropped without you being able to explain why?
These are all situations where psychological skills training (PST) may have helped you.
– ‘Gold medal mind-set’

4. Psychological Skills Training.
PST aims to develop a range of psychological skills that are designed to improve an athletes performance over a period of time.
PST programmes involve 3 main stages:
Education – teaching the athlete why PST is beneficial.
Acquisition – learning different psychological skills.
Practice – providing opportunities to use techniques in a competition.

5. Psychological Skills Training.
PST programmes require you to:
Conduct baseline assessments.
Plan the programme.
Take part in the programme.
Conduct reassessments.
Review the programme.

6. Stage 1: Assessment for PST.
Perform an initial assessment of the psychological strengths and areas for improvement of your athlete.
Why is it important to assess your athletes psychological strengths and weaknesses at baseline?
Assessment tools: Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and performance profiling.

7. Initial assessment: Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI-28)
Initial assessment: Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI-28). (Smith et al., 1995).
Complete the ACSI-28 questionnaire.
Read each statement and tick the response you most agree with, be honest!!
Once finished, use the scale to calculate your psychological skills.
The results from your initial assessment will help create the aims and objectives of your PST program.
Do you agree with your results?
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8. Aims and Objectives.
Identify the importance of psychological skills in sports performance.
Complete a Performance profiling wheel.
Identify the aims and objectives for the 6 week training program.
Investigate Psychological Skill Training methods.

9. Performance Profile Wheel. (P6)
You are required to assess an athlete using the following aspects of psychology;
Concentration, confidence, motivation, anxiety.
Using a performance profile wheel (P6), assess the psychological skills of an athlete within the class.
Both the sports psychologist and athlete are to complete the performance profile wheel.
Each quality is rated from 0-10 (0 being low skill, 10 being highly skilled).
Be honest! Look back at ASCI-28 results to help inform your decisions.
If there are any large differences between the psychologists and athletes levels of perceived skill, discuss why both you and the client have given these scores.
Agree on future goals (i.e set benchmarks for each quality). These results are used to set the goals of the PST programme.
Once finished, swap roles.

10. Performance Profile Wheel
1. How well are you able to concentrate on achieving individual, team and performance goals before a match?
2. How confident are you that you can achieve your individual, team, and performance goals before a match?
3. How motivated are you to achieve individual, team and performance goals before a match?
4. Do you ever get anxious when performing? Are you able to deal with anxiety well?

11. Planning a 6 week training program.
Use your initial assessments to conduct a needs analysis of your athlete on the bottom of your performance profile wheel.
The strengths and areas for improvement you have identified will help you decide on the aims and objectives of the PST programme.
Now produce SMART targets.
Now prioritise the aims and objectives (biggest areas for improvement given highest priority).

12. PST programme: Daily and weekly content
When producing a plan it is important to think about how much time should be spent on different aspects within the PST programme.
If introducing new skills to the PST programme, then minute PST sessions 3-5 times a week are beneficial. This will be in addition to and based around your physical practice sessions.
Gradually, the aim is to move away from needing distinct PST sessions to allow the psychological skills to be integrated with normal practice.
For example, a PST programme may involve a 30 minute session on imagery (education and practice for athlete) in its early stages before developing into a 15 minute imagery session before a match in its later stages. This will allow for imagery to become integrated with the athletes normal practice.

13. Motivation techniques – Goal setting.
Helping the athlete to increase their motivation to optimal levels is one of the most important aspects for a sports psychologist.
Always use SMART when setting goals for your athlete.
There are three types of goals:
Outcome goals (Long term)
Performance goals (Short term)
Process goals (Short term)

14. Motivation techniques – Goal setting.
Outcome goals - Focus on the result of the event – winning a game.
Excellent method for short term motivation – setting an outcome goal to beat an opponent you have lost to who you should have beat will increase your motivation levels.
However…
Often the least effective when used for motivation.
This is because your goal achievement is dependant on your opposition (out of your hands).
Spending too much time thinking about this goal can increase anxiety and reduce concentration and motivation.
E.G – Athlete could run a PB in the 400m and still finish last. This will decrease motivation even though their performance is improving.

15. Motivation techniques – Goal setting.
Performance goals - Focus on an athlete’s performance and comparing their current performance to previous performance.
Having greater control over goal achievement will increase athletes motivation.
An example of a performance goal would be a footballer improving pass completion percentage in a game from 75% to 85%.
Process goals – Focus on the technique of their performance.
Increases motivation by giving the athlete a specific element of performance to focus on in training.
An example of this would be setting a goal for a basketballer to improve their jump shot by making sure they release the ball at the height of the jump.

