1. Background In this article three developmental pathways to expertise in the field of sport were critically analysed. Activity patterns were explored and compared, in an attempt to find trends in footballers that reached top-level performance as an adult. 2. Findings There are three current pathways to expertise that exist within sport (for a review, […]
The purpose of this article is to promote the use of mental toughness within football. Mental toughness is an important concept that coaches and players should engage during training and matches. Enhanced mental toughness increases the chance of consistent success. There are identifiable characteristics that relate to mental toughness within football (see table below). Mental […]
Previous articles for Sport in Mind have focused on athlete recovery and the importance of the appropriate quality and quantity of sleep. Sleep has been outlined as being essential for physiological growth and repair, neuro-muscular performance, cognitive functioning and memory, emotional well-being and immune function. Napping has been proposed as a suitable strategy for athletes […]
An inability to be able to pace yourself can be deleterious to one’s performance, as an individual must be able to carefully select the appropriate distribution of efforts as to avoid falling behind in a race. Originally, the capacity to do so was thought to be controlled by a mechanistic determination based on an athlete’s […]
As a Yoga Teacher, Trainee Sport Psychologist, and English Champion of Olympic Weightlifting, I know how yoga can help athletes to maximise their physical and psychological potential and improve their performance. I use yoga regularly as part of my own training and teach Performance Yoga to a variety of athletes from national swimmers, and championship […]
In may 2013, Alex Fergunsons`26 years, successful leadership of Manchester United came to an end. During his career as manager, the club won the Premier League 13 times and Champions league both in 1999 and 2008. Stories about “hairdryer-treatment”, fatherly leadership and the fact that he rebuilt winning teams again and again, makes him not […]
It is widely acknowledged that the most successful performers across varying sporting paradigms are those that have invested a significant amount of time acquiring the essential skills of their trade through purposeful practice. From a skill acquisition perspective, factors such as repetition are recognized as being of critical importance in providing players/performers a solid foundation […]
If you were to ask a golfer coming off the 18th green following their best round of golf how they perceived the course, they might describe the fairways and greens as being ‘as large as an ocean’ and liken the hole to a ‘bucket’. Whereas if you ask a golfer coming off the 18th after […]
Intrinsic motivation can be defined as “engaging in an activity for itself and for the pleasure and satisfaction derived from participation” (Vallerand, 2004). The coach’s ability to intrinsically motivate players is crucial for long term athlete development, in regards to facilitating performance, providing a positive experience, and promoting a healthy lifestyle. The pedagogic setting that […]
Top athletes are made rather than born. Through hard work, practicing and learning they have become the quality players we know now. Working hard might even define the limit of your capabilities, the thin line between top and world class. There is no arguing Paul can ice skate better than John, if Paul has been doing […]