16. Motivation techniques – Goal setting.
It is essential to set both long term (Outcome) goals and short term (Performance and Process) goals for you athlete during you PST programme.
Studies have shown that using a combination of all three types of goals is better than using any single type of goal for motivation.
There should be logical progression from short term goals through to long term goals throughout the PST programme.
Example for a PST programme: Process – Work on agility and speed
Performance – Make 5 successful dribbles per game.
Outcome – Win the league.
Justification – Goal setting has been implemented to increase the athletes motivation levels throughout the 6 week training program.

17. Arousal control – Progressive muscular relaxation.
When in an over-aroused state muscle tension will increase and can severely hinder performance due to losses of coordination and increase the chance of injury.
Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR) is a technique that helps reduce muscle tension.
Involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups over the whole body.
Tense for 5 seconds and release for 5 seconds – repeat.
Increases an athletes awareness of their levels of muscle tension and distinguish between a state of tension and relaxation.
Can increase an athletes concentration and reduce anxiety when in aroused states.

18. Recap - PST programme
We looked at the importance of Psychological Skills Training programmes and how we, as sports psychologists, can initially assess an athlete's psychological skills.
What methods were used to assess the athletes? What were your strengths and areas for development?
P6: Assess the current psychological skills of a selected sports performer, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
P7: Plan a six-week psychological skills training programme to enhance performance for a selected sports performer.
M4: Explain the design of the programme, and if each of the activities (sessions) that will be completed.
D3: Justify the design of the six-week PST programme, making suggestions for improvement.

19. Psychological Performers - The high achievers.
When looking at sport at the highest level, there are clearly some athletes that always get it right both physically and psychologically.
Usain Bolt: High energy, embraces the crowd and atmosphere, ‘Lightning Bolt’, dances around and displays confidence prior to every event.
Michael Phelps: Low energy, listens to music right up until the last minute, enables him to focus and get in ‘The Zone’ to perform.
What do you do to mentally prepare yourself before a match? Could you do more?

20. Psychological Performers - The catastrophes
Rory McIlroy:
5 shots ahead going into final day.
Played superbly throughout the tour.
Shot a final round of 80.
Finished joint 15th overall.
Highly regarded as one of the greatest sporting ‘chokes’ of all time.
Won US Open only 8 weeks later.
PST training could help improve an athletes ability to overcome such psychological barriers when performing.

21. PST programme - Training techniques
We began to explore the different training techniques used in PST programmes:
What techniques were used for increasing motivation?
Goal setting - Outcome goals (Long term), Performance goals (Short term), Process goals (Short term)
What techniques were used for improving arousal control?
Progressive Muscular Relaxation (PMR)

22. PST - Improving motivation
As previously mentioned, goals define an athlete.
Excellent method to motivate an athlete to achieve more.
The goals they set will determine how much drive, effort, and
motivation they have to perform well.
It is essential to set long term and short term goals.
Outcome goals (Long term)
Performance goals (Short term)
Process goals (Short term)
Provide an outcome, performance, and process goal for yourself on the sheet provided.

23. PST - Improving arousal control and anxiety management.
Mind to muscle relaxation - training the muscles to recognise tension.
Most effective training methods:
Progressive muscular relaxation (PMR) - Reduces muscle tension to ensure athlete is relaxed. Link back to earlier slide on PMR.
Autogenic training - Self-hypnosis that helps develop warmth and heaviness in the body (relaxation).
Uses a series of statements or phrases to focus attention on the different feelings the athlete is trying to produce (attempting to make individual body parts relaxed).
Promotes parasympathetic activity which reduces blood pressure and lowers the heart rate.
When would it be most beneficial to have a mind to muscle relaxation training session?
Example of Autogenic training -
Note: PMR used more widely as it takes several months to learn Autogenic training effectively.

24. PST - Improving arousal control and anxiety management.
Breathing Control
Can be used to relax an athlete either before or during an event.
When anxious or under pressure, an automatic tendency is to hold your breath which increases factors that are detrimental to performance e.g muscle tension.
It sounds so simple and is often overlooked, but understanding and controlling your breathing can really affect your mindset and performance.
Breathing control to manage emotions -
Breathing training to increase concentration -
Again, these training methods can be implemented in minute blocks before physical training sessions. This will then allow the athletes the chance to use this newly formed skill during their physical training session.

25. PST - Improving arousal control and anxiety management.
Using music
A method used by athletes to both increase and decrease arousal levels.
Music can narrow a performers attention and divert it from tiredness (reduce anxiety levels).
High energy music has been shown to increase body temperature, heart rate and breathing rate, all of which improves sport performance.
Michael Phelps ‘I use my music to get me into the right frame of mind for my event, I’m untouchable’
Famous for listening to music right up to his event.
Uses music to relax himself and focus on the event ahead (reduces anxiety and increases motivation).
Sessions of listening to motivating music would be most effective immediately before the athletes event.

26. PST - Improving arousal control and anxiety management.
Mental imagery - widely regarded as the most powerful tool for psychological performance.
Keys to quality mental imagery:
Imagery perspective: ‘where the imagery camera is’ -
Internal imagery is when you imagine yourself doing something and how the activity ‘feels’.
External imagery is when you imagine yourself doing something as if you were watching it on a video which helps to develop an awareness of how the activity looks.
Multiple senses: You should duplicate the sights, sounds, physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions that you would experience in an actual competition.
Recreate the scenario - if you get nervous during a performance, you should get nervous during imagery. This allows you to use effective PST methods to reduce anxiety levels.

27. Types of imagery
Mental rehearsal - Cognitive rehearsal of a skill without any physical movement. Helps to develop neuromuscular patterns associated with different movements.
Emotion control (anxiety control) - Imagining things that have gone wrong in previous performances (e.g penalties, being bowled out etc) and imagining yourself coping with these negative influences in a number of ways.
This allows you to be mentally prepared for many situations and reduce anxiety levels.
Concentration - Imagining what you want to achieve and what you need to do to achieve it allows for athletes to prevent their attention from focusing on irrelevant aspects (crowd noise etc) and concentrate on relevant aspects of performance.
Confidence - Imagery can be used to change self-image.
Athletes will imagine themselves completing a performance successfully to increase confidence.
As the performer now believes they can master the performance (if only in their minds), their levels of self-confidence will increase.

28. Mental imagery in practice.
Imagery must be realistic - imagery must be of your own performance in the circumstances you normally perform is. Why?
Developing a Programme
Consistency with sessions e.g you don’t get stronger by lifting weights once!
Imagery goals - can be technical, tactical, mental, or over-all performance.
Start with practice in simple settings (e.g training) and progress to more demanding situations once simple tasks mastered (e.g important competitions).
Example: Begin with imagery sessions of completing a successful long distance pass in a training drill that you are struggling with. Progress to completing that pass in a training game scenario, before then progressing to completing that pass in a pressure situation in a competitive game.

29. Mental imagery in practice.
Imagery Content:
Short duration (sprinter) - image whole performance.
Longer duration (golf, football, rugby) - imagine 4-5 key aspects of competition.
Imagery sessions.
Imagery sessions should be done 3-4 times per week. Set aside a specific time of the day when you'll do your imagery (just like you do for your physical training).
Find a quiet, comfortable place where they won't be disturbed. Each session should last about 15 minutes.

30. Mental imagery in practice.
Blanka Vlansic
Former World Champion High Jumper
IAAF Athlete of the year.
Very famous for going through the same performance routine.
Close eyes
Visualise Successful Jump
Clap hand rhythmically (sensory imagery of previous jumps)
Boot motivation and confidence.
Image jump and practice arm movements prior to execution.

31. PST - Confidence building.
Confidence plays pivotal role in performance.
England football team - Sports psychologist for penalties
Imagery of previous success - seeing the ball hit the net.
Going through pre-penalty routines to ensure players were in correct mindset.
Mental cues and self-talk - ‘I will’ ‘I can’
Blocking out external aspects (crowd, past experience) and replacing these thoughts with controllable aspects (focus on correct foot placement).
This training was used to allow athletes to picture themselves successfully scoring a penalty, which promotes a sense of mastery and confidence to perform the task.

32. PST - Confidence building.
Self-talk
Main focus it for an athlete to convince themselves they are good enough to perform well.
Take away negative ques and replace with positives - ‘I can’ and ‘I will’
Seen throughout elite level sport as it is a very quick and effective method to refocus and increase self-confidence.
Most effective prior to and/or during sports performance.
Useful to induce memories of previous successes and create positive imagery of their own performance.
Often used in PST programmes alongside other techniques such as Mental rehearsal imagery.
Joe hart - self-talk and imagery -
Self-talk - NFL -

33. Psychological Skills Training
Provide athletes with various techniques that they can use to overcome a variety of situations both before and during competition.
Linking training techniques to the PST programme (P7, M4, D3)
Motivation - Goal setting
Arousal control (Anxiety) - PMR, Autogenic Training, Breathing Control, Music, Imagery (mental rehearsal, controlling emotions, relaxation), Pre-performance routines.
Confidence - Self talk, positive thinking, changing self-image through imagery.
Concentration - Imagery, goal setting.
15-30 minute PST sessions 3-5 times a week are beneficial. This will be in addition to and based around your physical practice sessions.

34. Take it further...
Research the following theories behind imagery use and use them to justify why you would use imagery with athletes…
Psychoneuromuscular Theory
Symbolic Learning Theory
Bioinformational Theory
Attention-Arousal Set Theory.

35. Assignment - PST programme
P6: Assess the current psychological skills of a selected sports performer, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
P7: Plan a six-week psychological skills training programme to enhance performance for a selected sports performer.
M4: Explain the design of the programme, and if each of the activities (sessions) that will be completed.
D3: Justify give reasons for the design of the six-week PST programme, making suggestions for improvement.